23 replies to this topic

[FullThrottleF1]

I can only think of three:

 

Formula 1

World Endurance Championship

Formula 3

[AustinF1]

Someone probably knows better than I do, but don't some teams build their own in NASCAR? They're basically spec cars, but iirc some teams have their own factories.

[GSiebert]

MotoGP, Moto3, and all production based series given that you meet the homologation rules.

 

But yeah not many series where you can build you own car nowadays, a real shame.

[Prost1997T]

Not the same kind of money in motorsport as there used to be.

[GSiebert]

Not the same kind of money in motorsport as there used to be.

There's a lot more money in motorsport now than in the past (lets say before the 21st century), it's just that everything cost a lot more !

Edited by GSiebert, 08 April 2015 - 19:51.

[Prost1997T]

There's a lot more money in motorsport now than in the 70s or the 80s, it's just that everything cost a lot more !

It's a relative term. Compare the number of F3000 entries in the early 1990s vs GP2 or FR3.5 today, for example. F1 and WEC have massive budgets and relatively small grids (just 7 LMP1s at Silverstone this weekend).

[DampMongoose]

Hillclimb?

[MLC]

Sprint car / WoO

[Imateria]

Le Mans prototypes, for the moment anyway.

[KingTiger]

Formula Student

[loki]

All the Nascar classes from late model stock to Cup

 

Modifieds

 

sprint and midget

 

offroad trucks and buggies

 

rock climbers

 

EDIT:  forgot funny cars and top fuel

 

All of those are no more "spec" than F1.  Of those listed there may be 100 or so classes.   There is a baseline rules package and the teams design to that, just as in F1.   Only a few make their own CF cars, many, many build tube frame cars.

Edited by loki, 09 April 2015 - 00:36.

[AustinF1]

F1 is definitely more "spec" than I'd like it to be, but NASCAR is much more spec than F1.  NASCAR mandates the same body shape and enforce it with big templates that they actually put on the car to see if it matches up. They have different engine manufacturers, but the powertrains are so strictly bound by rules. It's really tough for anyone to get an advantage from equalized engines or identical chassis & aero, so we see them run nose to tail for 500 miles, which is what NASCAR wants.

Edited by AustinF1, 09 April 2015 - 02:38.

[loki]

Not every area on the body is a template zone.  The templates came about from the aero/body wars of the pre COT era.  Previously they would do it as needed throughout the season and it was just too cumbersome.  Many here mis use the term spec car or spec series.  A spec car or spec series is one where there is a specific part or vehicle that must be used, unmodified.  an example would be the Dallara of ICS. The cars in any of the NASCAR sereis are anything but equal.

 

The reason NASCAR mandates what they do is because that's how they want it but they want that because that is what the fans want.  Much of it is the difference between racing ovals and racing road circuits.  Even when Indycars were more open the lead packs were still nose to tail while on some road and street circuits the leader may check out and get a few secs ahead of the rest of the pack.  

 

NASCAR realizes that it's the fans that drive the economic base of the sport.  I don't see that the case in F1 as much of it still seems to be driven by the self importance of some of the participants or the sport itself.

[AustinF1]

Not every area on the body is a template zone.  The templates came about from the aero/body wars of the pre COT era.  Previously they would do it as needed throughout the season and it was just too cumbersome.  Many here mis use the term spec car or spec series.  A spec car or spec series is one where there is a specific part or vehicle that must be used, unmodified.  an example would be the Dallara of ICS. The cars in any of the NASCAR sereis are anything but equal.

 

The reason NASCAR mandates what they do is because that's how they want it but they want that because that is what the fans want.  Much of it is the difference between racing ovals and racing road circuits.  Even when Indycars were more open the lead packs were still nose to tail while on some road and street circuits the leader may check out and get a few secs ahead of the rest of the pack.  

 

NASCAR realizes that it's the fans that drive the economic base of the sport.  I don't see that the case in F1 as much of it still seems to be driven by the self importance of some of the participants or the sport itself.

NASCAR isn't a true "spec" series, but it's still much closer to it than F1 is. They mandate the shape of the car. If they didn't, the racing wouldn't, couldn't be as close as it is. Yes, it's true that every square inch isn't covered, since they can only do so much with their 30-odd templates, but those templates do cover almost everything. NASCAR even cracked down on teams pulling the fenders out by hand on pit stops to create a bit more downforce.

 

Wing shape and size is strictly controlled. The tube frame chassis are identical, and are often supplied by independent manufacturers. Gearboxes are controlled, as are radiator size, horsepower, fuel supply method (a specific Holley 4 barrel carb, with restrictor plates at the high-banked ovals), ignition, valve actuation, engine block composition, bore, and displacement; crankshaft angle, camshaft location, cylinder head composition, configuration, and valve spring type; tires, brakes, testing, and more...and these are just rules that are known to the public. They have a more extensive set available only to the teams.

 

Of course they do it to capture the attention of the casual fan, but many people miss the days when you could really tell the cars apart and identify with a manufacturer in ways other than checking the headlight or manufacturer decals to see which is which. 

Edited by AustinF1, 09 April 2015 - 16:41.

[ClubmanGT]

The closest thing to F1/WEC etc is the America's Cup, really. 

[KnucklesAgain]

WRC? Edit: Dakar Rally?

Edited by KnucklesAgain, 09 April 2015 - 06:42.

[sergey1308]

What about WRC and other rally races? How much these cars are strictly controlled?

 

 already asked

Edited by sergey1308, 09 April 2015 - 06:54.

[V8 Fireworks]

I can only think of three:

 

Formula 1

World Endurance Championship

Formula 3

+ Formula Ford

+ Formula Vee

+ Sports sedan (custom tube frame saloons, not standardised)

[V8 Fireworks]

What about WRC and other rally races? How much these cars are strictly controlled?

 

 

Well they are based on production bodyshells so they are by definition NOT building a chassis.

[sergey1308]

Well they are based on production bodyshells so they are by definition NOT building a chassis.

Clear, I haven't thought about it, but at least they differ each other. And apparently there are less restrictions than in nascar which were mentioned above, because cars  don't follow nose to tail.

[KingTiger]

Well they are based on production bodyshells so they are by definition NOT building a chassis.

 

I'd think the chassis is definitely bespoke, it's just the shell that kinda looks like a production car.

[PayasYouRace]

 

Formula 750, which seems to be still very popolar in the UK (and some other countries)

 

 

I was going to mention that one. Not a bad low cost club series for people who want to build their own chassis.

[loki]

The tube frame chassis are identical, and are often supplied by independent manufacturers. Gearboxes are controlled, as are radiator size, horsepower, fuel supply method (a specific Holley 4 barrel carb, with restrictor plates at the high-banked ovals), ignition, valve actuation, engine block composition, bore, and displacement; crankshaft angle, camshaft location, cylinder head composition, configuration, and valve spring type; tires, brakes, testing, and more...and these are just rules that are known to the public. They have a more extensive set available only to the teams.

I'm able to get rulebooks for all the NASCAR series as well as at one time having a license that would let me drive anything below K&N and the Modified tour.  Have you seen a Gen 6 car?  The chassis are not identical.  Mount points, suspension methodologies, weight distribution are some of the differences.  They don't use carbs anymore, they use a throttle body fuel injection system with a spec McLaren ECU that allows for some latitude in the tuning of an engine.  The four barrel carb that they used to run is more difficult to tune than the new system.  There are still a myriad of combinations required to get a modern stock car operating at optimum performance.

[Viceroy]

Rallycross, Autocross, Dragster Racing