Rain light

[john.r.davies]

All,

Racers who read their "MotorSports NOW!!!", the seasonal hand out from the MSA and winner of the "Journal with the Most Boring Title on Earth" award, may have noticed that from 1/1/08, all race cars must bear an FIA homologated rain light. The cheapest there is cost £40+, and there has been a furore of complaint that has been ignored by the MSA

 

Now, over on the Ten Tenths site, 'midgetman' has written:

 

"OK guys, from the horses mouth. The MSA is authorised to approve lights for use at MSA AND FIA level, the below is copied from the homologation spec. The cost of the homologation plus a Maplin light would be less than a Lifeline one I suppose if there was enough interest I could look at getting a Maplins one homologated and sell it on my web site, huge discount for 10/10thers who contributed here of course"

 

See: http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread...1567&page=9 for the full post and thread.

 

midgetman's website is at: http://www.racewear.co.uk/

and who can grudge him for making a penny if he can save us pounds?

 

John

[john.r.davies]

Tell us about it Alec!

 

There has been far more interest in this outrage on the Ten Tenths, that represents racers of many marques, and the TSSC sites.

No one has mentioned it here (I think) so I bring it to the attention of the TR racers.

 

Midgetman will have to put out his own money to get a homologation certificate, or whatever it needs, but seems to be willing to budget the project towards the racer instead of the supplier. He'll need to know that he will at least break even, and I hope make a few pennies for himself instead of the shed load of pounds that others aim at, so I thought I'd advertise the project on sites that I know. If he can expect a minimum of sales, then perhaps he'll feel able to do it.

 

John

(Absolutely no connection with midgetman)

[Steve Chapman]

Hi Have a look in ebay you can buy a rain light for £10.99 plus post He has 95 available . hope this helps .

All,

Racers who read their "MotorSports NOW!!!", the seasonal hand out from the MSA and winner of the "Journal with the Most Boring Title on Earth" award, may have noticed that from 1/1/08, all race cars must bear an FIA homologated rain light. The cheapest there is cost £40+, and there has been a furore of complaint that has been ignored by the MSA

 

Now, over on the Ten Tenths site, 'midgetman' has written:

 

"OK guys, from the horses mouth. The MSA is authorised to approve lights for use at MSA AND FIA level, the below is copied from the homologation spec. The cost of the homologation plus a Maplin light would be less than a Lifeline one I suppose if there was enough interest I could look at getting a Maplins one homologated and sell it on my web site, huge discount for 10/10thers who contributed here of course"

 

See: http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread...1567&page=9 for the full post and thread.

 

midgetman's website is at: http://www.racewear.co.uk/

and who can grudge him for making a penny if he can save us pounds?

 

John

[john.r.davies]

Hi Have a look in ebay you can buy a rain light for £10.99 plus post He has 95 available . hope this helps .

Steve,

You miss the point.

Unless the item bears an FIA or MSA sticker, to sjhow that it is hologated/approved, you don't race.

Finis, finito,

John

[MadMarx]

Question:

 

Is this light needed for vintage race cars too?

 

Cheers

Chris

[john.r.davies]

The dogs bark, and the caravan moves on .......

 

The 2008 Blue Book is now available on-line, and although they have messed about with the way it is arranged, the sections are still largely the same.

As is the paragraph about rain lights!

 

You can see for yourself on the MSA website if you have a licence number.

That section is now in three paras, instead of one, but the words are identical to 2007.

 

The part that refers to rain lights used to be Q 5. It is now paras 67-69 (I think),and the sentence that refers to LED lights starts and ends, "An alternative light.....may be used." "MAY be used", so my interpretation is that the LED is voluntary and a bulb driven light is perfectly acceptable as before. Moreover that sentence says that the LED light must be, "homologated by the FIA or comply with relevant EU regulations" So it needn't have an FIA sticker either, if it is stamped "EU" in a circle.

 

I do not intend to buy myself an expensive LED light for 2008, but to have a photocopy of that page in my licence, and to argue my case in the unlikely event of a nit-picking scrutineer.

 

John

 

PS Chris, from memory, and I don't have that copy of the MSA magazine anymore, Yes, the reg will extend to all periods, but after the debarcle about homollgation, who knows? J.

Edited November 22, 2007 by john.r.davies

[MadMarx]

I'll get the German version of your rule book when I get the 2008 licence.

 

That's what I know about that issue...if the car has no rear light, as formular cars have THEN you need this rain light.

Normal road cars with intact light system don't need it.

 

Cheers

Chris

Edited November 27, 2007 by MadMarx

[john.r.davies]

Oh,dear! The plot grows ever murkier.

I have now realised that the original regulation as announced in "MotorSport NOW!" referred to Section 'J'. That now appears in the new Blue Book merely as the 'Specific Regulations for Car Racing', and sure enough, there is the dreaded reg, with FIA prescription:

 

"131. An FIA homologated rear warning light must be

fitted. It must be located within 10cm of the centre line

of the vehicle and be clearly visible from the rear.

Vehicles fitted with full width bodywork may

alternatively use two lights equally located about the

vehicle centre line."

 

The 'Common Regulations for Competitors: Safety' regulations (see my previous post) directly contradict that, as while 131 is prescriptive, 70 is permissive. I can't resolve this, and I have written to the MSA asking for clarification. I'll let you know, but don't hold your breath.

 

JOhn

[john.r.davies]

All,

The 'plot' has now descended into farce.

The MSA has issue a news release, as follows:

_______________________________________

Back Deferred introduction of FIA homologated rain lights

 

The Motor Sports Association has announced that the mandatory requirement to fit FIA homologated rain lights – originally confirmed for implementation on 1 January 2008 – will now be deferred until at least 1 January 2009, due to an FIA review of that regulation.

 

Initially, the Motor Sports Council had considered their introduction appropriate from 1 January 2008 in terms of safety – hence the inclusion of General Regulation G131 in the 2008 Yearbooks.

 

However, the MSA now understands that the FIA is considering its own review of the subject. As a result, the MSA has deferred implementation of G131 until at least 1 January 2009 and will continue to monitor and review the issue in the meantime.

 

Competitors are asked to note that the 2007 Regulations J 20.14.8. and Q5 (now C© 69 to 71 in the 2008 General Regulations) remain in effect.

 

Release MSA07-073: 4 December 2007

 

No regulatory value: for information purposes only

 

4 December 2007

____________________

This release is not easy to find - it appears in the side-scrolling, ticker-tape display on the awful, cluttered, ungainly website of the MSA. No emails to licence holders, no reply to my polite (it was polite, I promise!) email asking for news. The NHS gets stick for inefficiency, again next week on the BB1, but the MSA is just so ...... bad.

 

So reprieve for this year - but is there?

Note the penultimate phrase, "No regulatory value: for information purposes only."

That must surely mean that this news release has no implications for the regulations, and negates the mesage in the release!

 

As a firm beliver in the 'cock-up' theory of history, I feel vindicated, in spades!

 

John

Edited December 5, 2007 by john.r.davies