72 replies to this topic

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Can the motor brushes on the Pro Slot Motors (4002 and 4002B) be modified; i.e narrowed?

A: No. Motors, to include brushes and springs, cannot be modified with the exception of radius work. Narrowing the brushes would make it different from the stock or refurbished motors sold.

As noted in the General Rules section: Any part, material, technique, or rules interpretation not specifically allowed under IRRA® rules is not legal and is prohibited!

To ensure this is very clear we will be including this prohibition in the next publication in the motor rules.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Does the IRRA® have a definitive maximum power setting for races using IRRA® rules?

A: No, but the IRRA® recommends that the maximum power be no more than 13.8 volts DC.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Can notches be cut out of the rear spoiler?

A: Not above the bend line. Spoilers are to be one piece, straight, and cannot have punched holes. Notches below the bend line are allowed to facilitate mounting on some bodies.

Here is an illustration. The .500" shown is the maximum allowed height of the spoiler from the edge of the body. This is where the bend line in the spoiler is positioned.



(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Upon review of the current rules for our planned rules update, we found two areas that need clarification due to errors in the original publication of the Stock Car class rules.

1. Body width: Should read 3.25" maximum (not 3.125")

2. Body thickness on sides: Should read .010" (not .015").

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Would the piece/item shown below be permitted to be used in any chassis build if it were captured between two wires acting as main rails or folded and soldered to a center plate?

A: Yes, as long as it was not slotted or keyed into piano wire or brass plate or strip in accordance with the construction rules.

As a reminder, it is the racer's responsibility to ensure the chassis is constructed in accordance with the rules.



(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

The IRRA® BoD has competed its review of the Topline Falcon 7 and accordingly the Topline part number ATCD302 has been added to the Motor Rules page of the IRRA(7) Rules.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Effective immediately, it will be permissible to put a minimal notch in the window of Cam-Am bodies to allow for the proper placement of the interior and clearance for the roll bar.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

The IRRA® Board of Directors has voted in the following restriction on crown gears used in IRRA® inline classes:

"Crown gears used in the inline classes must be commercially available and the only modifications allowed (other than making your own sleeve) will be sanding of the diameter of the gear and heating/burning it in for a smoother gear mesh. This can be done immediately.

Disallowed modifications would include, but are not limited to, lightening, drilling, reversing the gear on the hub, repositioning the set screw hole, changing or reconfiguring the hub, and/or any other changes to the gear's size or appearance as compared to the stock production gear."

These gear regulations will take effect on 3/1/12 for the IRRA™ Premier races and on 12/31/12 for racing in IRRA® regions, and will be added to the IRRA® rule set at the next published revision.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Are modified gears sold by raceways, such as Chicagoland, considered a production gear?

A: A modified/lightened gear such as the Parma sold by Chicagoland is not considered legal.
 

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Please note that post 58 regarding the gear announcement has been modified:

- The date for regional implementation has been changed from 5/1/12 to 12/31/12
- The allowance of sanding gears has been changed to show it can be done now.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: On the rebuildable Pro Slot 4002 motors, is it permissible to paint the cans before sending them off for the certified sealing of said motors?

Black wrinkle is very Retro again.

A: After a review, the IRRA^® BoD has determined that this should not be allowed, as it can be a detriment to the intent of the ensuring the motors are not altered in any way.

There is also a doubt that the seals would stick as efficiently to that type of surface.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Regarding these rules:
 
IRRA Motor Rules
Applies to: Topline & JK Falcon 7, JK Retro Hawk FK, TSR D3, and Slick 7 Mini Brute
1) All motors must be remain unmodified and as produced by the manufacturer.

I would like to know whether or not zapping those motors is against the above rules.
 
A: With the wide variances in FK magnet strength and gauss numbers rendered by different brand gauss meters, there is no conclusive way to prove a motor has been zapped or has had the magnet strength purposely lowered, so zapping cannot be considered a violation of the above regulation.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

In accordance of the IRRA^® policy of periodically checking approved motors to verify specs, a motor from the latest batch of the JK Retro Hawk (JKHR) has been found to be in compliance, i.e. the same 65 turns and the same coil resistance as submitted motors and the original batch.
 
(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Mike Swiss)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

The IRRA^® BoD has done sufficient testing and examination to conclude that the following amendments are to be effective immediately in the Motor Rules section of the IRRA^® Rules.

Under each FK motor (Falcon 7, Retro Hawk, and TSR D3) the wind spec will now read:

• 65 winds (nominal) of 30 AWG (nominal) wire.

Under the PS4002 with Chinese arm, the wind spec will now read:

• 60 winds (nominal) of 31 AWG (nominal) wire.

Under the Slick 7 Mini Brute, the wind spec will now read:

• 82 winds (nominal) of 31 AWG (nominal) wire.

The Notes below the motor specs will now read:

Notes:

1) Both the specified winds and wire sizes are nominal figures, with allowances for production variances to be permitted.
2) A protested FK motor (Falcon 7, Retro Hawk, and TSR D3) armature will be deemed legal if the sum of wire winds counted on all three poles is no less than 193 winds and if no single pole has less than 63 winds. In other words, a variance of -2 total wires winds from the nominal total winds spec will be permitted. For example, an FK armature with wire wind counts of 65, 64, 64 on the three poles would be deemed legal, as would an armature with wire wind counts of 65, 65, 63. An armature with wind counts of 65, 64, 63 would not be legal.
3) A protested Pro Slot PS4002 Chinese armature will be deemed legal if the sum of wire winds counted on all three poles is no less than 178 winds and if no single pole has less than 58 winds.
4) A protested Slick 7 Mini Brute armature will be deemed legal if the sum of wire winds counted on all three poles is no less than 244 winds and if no single pole has less than 80 winds.
5) The specified AWG wire sizes on all motors are nominal values and minor allowances from the exact AWG specification will be permitted at the discretion of the IRRA^® Board of Directors.
 
(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Mike Swiss)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

4/23/14
 
Effective immediately .790" rear tires with .040" rear clearance can be used for F1 at IRRA^® Premier Events at the track owner's discretion.
 
(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Gear Announcement - for immediate release
 
Concerning racer modifications to crown gears used in all IRRA® classes, the following restrictions apply:
 
1. The plastic part of gears may be sanded and/or edges rounded/angled to aid fitment or clearance.
2. Gears may not be drilled.
3. Reinforcing ribs may not be removed.
4. Gear hubs may not be lightened
5. Set screw holes may not be re-positioned.
 
(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Can the excess plastic below the bumper line be left to act as a spoiler on Stock Car bodies such as the Cyclone and the Torino?
 
A: No. While the real 1:1 cars may have had spoilers attached or under behind the bumper, unless the this was molded into the body then the body must be trimmed at the front and the rear at the trim line. The current rule also states that no spoilers may be added.

(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Will IRRA^® reconsider the rule about no tape on the bottom of the chassis this year?

A: The BoD has voted to keep this restriction in place, for the following reasons:

1. Tape on the bottom of a chassis would be material hanging below the main rails and thus violate a provision of the chassis construction rules.
2. Not all tape is affixed well enough not to cause the frame to be below clearance standards.
3. Tape on the bottom of a chassis can come loose and cause launching problems.
4. Permitting tape on the bottom of chassis would require specifying what kind of tape(s) and how many layers would be permitted.
5. Removing heavier tapes, such as lead tape, from the bottom of the chassis easily could be used to reduce a car's weight after tech.

Q: Can we get rid of the seal on PD motors to save on the refurb cost to freshen-up the motor?

A: IRRA^® remains committed to a "no working on motors" policy and thus the requirement for sealed PD motors that can only be opened by an approved IRRA^® Motor Refurbisher will remain in place.
 
(Posted for the IRRA® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: In section 2b of the IRRA^® Can-Am rules under body it states that “the front wheel arches must be cut out.” Several racers are cutting small holes and/or slots and not fully cutting out the front wheel arches. The rules do not state a size or guideline. Can you clarify??
 
A: Since IRRA^® wishes to define “slot cars that reflect the appearance of actual racing cars of the ’60s,” the front wheel arches must be cut out full width, with the top of the wheel arch located above the axle at least 50% of the distance between the axle and the top of the wheel/tire. Approximately 75% of the wheel/tire must be visible through the cut-out; no visual obstruction of any kind across either front wheel can be seen when viewing the car from its sides.
 

 
(Posted for the IRRA^® BoD by Joe Neumeister)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: Since it has been determined that the PS-FK motor allowed in Can-Am Plus may have issues starting and need a push due to the size of the brushes and the diameter of the comm, can the motor brushes be modified to eliminate this problem?

A: Yes, in Can-Am Plus, the brushes in Pro Slot FK motors may be modified as shown in this diagram.
 

 
(Posted for the IRRA^® BoD by Tony Przybylowicz)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: When racing under IRRA^® rules, is a car that loses a wheel or tire, front or rear, subject to a black flag for repair or may it continue racing?

 
A: The black flag rule in the IRRA^® ruleset reads:

• Any car suffering damage that makes it a hazard to other drivers, due to constant de-slotting, or that is damaged in a manner making it illegal under IRRA^® rules (such as a loss of part of the body, loss of interior, or dragging on the track surface) will be black-flagged.
• A car that is black-flagged must be immediately removed from the track until proper repairs are made. Failure to comply with a black flag will result in the driver’s disqualification from the race.

Though not specifically stated in the above regulation, yes, under IRRA^® rules a car is required to have four wheels and tires. If a car loses a wheel or tire, front or rear, while racing, the black flag rule applies and the car must be removed from the track to have the wheel/tire replaced before continuing to race.

 

(Posted for the IRRA^® BoD by Greg Wells)

[IRRA Retro Racing]

Q: The 2021 motor rules for the Retro Hawk specify a laser marking with eight 'R's. I believe the motors we are running now have nine 'R's.  Is this a mistake? Or is the number of 'Rs nominal? If so, are the number of '7R's nominal? Rules state five; some motors have five, some have six.

 

A: This information was not properly updated in the 2021 rules revision. A .v2 of the motor rules will be posted shortly.

[IRRA Retro Racing]

The updated .v2 of the motor rules mentioned above has been posted to the 2021 IRRA rules thread.

 

2021 IRRA full rules set