FEATURE : SCRUTINEERING
Eligibility
Pitfalls and tips
Scrutineering
My last few articles have majored on safety items , so to ring the changes , this time a few comments about ‘ Technical Eligibility ’ scrutineering , says Nigel Edwards .
As an ex-competitor with 15 years and 150 races experience , I always remember the stomach butterflies that followed any marshals ’ request to take my car into Parc Fermé after qualification or race . However , there is no need for that reaction if you have simply :
l read your Championship or Series regulations ;
l checked that your car still complies ; and
l have remembered to bring your car ’ s VIF or HTP paperwork .
Contrary to many competitors ’ and mechanics ’ perceptions , scrutineers do not want to find any noncompliances . Non-compliances never please competitors ( who do not pay their entry fees for the privilege of feeling like a naughty schoolchild )
The author racing his Lotus Elan in 2000
and , far more importantly , they mean the scrutineer then has to waste ages filling out Motorsport UK forms , holding up the results ( much to the annoyance of the Clerks !) and possibly explaining the issue to the meeting ’ s Clerks .
For our level of competition , almost all eligibility checks are simple , quick and rarely ( but not always ) involve any intrusive car disassembly . All our checks have to arise directly from the regulations , so reading those should tell you all you need to know to comply . However , if in doubt , the scrutineers will be glad to explain any issues , as that is much more interesting for them than drinking tea in the scrutineering bay waiting for the next session . Although these may seem obvious , the following list of the most common eligibility checks may still be of assistance to you :
1 . Minimum weight In my experience , the circuit scales are always open to competitors in advance of the event , so please check if you suspect that your car ’ s weight may be close for whatever reason or if you have changed a substantial item , such as a tank , seat or exhaust system . Weight is an ‘ absolute ’ measurement , with no tolerance , and do not rely on that ‘ extra gallon ’ of fuel still being there at the end of your race .
2 . Ground clearance Unless specifically stated otherwise in your regulations , this is always checked with the driver on-board , per MSUK definition on page 55 of its yearbook . Other than suspension components and anything specifically mentioned in your specific regulations ( perhaps exhausts and anti-roll bar bushes ), any fixed part of the car counts , even protruding small rivets and bolts – so have a look underneath and check for yourself ( but remember to have someone of similar weight in the driving seat ). Again , this is an absolute dimension , with no tolerance .
3 . Tyres All our regulations specify which tyres may or may not be used . This differs between our Championships and may include manufacturer , tread design and compound or perhaps just which of the MSUK ’ s lists for road tyres are permissible .
Check the car ’ s weight if you make any major alterations
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