Interpretation of MSA rule change to (J)5.2.6

[Alex Hodgkinson]

It has come to my attention this week that a few recent MSA rule changes may force me to make some changes to the bodywork of the car I'm building.

The specific regulation change detailed in a recent MSA paper is as follows:

(J)Competitors: Vehicles

5.2.6. With the exception of racing cars or cars of
periods A to D be equipped on all wheels with
mudguards which present no sharp edges and cover
the complete wheel (flange+rim+tyre) around an arc of
120 degrees. This minimum coverage must:
a) be achieved with a continuous surface of rigid
material within which ventilation louvres may be fitted.
The tyre must not be visible when viewed from above.
When viewed from the rear, the tyre musy not be visible
any point 50mm or more above the axle centre line.

Reason: There are a number of existing cars that have louvres within mudgards and such is permitted within vertain FIA regulations. This regulation enables such existing cars to comply with the regulation whilst mainting the princivle, in the interests of safety that road debris cannot be directly ejected from road tyres.

It is my understanding that a similar regulation was applied recently (within the last 3 years) to FIA GT (1/2/3) cars. However, instead of specifing that bodywork "finished" 50mm above the axle centre line, it must go down to the axle centre line, hence the recent Ferraris and Porsches having bodywork as such behind the rear tyres:



Until now I've been working with the idea that the rear arches will finish quite high up, as you can see below:



However, it would appear that the blue book regulations do not pertmit this sort of bodywork. Are we all agreed on that? The black line on the above photo denoted 50mm above the axle centre line, can I take it that I must now continue the rear arches down to that level?

I'm fairly sure that my interpretation regarding the rear arches is accurate, however the subject of the front arches is rather murky. Again, assuming that this new MSA regulation is adopted from the FIA books, how can the front wheel arches in the following picture possibly comply:



This is how the front arches look on my build at the moment:



Are those front wheel arches of mine currently illegal?
The only thought I have is one of the wording:
When viewed from the rear, the tyre musy not be visible
any point 50mm or more above the axle centre line
When viewed from the rear of the car, the front wheels can't be seen at all, as the rear arches completely block the view of the front wheels. Is it possible that this may allow me to run my front arches unaltered or do I have to make alterations?


Thanks in advance for any comments.