Air vents...

[lsrjunkie]

Curious if putting air vents in a belly pan would cover the drain hole requirements. Also if it's just a vent and not ducted to another part of the car it shouldn't violate the definition of an air duct as read in the definition section 4.A of the rule book. I'll definitely submit this to the proper tech official as well, just wondering if anyone else has any experience with this kind of modification.

[manta22]

My guess is that it would depend on how many "vents" you put in the pan. An excessive number might make it hard to argue that they are simply drain holes.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[lsrjunkie]

Neil, I'm not trying to read between the lines, but more trying to kill two birds with one stone. 4.C classifies a vent as an aerodynamic pressure relief system in which no ducting is utilized. It also says that louvers and removal of tail lights are considered vents. That being said, I'd like to put three or for large, 5 or 6 inches long, louvers in the belly pan under the engine. If I do that I hope I won't have to punch a bunch of extra holes in addition to the louvers.

I can't find any documentation that would did allow this. I also think some large louvers in the belly pan would be beneficial.

[Dynoroom]

What class?

[Stainless1]

Drain holes are not required to be round....
Read the rules for your class carefully, without reading into them
and do whatever the tech chair for you class says is legal
Good Luck 

[lsrjunkie]

Dyno, I'm running comp coupe.

Stainless, I never thought of it that way... Good point. And in the mean time, I'll wait to hear back from the proper tech chairman.

[tauruck]

You need a lot of drain holes!!!
If they're long slots that look like louvres so be it.

[Rex Schimmer]

I like the louver idea, facing to the rear of the car they will both drain any fluids and vent air. I have seen some cars, drag racers especially, that have used NACA ducts cut in the body backwards, these do not work! Amazing that people actually think these will work as vents.

Rex

[lsrjunkie]

My thoughts exactly Rex! If I'm allowed to do it, I'll let ya know how it works. 

[dw230]

History shows us that at least one car, the Carr Kaplan Desert Rattler lakester the first to 300 at El Mirage, had the same idea in their belly pan. Not much new in LSR.

DW

[Glen]

You sure don't want any liquids running forward in the belly pan when trying to stop, A few years ago the late Jack Kelly blew a engine and turned off and stopped in front of the timing stand. the belly pan was full and had run up and into the cockpit area,he was lucky as he had no fire.There was a lot of fluids in the belly pan (belly tank).

[NathanStewart]

Read the rules for your class carefully, without reading into them

This was an interesting question and conversation.  Pardon my interjection but I'd like to make an observation.  For years, many "outsiders" (people who come from other forms of racing, etc) or newbies in general have commented that SCTA rules and the rules book were too strict and too hard to understand or follow which I've always disagreed with but that's mostly because I grew up reading the rule book and being around dry lakes racing for as long as I can remember.  They always made perfect sense to me.  Anyways, I think a big part of it may be that people read INTO the rules more than they should, as SS mentioned, and create their own complexities.  I guess my question is why?  Perhaps it's a psychological thing where people know or have at least heard that getting through tech can be difficult and so people make an effort to make sure that they cross their t's and dot their lower case j's and in doing so they think the rules are more draconian than they really are. 

Anyways, just a casual observation.  It's better to ask than get dinged in tech but I feel like a lot of folks are more worried about getting harshly failed in tech than they probably need to be.  I think if you ask a guys that have been through tech a few times its probably no big deal.  Then ask the guys who just built a car and are being teched for the first time and it's the hardest and most stressful thing they've ever done.  Guess it's all perspective.

[dw230]

Lynn Goodfellow not as lucky as jack.

DW

[Glen]

Nor was Herda.

[Stan Back]

In reply to Nathan's wise comments -- I believe the problem partially stems from racers coming from other venues which mandate certain ways everything must be.  The SCTA states what you MUST have, but doesn't tell you how to get there.

Is that clear?  (Probably not.)