ZUKIWORLD CHALLENGE - Draft rules REMOVED - Participation POLL inside!

[ebewley]

We are working with a couple of race promoters and a land owner in Washington state to help put on a desert race for buggies, trucks, & UTVs. As a part of this racing weekend, we're looking at having a Suzuki only race, tentatively called the ZUKIWORLD Challenge, for Suzuki enthusiasts to participate in. I'm starting this thread to get some ideas and have a brainstorming session on some rules ideas and concepts and find what it would take to get YOU to participate and race in the event.

Location: Starvation Ridge, Washington http://www.overthebarsgang.com/starvationridge.html

Date: June 13th & 14th

Amount/Size of race: 4 hour race on a 10 mile course. Whomever goes the furthest (most laps) in 4 hours + 1 lap wins.

Organizational goals:
1) Affordable racing competition for Suzuki enthusiasts.
2) Recognition of success - emphasize driver's ability while encouraging innovative vehicle engineering.
3) Build on this event's success to have a series of races.


Here are a couple of rules ideas I'd like to bounce off of you all. The idea is to get some parity between LJ, Samurai, Sidekick, Tracker, and Vitara. In addition to generic safety rules here are some thoughts....

Engine: 4 Cylinder displacement only
Engine Mods:

• 2.0 Liter, no modifications allowed must be stock, including stock muffler, stock internals
• 1.8 Liter, no exhaust or intake mods allowed, cat back exhaust mods allowed, stock internals.
• 1.3 16-valve "Twin Cam", mods downstream of stock exhaust manifold, stock exhaust manifold, stock intake & F.I., stock airbox which can be moved not modified, stock internals.
• 1.6 16-valve, mods downstream of stock exhaust manifold, stock exhaust manifold, stock intake & F.I., stock airbox which can be moved not modified, stock internals.
• 1.6 8-valve, header allowed, stock intake & F.I., airbox may be removed or modified, stock internals.
• 1.3 8-valve, header allowed, modified intake allowed, any carbed configuration allowed, all internal mods allowed

Chassis Mods:
Vehicle must be equipped with the type of suspension it came with from the factory. If the vehicle was leaf sprung it must remain so. Except coil sprung may retain coils or use leafs. Coil over shocks not allowed.

Shocks are limited to commercially available shocks; only one per corner of vehicle.

• LJ may add up to 6 inches to wheelbase
• LJ pickup may add 2 inches to wheelbase
• SJ SWB may add up to 4 inches to wheelbase
• SJ LWB may not increase wheelbase
• Samurai may add up to 4 inches to wheelbase
• Sidekick & Tracker 2 door may add up to 2 inches
• Sidekick & Tracker 4 door may not increase wheelbase
• Vitara 2 door may add up to 2 inches
• Vitara 4 door may not increase wheelbase

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?

Please answer poll Question too!

Thank you, Eric

[Drone637]

Will there be limits on tire size/amount of lift as well?  Some series say only lifts from a specific company and only 2" of fender chopping is allowed.

What safety parts are required?  Roll Cage + 5 point Harness?

Will there be an Pre-Runner class for people that want to run their wheelers that don't fit the rules?

What are the engine/chassis rules?  SCORE lists that you have to have the same brand engine as your body, where Best in the Desert claims that it has to be an engine available for that model.

You might want to look at the Stock Class for Best in the Desert.  They have a pretty solid set of rules available on-line.  Check out the Pure Stock Mini (3100) rules.

http://www.bitd.com/main/index.php?module=faq&FAQ_op=viewFAQs

[RHodge]

what about body modifications< because I would like to race but my samurai doesn't have fenders any more, It's still street legal just all tube now ?

[ebewley]

Will there be limits on tire size/amount of lift as well?  Some series say only lifts from a specific company and only 2" of fender chopping is allowed.

What safety parts are required?  Roll Cage + 5 point Harness?

Will there be an Pre-Runner class for people that want to run their wheelers that don't fit the rules?

What are the engine/chassis rules?  SCORE lists that you have to have the same brand engine as your body, where Best in the Desert claims that it has to be an engine available for that model.

You might want to look at the Stock Class for Best in the Desert.  They have a pretty solid set of rules available on-line.  Check out the Pure Stock Mini (3100) rules.

http://www.bitd.com/main/index.php?module=faq&FAQ_op=viewFAQs

You bring up some good points. For the ZUKIWORLD Challenge part of it, the vehicle will have to be a Suzuki manufactured vehicle and have a Suzuki engine and transmission minimum.

Safety stuff will be standard...

BITD and SCORE have great rules sets but they are too comprehensive for this race. The goal is to make it as easy as possible to race with minimal modifications to one's trail rig.

No pre-runner class... We'll work with potential competitors to get their vehicle in the race with a minimal amout of changes and modifications.


Great stuff, keep 'em coming!

-Eric

[ebewley]

what about body modifications< because I would like to race but my samurai doesn't have fenders any more, It's still street legal just all tube now ?

The vehicle would have to have all exterior panels that it came with but they could be modified to fit tires / suspension travel etc... The intent would be that the vehicle resemble a stock looking Suzuki. The body needs to be intact enough that a casual observer can easily tell the make and model of the vehicle.

That would be a call from the Tech inspector and certainly could be ironed out ahead of time with a couple of pictures going back and forth.  But Fenders completely removed and only tubes hanging out would not be acceptable. If you could fit some fenders on the outside of your tube with some dzus fasteners or something, I think that would be OK. (pictures would need to be seen of the rig)

Vehicles wouldn't have to be street legal. This is a private closed course.

Tires sizes, I'm thinking stock size up to 33".


Good stuff guys, keep 'em coming!

-Eric

[Drone637]

For the Chassis mods, "Stock style suspension" throws off solid axle swaps.

I like the idea of staying with Suzuki 4cyl engines.  It helps kill the "put something bigger" progressions that builds up.

The engine mods list sounds like it would be hard to enforce.  Especially when you get into engine swap territory.

[ebewley]

For the Chassis mods, "Stock style suspension" throws off solid axle swaps.

I like the idea of staying with Suzuki 4cyl engines.  It helps kill the "put something bigger" progressions that builds up.

The engine mods list sounds like it would be hard to enforce.  Especially when you get into engine swap territory.

Stock type of suspension meaning leafs = leafs or coils = coils  I'm talking what is suspending the vehicle not the geometry, design, or implementation on how the axles / drive mechanisms are attached to the frame. I'm inclined to leave the IFS, IRS, Live axle front, live axle rear, Twin i-beam, etc... up to the competitor as long as it's based on Suzuki parts (Stock appearing) internal modifications and external bracing ok.

Another engine idea is to have weight per CC.

I don't think it'd be that hard to enforce that set of engine rules above... No worries though, we're certainly not going to have engine tear downs during post race inspections or a "claimer" rule. 

Maybe weight / cc?

-Eric

[2_Dogs_Ink]

Interested, but I already fail inspection............running a header on 16 valve



What/how is the course set up?   Jumps of any kind?  Mostly flat?  Hard surface compared to soft silty sand?


I would be up for a pre-run type deal, just to work out some details.

[2_Dogs_Ink]

Is the location already locked in?  Have you thought about Straddleline ORV park in McLeary?  They have a grandstand for spectators and a spotters booth in the middle of the track.  Also, there is a spot in Ethel (Happs property).  It has plenty of parking and camping available and the track can be designed in a couple of different ways.


Both of these areas we race at in the PNW4WDA jeep race series.  Just a thougt.

[2_Dogs_Ink]

pic of use racing in the jeep series






Sorry about the number of pics, still trying to figure out this post/pic thing

[ebewley]

Interested, but I already fail inspection............running a header on 16 valve



What/how is the course set up?   Jumps of any kind?  Mostly flat?  Hard surface compared to soft silty sand?


I would be up for a pre-run type deal, just to work out some details.

Hey!

The best recon would be to go to the website for the race site and look up some pictures of the course. From what I understand it is hi-desert type terrain with quite a few twist and turns 10 miles total. We're expecting speeds 40-60 mph, there are no long wide open 5 mile long pole lines or anything.

There is no way you could put on an exhaust manifold to compete? Are you more of a fan of the weight / CC type indexing instead?

-Eric

[ebewley]

Is the location already locked in?  Have you thought about Straddleline ORV park in McLeary?  They have a grandstand for spectators and a spotters booth in the middle of the track.  Also, there is a spot in Ethel (Happs property).  It has plenty of parking and camping available and the track can be designed in a couple of different ways.


Both of these areas we race at in the PNW4WDA jeep race series.  Just a thougt.

Yep, the race location, date, and time are locked in. The site is quite nice as I am told. This will not be a PNW event but Suzuki owners that race in that series would be very encourage to participate.

-Eric

[ebewley]

pic of use racing in the jeep series






Sorry about the number of pics, still trying to figure out this post/pic thing

From the looks of that picture, I think you're ready! Of course, we'd have to see a few more shots of the vehicle.

-Eric

[Drone637]

Do you have to have stock engine for your body type, or just a Suzuki engine?

I still think having an open suspension class would be fun.  For people with coils on their SJ's...

For the first year you can probably be a bit lighter on the rules and see if we end up having people show up with SJ's with 2.3L engines and YJ springs with the fenders trimmed to run 33" tires. 

[ebewley]

Do you have to have stock engine for your body type, or just a Suzuki engine?

I still think having an open suspension class would be fun.  For people with coils on their SJ's...

For the first year you can probably be a bit lighter on the rules and see if we end up having people show up with SJ's with 2.3L engines and YJ springs with the fenders trimmed to run 33" tires. 

Open engines as long as they are 4 cylinder and Suzuki. Definitely will not accept other power transplants. It's just not Suzuki with a heart transplant.

Leaf = Leaf  Coil = Coil or Leaf.... We are talking about the way the vehicle is sprung not how the axles are located. Dig? Giving the SJ/Samurai the chance to extend the wheelbase quite a bit to help level out the playing field.

-Eric