Author Topic: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA  (Read 17781 times)

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Offline Malcolm UK

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A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« on: February 01, 2016, 05:35:12 AM »
I was directed to www.wlsra.com by Rosco McGlashan, whose rocket car may have some problems in meeting the one hour FIA turnaround time requirement.

The self styled "World Land Speed Record Association" is offering a series of new classes; a new running procedure for unlimited records;new timing possibilities; on a website which does not indicate how independent of contenders this body might be.

Rosco has indicated that this association is the work of one current team - North American Eagle, led by Ed Shadle.

Nothing on the website indicates that, since Thrust SSC broke the sound barrier during its record bid, any of the 'Unlimited' teams have been working with the FIA on discussions which could have resulted in changes to their regulations for the 'unlimited class'.

Apart from adding the word 'speed', this new governing body seems to be the rebirth of the 1984 World Speed Record Association (headed then by Gary Baim), although all those years ago the WSRA were working with many teams, but they were challenging FIA or FIM regulated records.


 

 
Malcolm UK, Derby, England.

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2016, 11:52:00 AM »
I somebody builds a vehicle that is unable to work within the rules that everybody else has & is running by, then they screwed up!
Creating a new association with different rules to be able to claim a record is just Horse $hit & is an insult to the LSR community.
We've already seen the non existing "Women's Land Speed Record" claimed from the American Eagle team.
  Sid.

Offline Malcolm UK

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2016, 01:01:05 PM »
My earlier post should have read "The WLSRA added the word 'land' ....." Then they state they have classes for for water speed records as well as acknowledging running on ice.

The WLSRA have listed four classes for wheeldriven speed contenders (in some 'unlimited' form) so they will be taking record recognition away from the SCTA/BNI, as well as the FIA.

They do not put gender in their rules (although I believe these are not yet complete) but they have already listed two female contenders in their records list - Jessi and Kitty.
Malcolm UK, Derby, England.

Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2016, 03:13:38 PM »
Also under "their" rules, Invader & Eagle would not be competing against the existing Thrust SST record or the new Bloodhound due to their choice of engines. Now these guys want to start a new game on a different size field so they can claim "World Record"! WTF!
 Kitty O'neil wanted to claim a 1/4 mile record under NHRA but couldn't back it up to meet the rules that everybody else was running on.
 How is it any more dangerous with all the technology now than it was back in the 60's for Breedlove & Arfons?
Sid.

Offline TrickyDicky

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2016, 03:17:49 PM »
WLSRA - as somebody once said: "you cannot be serious".

Offline Glen

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2016, 03:27:29 PM »
WHO ARE THEY WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED. Who is the board and where do they plan to run.
Glen
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Offline Malcolm UK

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2016, 03:38:41 PM »
WHO ARE THEY WHERE ARE THEY LOCATED. Who is the board and where do they plan to run.

Who are they - certainly Ed Shadle, supported by others.
Where are they located - do not know where in the USA because e mails do not get through to them
Who is the board - not declared by the WLSRA website
Where do they plan to run - anywhere that a contender for their 'records' sees fit.

Malcolm UK, Derby, England.

Offline robfrey

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2016, 06:18:57 PM »
I hear a lot of venom in the critics writings. If you think the WLSRA is a joke then don't acknowledge them. WLSRA acknowledges the other organizations records. It not like they are claiming to be the only authority or the best authority, just another that is different set of rules that opens up new venues (which we are in desperate need of) but does not offer any real performance advantages. Also, the FIA has had a monopoly on this and they have treated us as such. The pricing to run at a FIA event is really high. The WLSRA may make LSR a little more affordable to smaller less funded teams.
I believe the WLSRA will eventually force the FIA hand in accepting GPS speeds which will be safer and much less expensive as we will only need one FIA representative on the salt to witness everything, download and verify record GPS data logs. I would think this would help tremendously to keep cost more affordable. I am still very new to this but am I missing anything else here?
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Offline Malcolm UK

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2016, 09:19:41 AM »
If the contact web address allowed for direct communication it would not be necessary to use other forums and social media.

Robert, you may be missing the historical aspect of World governance when you just focus on cost control and affordability (the WLSRA body has concentrated on a 'safety' angle too). If GPS recorded velocity is as accurate as the timing through the measured mile (or kilometre for those in Europe) using the passage of the car to initiate recording of the elapsed time then governing bodies would be looking at such methods. The bikers have two hours to compleyte an attempt, car drivers only one. Do record breakers want to see the 2 hours or does the community want 24 hour?

I feel sure that to give World coverage, the costs of organising a WLSRA recognised record will not save the contenders so much money. As contributors to landracing.com will know there are only two International (FIA and FIM) events at the moment and both are held in the USA, one for bikes only and one for bikes and cars. Outright thrust powered racers on four or more wheels do not want to run on the surface offered so they have to organise their own locations and attempts.

Not sure you can 'hear .. venom', but the creation of a new body which is 'introduced' to many by an Australian team newsletter could not expect to avoid written criticism or arrive without questions being asked on a public forum.     
Malcolm UK, Derby, England.

Offline TrickyDicky

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2016, 05:10:28 PM »
... different set of rules that opens up new venues .... Also, the FIA has had a monopoly on this and they have treated us as such. The pricing to run at a FIA event is really high. The WLSRA may make LSR a little more affordable to smaller less funded teams.
... accepting GPS speeds which will be safer and much less expensive ....

Rob, I don't know you but I am willing you to set records with the Carbiliner (which I have been following since it was known as the NACA 66 Streamliner).

You make several very good points, particularly the cost issue and the poor treatment US racers have had from the FIA in the past, but I don't understand:

New venues.  How do the new rules open up new venues?  You still need a lot of real estate to accelerate and slow down, even if you don't insist on a fixed measured mile in the centre.  Which venues become viable only under WLSRA rules?

Safety.  How does using GPS for time and distance measurement make LSR significantly safer?  Maybe there is a marginal improvement if there are no timing lights to hit, or is there something else I am missing?


Offline robfrey

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2016, 05:12:37 PM »
No timing light to hit is pretty significant.
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Offline robfrey

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #11 on: February 02, 2016, 05:13:56 PM »
Pm sent
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Offline F104A

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2016, 01:06:23 AM »
When an FIA event is conducted, there is a significant fee for the FIA, about 12 to 15 thousand for starters. You also have to be allowed into the USAC or other sanctioning body to be allowed to run (kind like getting voted into the Elks Club). You also have a venue set up for multiple racers so there are usually timing systems set up, course survey and marked, food court, officials, safety equipment and all the other things. Even when it is distributed amoungst several race teams it will cost you quite a bit. Now imagine if there is NO FIA event available in this year because of any number of reasons, ie: bad salt or rain out. For ONE guy to change his venue to some lakebed in the middle of nowhere, can he afford to mark out a course and get it surveyed? Can he afford the cost of the FIA, USAC, USAFRA or SCTA clocks plus all the other costs. Probably not. Just because he has no event to go to what is wrong with making a single car event affordable? When we went out last year, the Rice Brothers clocks were not available because Cook had them committed already. We had our time already set by the BLM and our own team availability so we were locked in too. We did get the USAFRA clocks for about $5000 just to make sure there was no complaint launched that would make our speeds invalid. If GNSS is utilized with the accuracy being greater than the clocks, we would save the $5000 plus the $12,000 FIA fee. For a regular Joe, that is important. For the deep pockets guys I guess it doesn't matter. 
Ed

Offline F104A

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2016, 12:59:53 PM »
Back in 1997, Andy made a two way pass that would break the record but missed the turnaround by a very small margin of time, I think it was about 1 minute or so. That required him to and the team to go back the next day and do it all over again. IF, on the next day, Andy had an accident and was hurt or even killed, how would the racing community and especially the FIA folks feel about that, just because of a one minute miss in the turnaround. I vote for the turnaround time to be offical sunup to official sundown. So what is the purpose of imposing a one hour turnaround anyway? Is someone afraid we might swap out our engine for a BIGGER one?
Ed

Offline Malcolm UK

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Re: A New Governing Body with new rules - WLSRA
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2016, 02:21:32 PM »
Back in 1997, Andy made a two way pass that would break the record but missed the turnaround by a very small margin of time, I think it was about 1 minute or so. That required him to and the team to go back the next day and do it all over again.

After concluding runs on the last day, film does show Andy saying something like 'we had to make two runs too many'. As the driver penalised by the over run of time you would think Andy would lead the demands for a change by the FIA.  However, the Bloodhound SSC team are working towards a 1 hour time period and Andy has agreed to drive that car.

Yes the FIA and FIM are two separate bodies, so only they know why the time period for consecutive runs differs.  As both organisations dictate the amount of allowed maintanance of vehicles - for bikes it is very limited - the time periods were chosen for other reasons.

Most recent British speed contenders have had to foot the full bill with a solo vehicle attempt on ground thousands of miles from home - and since 1960 they have been ordinary Joe's too. No deep pockets.   
Malcolm UK, Derby, England.