Additive Racing

[slow coach]

Hi all can anyone provide me with details regarding running additive with 1/12th on carpet, i would be interested to know about, how it effects the carpet, is it suitable for club racing (20 mins between heats), tyre life, does it effect the cost of the class, and any other info a club considering trying additive might need to know.


Many thanks Jason

[Jim Spencer]

Hi

To answer your questions in turn.

As long as you don't use any addative that's particuarly aggresive it has no effect on the carpet what-so-ever. (And to be honest don't think there is any of the really nasty stuff on the market these days)

No problem with it for club racing, though it is easier with more than one set of tyres, but its best to run more than one set in any case as your tyres last longer if you do.

To get the same amount of grip, tyre wear is less, as you'll be applying addative to a harder tyre, e.g Silver front / Gold rears, whereas if you ran addative free you'll be running really soft tyres to get the same level of grip.

Generally speaking, following the above, it'll make the racing slightly cheaper, as the harder tyres even with addative, wear slower than the softer ones without it (all things being equal etc) a side effect is that the harder tyres are also more resistant to chunking.

There has been considerable efforts made over the years to go to addative free 1/12 racing, but so far without any significant success (it has been made to work at a few clubs, especially those with a permanent track and therefore good grip) as the performance of the cars isn't any where near as good, unless you run very soft tyres

The other major flaw is policing it, anybody whose been in the game any length of time can if they so wish treat tyres away from an event, possibly days before, and there's very very few people who could tell.

Lastly it puts the club well out of step with the vast majority who do run addatives.

However if you and your club mates are happy running without it and your not looking for the ultimate performance then you can do without it, and if you can do without something it does make the racing simplier so why not?

But

And its a really good But!

The move by the 1/12 fraternity to odourless addatives only for the 2003/4 season has been a resounding success. The main point of opposition has gone (i.e. the Smell!) the grips been ok, all in all a much nicer environment to race in.

The 1/12 circuit thread under 'National Information' contains all the details of what addatives are allowed, and 2 more will probably be joining the list shortly made by CS and another Orion one.

This change has now been picked up by several of the other indoor winter touring car series (e.g Carpet Masters etc) and I think will find its way throughout indoor carpet racing classes over the next couple of seasons, with the exception of 1/12 oval who are addative free (well mostly anyway!)

If you need any other info, feel free to PM, email, or my numbers in the front of the BRCA handbook.

Jim