RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored

For anyone intereted in building a Tarmac Rally Car, CAMS released in late Nov their new set of regs due to come into force in 2008.



Looks like the good old Esky will end up as either Cat 2 or 3 depending on the mods you want to do.

Interesting reading.

Rereading C3 it could be read many ways.

Just reading Gp1-4 in its entirity it would seem a Holbay is OK so long as the rest of the car matches. In this case a YB could be used as it has the same number of valves as the holbay and actuation method.

Then reading The use of individual parts could be read as not being allowed to use a select few parts from the Gp1-4 range while leaving out others or it could be read you can't use Gp1-4 parts that allow more freedom than defined as allowed modifications from the base vehicle. So 8 valve in the case of RS2K.

Certainly a Gp4 period reproduction new one would appear to be OK under definitions.

Reading other parts GT40 and lotus 7 replicas would seem to be OK, then why not a small production run of Mk1 replicas with various trick bits ?

All those 2lt BDA based Mk1's would appear to be on the outer as 1601*1.17=1873. IIRC they were homologated as 1601 not 2000.

What Gp is the holbay piece homologated under what must go with it ?

2340 full house DOHC holbay, yeah now were talking !

My take on the regs is this.

C1 - basic standard road car specs. RS model Escorts are inelligable for this category anyway.

C2 - limited changes. Allowed single trailing arms, mods to motor but limited to number of valves in production engine, only 4sp boxes, no rose joints, basically what used to be like old Group 1 spec.

C3 - full house. Allowed 5sp boxes, turrets, 5 links, rose joints, 4WDisc's etc. Here anything that used to be up to Grp 4.

The Holbay head was homolgated for Grp 2. My understanding of the Holbay head story is this. Ford commission Holbay to build a 16v head for the pinto in the early 1970's as they thought the Cosworth headed BDA was about to be outlawed by the FIA. They developed the head and apparently built 9 with Ford logo's in the casting. There were others sold as kit form, and Ford homolgated the head for Group 2 rallying. When the Coswoth head wasn't banned, they continued with that and Holbay eventually sold of the paterns to another company which evolved into the Warrior Heads. Apparently now it's all owned by Connaught Racing in the UK. They still make the heads and you can get reproduction Holbay cam covers. Supposedly at the limit they don't make any hp than the YB heads, but they are not legal for historic rallying.

Food for thought

From my reading of the regs Neville has it about right.

I currently run a 2L Mk2 in C3 spec (due manily to the 6 link rear end). Given that the C3 regs allow for a 17% engine capacity increase I have found an option to install an Esslinger engine 2.3L with roller rockers.

Esslinger gaurantee +200hp from their 2.3L crate engine.

I know some speedway midget guys who say that 240hp from a 2.3L is no real problem because they run them on methonal and injection @ 11,000rpm. Appararently they sound awsome!

Unfortunately, this would move you into the 2000 - 2500cc category. May be a problem depending on what competition has entered the event. The other issue is that the organiser often reserve the right to combine classes if there is not enough enterants and this would mean that you have to run a C3 car with the modern cars - then the competition really changes !!!!

Anyway, Esslinger is probably my next engine upgrade.

http://www.esslingeracing.com/