2014 Rookie Banger rules – temp
There will be an automatic minimum three month ban which will be issued for threatening behaviour, and a minimum twelve months which will be issued for physical violence offences. Repeat offences will result in harsher penalties. This applies to drivers and team members in all formulae.
Rookie bangers are intended to be a training ground for new drivers although experienced drivers are very welcome to join in. Light contact and nudge and spin only is permitted, drivers are allowed to spin cars towards the centre green, no deliberate fencing.
It is stressed that this is a limited contact formula and drivers who engage in deliberate wrecking tactics – deliberate following in, dangerous driving, hitting parked cars – will not be permitted to continue in rookie bangers. If you want to race in full contact formula then there are other banger formulae for you.
1. CARS – Any hatchback, saloon or estate car under 1600cc or single cam 8 valve engines (eg 1800cc Astra/Cavalier/Sierra/Nissan Primera) under 1800cc, front or rear wheel drive.
The minimum size of cars are Hyundai Pony/Nissan Cherry or similar with no cars eligible for micro bangers able to be used in rookie bangers eg Mini, Metro, Fiesta, Nova, Renault 5, Corsa, Peugeot 106, Micra, Citroen AX, Kia Pride, Starlet, Clio, Uno and similar size. Maximum car size is Cavalier/Carina.
No Cortinas, Capris, Bluebirds, Stellars, A60s, Vauxhall Novas, Honda CRX, Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Vectra, large Volvos, Jaguars, Mondeos or similar sized cars. No Honda twin cam engines.
2. THE RACING – All drivers must be aged 16 years old or over. Only LIGHT contact as necessary to pass another vehicle. Drivers who have never raced before will be able to begin rookie bangers in the white grade. Novices may paint a large black cross on a white background and start at the rear of the grid.
The following infringements are not allowed and may result in a ban – Corner cutting to spin another car, deliberate following in of a vehicle into the fence, dangerous driving and crashing into parked/empty cars
3. PREPARATION – Remove all exterior mouldings, headlamps, door handles, bumper over-riders and exterior mirrors. Steering columns should be padded with high density foam. Remove all glass, interior trim, headlinings, floor coverings, passenger seats Remove all obsolete wiring.
Remove old fuel tanks. Remove spare wheel carriers and tow bar. Headlamps and rear lamp apertures should not be filled in. Dashboards must be removed. All window mechanisms must be removed from the driver’s door. Plastic bumpers must be removed.
4. BODYWORK – The front wings may be trimmed below the front bumper level but no folding. One 13ml nut and bolt may be used to secure bottom of wing. All doors must be either bolted or chained. At least one bolt through pillars is recommended. Driver door may be welded. NO ADDITIONAL WELDING IS ALLOWED AND NO ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING TO THE CAR AT ALL. They must remain as manufactured i.e. no tube or plates to be added to prevent the car from bending
5. DOOR PLATE COMPULSORY – A steel plate 10″ to 15″ deep 3/8″-3/4″ thick must be bolted over the driver’s door. This must be fitted with a minimum of 3″ and maximum of 6″ past the A & B pillars securely bolted with a minimum of four bolts, with a minimum size 16mm of at least two of the bolts. There must be at least one bolt on each side of the A & B pillars. Only flat plate is allowed. No channel, angle or corrugated steel is allowed. You must not cut slots – holes only.
A steel plate may be fitted to the driver’s floor pan. It must be no thicker than 6mm and must be bolted and welded in. This may be modified to rise to the maximum height of the sill of the door side only.
6. ENGINES – Air filter may be removed. Everything must remain as manufactured. No distributor guards. Solid mounting is allowed but must be in original position. Carburettors are free on all engines up to a maximum of 2L twin choke carb. Multipoint injection can be used with a return back to the tank or a T-piece fitted in the fuel line between the fuel tank and the fuel pump.
The electrical isolation switch (cut off switch) must be fitted in the near-side rear window area of the B post to allow easy access for the safety marshall.
7. GEARBOX/AXLE – Gearbox must be as manufactured. Axle and ration must be as manufactured. No locked diffs or limited slips
8. PAINTWORK – Drivers MUST NOT paint their cars in team colours or similar to that of other cars. Bright colours are recommended and a good overall appearance is required. Names and numbers are required on both sides of the car
9. Mirrors – May be used inside of the car only
10. FRONT BUMPERS – All front bumpers must be removed and replaced with one made from 2″x1″ box, maximum of 3ml, width NOT TO EXCEED WIDTH OF CHASSIS RAILS. An inspection hole to be drilled into the steel
11. BONNETS – Bonnets may be removable but must be bolted down using four bolts, 3/8″ thick, two bolts in either side of the bonnet with a minimum of 18″ between the front and rear. Corner plates may also be fitted. There may be occasions when certain cars can have no inner wings for the bolts to go through – then a piece of box section may be welded to the chassis (40×40) for the bolt to pass through. This must be 6″ or more from the front of the car.
Bonnets must be removed for scrutineering. The maximum exposed height above the surface for all bolts to be 1.5″ maximum. No added metal is allowed on the bonnets. Shuttering bolts may only be used for bonnet bolts providing they only protrude past the top of the wing nut by 1.5″ and are taped up to ensure they don’t come loose. These are not recommended. No fixing of webs to bonnet
12. BRAKES AND SUSPENSION – Must remain as manufactured and be working on all four wheels. No negative camber. No lowering of suspension by any means. Ride height is to be 10″, measured from the floor to the top of the sill on the door (scrutineer decision is final)
13. WHEELS AND TYRES – Any standard road wheel up to 5.5J. Maximum size tyre 195, lowest profile 60 series minimum. All four wheels must be the same type and diameter. Remove hubcaps. Remove all balance weights. Only standard road tyres may be used.
No competition tyres, no Yokohamas, no cut tyres, no mud and snow, no Maxsports, Nobblies, Colways, Michelin, Dunlop, Continental, Pirelli, Uniroyal, Goodyear, Fulder, Kieber, Vredestein, Semprit, BF Goodrich, Nokia, Bridgestone, Federal, Barum, Hankook, Marshall, Falken, Kumho or any road test tyres. NONE of the aforementioned are allowed.
14. BATTERY – MUST be securely fixed and must be fitted inside the car, on, under or behind the rollbar, not in the foot well. They cannot be left under the bonnet. They must be covered with rot proof material. A battery cut off switch MUST be mounted on the roll cage on the nearside of the battery and MUST work and be clearly marked. Alternators may remain fitted but all wiring removed from the back of the alternator. Ignition switches must be used, NO bare wires. 24 volts to starter motor may be used
15. RADIATORS – Must not be in original position and not behind the engine. No steam tanks.
16. FIN PLATES – You must fit a fin plate to the roof of your car, minimum size 18″x12″ and a maximum size of 20″x15″. Your number must be either white on a black background or black on a white background, no other colours allowed, no other writing allowed, minimum size 9″ high and 1.5″ wide You may also paint your number on each side of the car in contrasting colours
17. DRIVER’S SEAT – A seat with a head restraint must be fitted. The seat must be securely mounted at shoulder height to the cross bar or to the rollover bar and bolted securely to the floor. NO racing seats allowed
18. ROLL BARS – Must be one complete frame, NO scaffold poles/clamps. The roll cage must be fitted upright, not leaning back or forward. It is strongly recommended that roll cages are padded, including the B pillar. Six fittings (four bottom and two top) of 17ml with adequate washers. Two uprights with crossbar welded. Uprights must have 4″ plates welded to the base to stop pushing them through the floor.
At least one, maximum two, cross bars must be used to reach to doors or pillars and must have 4″ plates welded to both ends to stop them punching through the doors. At least one of the crossbars must be at roof level. The use of an adjustable roll frame is permitted to enable the same frame to be used in cars with different widths. If an adjustable frame is used, the moving parts must lie outside the two uprights and be securely bolted into place with a minimum 0.5″ bolts
19. FUEL SYSTEMS – Only roadside fuel is allowed. Fuel shut off tap within easy reach of the driver. Good condition fuel pipe is compulsory. Fuel tank with outlet from the top of the tank with a secure screw-on metal cap with a breather pipe which if inverted would prevent spillage. Petrol tanks should be fitted in the strongest part of the car as close to the roll cage as possible. Overflow must be top outlet and pass through car floor.
Multipoint injection can be used with a return back to the tank or a T-piece fitted in the fuel line between the fuel cut off tap and the fuel pump. The electrical isolation switch (cut off switch) must be fitted in the N/S/R window area of the B post for easy access of the safety marshall.
20. CRASH HELMETS – Helmets must fit the driver correctly and meet one of the following standards: BS6658 Type A/FR, FIA 8860-2004, Snell SA2005/M2005/M2010, SFI Foundation 31.1A or 31.2A, European ECE 22-05 or Japanese JIS T8133:2000 & JIS 8133:2007. Shatterproof goggles/visors must be worn although tinted visors are not recommended.
21. SAFETY EQUIPMENT – Neck braces are recommended. Fire proof balaclavas are highly recommended and must be marked appropriately. Fireproof gloves are MANDATORY and must be marked appropriately
22. OVERALLS – Flame retardant Proban or higher specification material must be worn at all times. If wet weather clothing is worn then it must be on top of these overalls and NOT instead of. Overalls should be clean and brightly coloured.
23. FIRE EXTINGUISHER – A 1kg dry powder fire extinguisher is highly recommended and, if fitted, should be in a tube with a spring top and within easy reach of the driver. All tow vehicles must carry a dry powder or gas fire extinguisher weighing at least 2kgs and be within easy reach of the driver and mechanics at all times, especially when re-fuelling.
24. SEAT BELTS – A full shoulder type safety harness with lapstrap must be fitted and bolted to the floor. A minimum of a four point buckle fixing must be used with a minimum of three floor fixings. A secure part of the floor or cage (including the seat bar) are recommended anchor points. Single point buckle fixing harness are not allowed. A suitable head restraint must be fitted to the roll cage or seat
25. MEETINGS – Drivers and cars should be in the pits at least one hour prior to the advertised start time of the meeting for signing-on and scrutineering.
26. ROOF COLOURS – Star Grade = Red roof, A Grade = Blue roof, B Grade = Yellow roof, C Grade = White roof
27. FUEL – Petrol must be in an appropriately marked container and drivers must ensure they comply with current legal legislation regarding its carriage and use.
28. NAMES – Drivers name should be displayed on the sun visor
29. FITNESS – Any driver who has suffered an injury may not be allowed to continue racing in a meeting.
30. ONE CAR PER DRIVER, ONE DRIVER PER CAR – Each driver is only allowed to drive one car per meeting and each car is only allowed one driver per meeting.
