Should I be suspicious?
 

Just walking around impound after a race, tech had the hoods up on a couple of cars, and I started looking inside, marveling at the quality of the engine installation in this car.. After about 5 seconds of looking, the owner comes up and makes a point to shut the hood in my face.

I walked around to other cars, no one had an issues, the owners talked and chatted about the work they did..

Fortunately it's a car in another class, but what do you guys think, is he hiding something?

PaulC

More than likely. There's several RX-7s runnin at our local Auto-x that are runing illegal setups in their class. No one calls them out on it tho as the only ones who have any idea run different classes and are rotary owners. Most the people who would call them out have no idea about how a rotary works so are pretty much clueless and have no idea as to how to tell its illegal.

I wouldn't personally call this guy out on it tho, just doesnt seem worth it to me as you could just be completely wrong. Just call him an ass and go on about your business.

You wouldn't think that a company with a reputation like Speedsource would do something like that, but it's exactly what they do. Try to look at any of their (or their customer's) cars and Sylvain Tremblay himself could be the one to shut the hood right in front of you.

Years ago Cent. FL region tried to institute an open hood policy in impound. Do you think that the Speedsource guys complied? Heck yeah, they did. However, the minute the hoods went up after the race, their crew was ready with blankets to cover up the whole engine bay! Ballsy, if nothing else.

I am curious what they would be hiding that is so easily seen? most easy rotary cheats are done on the inside of the engine not on peripheral parts. what are they going to do use a different intake manifold? I don't see what could be changed that would be that visible on the surface. they might not have wanted you to see their header or exhaust setup but this would not be illegal. I think some racers think they are McLaren and try to act the part at times, even in regional SCCA racing and local autox's. better yet if they are real asses take up a collection from fellow racers and protest the car. this has worked recently in our area.

Well having attended several old IMSA races with the guys from M2, I can tell you that impound at those events is often a joke. I stood and watched while the scrutineers studied the ignition on the winning PFS car, while completely ignoring the illegal 3-1/2" downpipe on that same car. WTF

Ok, so I'm going to my first national event in July. I'm working Impound but I don't know what that is...

I guess that means everyone's car can be inspected?

I'm not worried in the least, I'm running SM2 and my car is 100% ASP legal, not modded nearly to the limit of the rules.

At a SoloII/ProSolo events, impound is basically a "check for protests" period. All cars will be required to open hoods and trunks/hatches. Then the impound guy walks over to each class (each class is gridded together) and ask if everybody is okay with the results. If you truly have a protest, that's the time to voice it.

Silkworm, the guy could've been paranoid or something. I know when I travel outside of the normal locations for events, I keep my eye out for kids/competitors messing with my car. Although, the slamming the hood thing .... that's kinda weird. :scratch:

I don't see a problem with messing with a competitors head. My car's 100% legal to the best of my knowledge but that doesn't mean I have to let everyone look. About 90% of the time I'll tell everyone anything they want to know about my car. Sometimes you just don't feel like it.

If impound asks for hoods to be open I'll open the hood. But if someone is cheating and doing it well they'll anticipate this and it'll be hard to tell by visual inspection anyway. I wouldn't and don't worry about anyone that isn't insanely faster than they should be.

And besides, motor racing has been a cheaters playground since the invention of the wheel. If anyone is naive enough to think no one is doing it or the SCCA impound is going to catch any where near a majority of cheaters think again. Not condoning it, just being realistic.

As far as the Speedsource deal, I look at it this way. They make their living building race cars. Lets say they find out that mounting the MAF meter upside down provides a 5 hp increase. Something insane and simple like that. If they spend the time and money to develop something like that, which is 100% legal, why should they have to show everyone in the paddock what they've worked so hard to produce? Just playing devil's advocate.:)

I'm just jealous you guys keep your car running long enough to make it to impound!!! What a year so far.:(


Chris

Silkworm, just let his competitors know you are not sure. The rumor mill will get in action and find out right away ;)