Motor Racing Legends - Moving Forward

[Peter Mallett]

I received an e amil from MRL which will be of interest to many on here:

Originally Posted by MRL

Motor Racing Legends - Our Vision for 2025 and After
Dear Competitors, Dear Preparers, Dear Members of the Motor Racing Legends Community,

As you know, Motor Racing Legends has recently entered a new phase of its rich history, while remaining firmly rooted in the two fundamental principles that have built its reputation: the spirit of camaraderie and respect for history.

While it is up to you to maintain the former, it is our duty to ensure that the technical and historical conformity of the cars is respected.
On this subject, and in complete transparency, we have been working for several weeks, in collaboration with various promoters, including Goodwood and Masters Historic Racing, and with the support of Roger Wills in his roles with the FIA and Motorsport UK, to harmonize the technical regulations of our different series.
The goal is for any car deemed eligible by Motor Racing Legends to also be automatically acceptable to many other prominent series, with regards to specification and eligibility.

As your cars are currently in your workshops, being prepared for the upcoming season, we would like to present to you the key guidelines that will shape our events in the coming months and years.

In general, adherence to original specifications and technical compliance will form the foundation of the spirit of our races.

It is in this spirit that our technical inspections will be conducted, and it is in this spirit that your cars must be prepared. It is high time to return to consistent preparations that honor history and preserve the integrity of your cars.
We know that it is unrealistic to insist on going back at all costs. We cannot deny the technological evolution linked to the history of motorsport. Materials and oils are of better quality. The engines built today, even those meeting FIA standards, are more reliable and more efficient than they were in the past.
Similarly, we know that some parts are now unavailable or no longer reliable enough to allow you to race safely and with a minimum level of reliability.
It is therefore a balance that we must find between performance, reliability, respect for history, and costs.

Motorsport is an inherently expensive activity, and it is our responsibility to ensure that it does not become unaffordable. Therefore, we will be extremely vigilant during technical inspections and will strive to root out non-period parts, lighter components, and modern materials whenever possible.

Similarly, and as is already the case with a well-known European promoter, we are considering the introduction of rev limiters on certain cars to put an end to the relentless pursuit of power, which is always synonymous with increased costs.

We are aware that, most of the time, the competitor-owner relies on their team to prepare the car, often with blind trust. However, it is ultimately the owner’s responsibility to guide the preparer in the right direction. Conversely, the preparer has a crucial advisory role to play in guiding the owner and preventing deviations.

To support you, we will, over the coming months, clarify the technical regulations, issue technical bulletins to provide guidance on the preparation of certain specific models, and assist you as much as possible in the process of obtaining FIA technical passports for your cars.

Indeed, no one can predict the future of historic racing. But by structuring and regulating the preparation of your cars, leading to the issuance of an FIA technical passport, you guarantee a future for your car as well as its eligibility for all historic events, both with Motor Racing Legends and beyond.

However, all these principles and intentions will not be decided without your input. Thus, as was the case last September during an initial meeting, we aim to involve competitors and preparers as much as possible in our decision-making process.
For each series, we will establish a working group composed of competitors and preparers to discuss technical choices and decisions that will benefit the series as a whole.

2025 will be, for you as for us, a year of transition. Everything will not happen in one day, as you know.
We wish to take advantage of the upcoming season to engage with you, share our ideas, submit our questions, and listen to your feedback. It is only with your support, your comments, and continuous information sharing that we will be able to build the future of Motor Racing Legends together. We must all recognise that halting this arms race on every grid is necessary, we have already seen how in some respects modern racing is cheaper than historic.

Please come on this journey with us.

Best regards,

Thoughts?

[Tel 911S]

Historic motorsport was originally defined as , cars that had competed in international events under FIA rules . It became popular so they opened it up to any cars that were the same specification as then .
So it was production cars , the same as Homologation spec , with any accepted mods as defined in Appendix K , and some others which were a recognised model at that time .
But not all events ran to these rules , so it became more complicated with all sorts of odd things allowed , which was not easy to follow .

Never going to be easy to change things , and adding things like rev limiters will increase costs and there will still be ways around new rules like this .

So I think it will take a long time and many clever people to get new rules which will suit more people .

[Derwent]

I think the telling phases are "in your workshop" & "your team". In the many years of competing I had neither.

[morninggents]

It's a step in the right direction and deserves support. However, appealing to the mega wealthy 'arrive and drive' competitors will not change a thing. The preparers will still push the boundaries to make their drivers successful.
They should start with turning away the BTTC element of car development and go from there. Goodwood needs to take a leading role.

[midgetman]

Are MRL events not currently run under Appx K then? Or are they admitting that preparers have been cheating and are saying they'll clamp down on it?

We ran rev limiters when I raced FISC, they were handed out at scrutineering and genuinely did keep costs down as there was little need for expensive engine internals if you couldn't run to it. What's different or am I just being naive?

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Are MRL events not currently run under Appx K then? Or are they admitting that preparers have been cheating and are saying they'll clamp down on it?

Yes on both points.

Originally Posted by midgetman

We ran rev limiters when I raced FISC, they were handed out at scrutineering and genuinely did keep costs down as there was little need for expensive engine internals if you couldn't run to it. What's different or am I just being naive?

There's a whole world of difference between what we were doing in the early noughties and what is happening now. There is also the point that they are collaborating with Goodwood, Masters etc. Something I believe we've been suggesting for ages. It possibly also acknowledges the reduction in grids for many series and the reasons for the reduction.

So, do you think it's a good plan or is there a better solution, or indeed, is there a problem at all?

[Mike Harte]

With respect, Goodwood have proved in the past that they have been prepared to accept "specials" to "improve" the show. Even though the Duke has stated in recent times that they would clamp down on these types of vehicles, it is clearly visible to the eye, even watching on TV, that these cars are nothing like the ones that I saw at tracks in the UK in the 60s.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

With respect, Goodwood have proved in the past that they have been prepared to accept "specials" to "improve" the show. Even though the Duke has stated in recent times that they would clamp down on these types of vehicles, it is clearly visible to the eye, even watching on TV, that these cars are nothing like the ones that I saw at tracks in the UK in the 60s.

I think that's correct. Trouble is technology has moved on and the press release IMO acknowledges that. So, what should they do? I feel that the club racer is no longer part of the plan. When you can test anytime, carry spare engines, gearboxes etc. Pay gazillions to a preparer to attend you (I know I had a small team when I was racing), the man or woman who has to work full time has no chance and this, I think, is a bigger problem.

[Derwent]

I totally agree. In the 15 years I did Equipe GTS it went from everyone towing their MG B etc with their road car and having family or friends to help, to arrive and drive competitors with mechanics, transporters and motor homes.
My financial priorities could not keep up with that and I do the odd classic hill climb but also have more holidays in the sun! I know most of the folk who I raced against in the early part of the century have done the4 same.

[Plantagenet]

I've hung up my boots too (for now) - if I do super well in life, I'll be back but with the support the others have. And, for context, I'm 44yrs old in a well paid job!