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• Practice starts – A few practice grid starts in smaller numbers and only going fast for half the track so we can keep them rolling through, something to ease into the day with.
• Open pit lane – A couple of runs of the track to get to know both the car and track better.
• A couple of BBQCTD practice sessions with 40 car grid starts, trying one as a rolling start to see what people think about it.

BBQ Commitee

The BBQ committee is rapt with the buddies that were out there helping out the newbies in the series. If you did request a buddy but haven’t heard from the BBQ commitee please get in touch so we can help you out.

We are happy to announce that we have purchased a small portable PA system (from 1-day.co.nz) for use at drivers briefing and prizegivings. This has been made possible due to the BBQ committee getting a budget of $2000 to spend on things like BBQ’s during the season, prizes and anything else that will add to the series, with the remainder at the end of season going towards the season prizegiving. We are going to call this “Kent’s bank balance” as he will be in control of the money and what remains will be posted in each newsletter going forward.

Lastly, we noticed a one or two people reversing long distances (more than a few spots) on the grid when they got to the wrong spot, please don’t do this if you stuff up, wait for a Marshall to move you as for all you know the light sequence for the start might have started while your looking back and then chaos will ensue.

Driver Standards Commitee

Whilst the Driver standards are very good as a whole (with 92 cars battling for an hour of racing) there are sure to be some problems.  In this class the safety of you and others is of the highest importance. To help get everyone on the same page we have written the below:

 1. Dive Bombing

If you are trying to pass someone and go up the inside you must allow them to follow a normal racing line (one car width wider) and not go through the corner locked up hoping that you won’t hit someone.  We saw this a few times over the weekend and for the first time in a few meetings it is creeping into the not so fast grid, normally the crown jewel of driving standards in the 2KCUP.  We have a few drivers that made contact but due to no video footage being provided, we will be looking to put video cameras into their cars so we can watch their driving style and passing attempts at future rounds. Some others got away with it due to good driving from the other party, but it shouldn’t be happening in the first place.

2. Yellow Flags

There is to be no passing on yellow flags. If you make a pass under yellow flags without realizing the series will penalise you, unless you readdress the situation by giving the position back in which case you will be ok (MSNZ may still ping you). Keep in mind if you are missing yellow flags the chances are you will miss a red flag, if that happens you could end up escalating a serious accident into a fatal one.

3. Bump and run

If you have made contact with a car in front of you and then make the pass, we will look at this unfavourably. We have issued a couple of warnings on this to drivers that have done this exact thing.  If you have made contact with another car you need to give up the position gained or held by a result of the contact.

4. Getting Lapped

If you are getting lapped you need to move aside and let the cars lapping pass you. Whilst we are not suggesting to move totally of the track, braking slightly earlier or running a little wide so the faster car can slip up the inside is a move that the other drivers will appreciate, and hopefully when you a behind them you learn something so you get faster and can start lapping cars yourself.

5. Cameras

Please buy a camera and mount it to your car. If someone does something silly on the track we can only act on straight away if you have video, otherwise we need to consult with other drivers that may have seen what was going on and make sure everyone shares a similar view.

Round 1 Penalties

After all of this a few penalties have been dished out from the weekend and if you would like to query any penalty please let us know by emailing standards@2kcup.com or if you have a complaint please email it to the same address.

#37
-5 points and first warning
Dangerous driving into 4th corner lap 1, Race 1. Punishment makes him finish behind all cars effected in the incident and that he went and saw the effected driver immediately after the race to help sort the problem out.

#4 ,#94 ,#99 ,#809
-10 Points
Passing car 247 when double yellow flags and safety car boards are out and not redressing the pass.

#89
-20 Points
Passing car 247 after 2 marshal points showing the safety car boards and double yellow flags and not redressing it

#232
No Penalty
Due to insufficient evidence of where you were when passing flag point we have decided to give no penalty but would like you to take note for future events.

Video Cameras in Cars for next round:
76 Blake Henshaw
444 Dave Veryt

The drivers above will need to work with the 2KCUP to fit a camera. We will supply or if they have their own cameras they will need to supply the video to the Drivers Standards committee for review following the round.

Technical Commitee

Safety items

In terms of safety, 2KCUP must play by MSNZ rules and as such there are a few directives that scrutineers are being firm on and every 2KCUP competitor should check that their cars are up to scratch in these areas. If your car is rejected from scrutineering for a safety issue, neither 2KCUP nor the Technical committee members have any power to overturn this.
From Round 1 there are a few issues that were common crop-up points to check and ensure you comply with before Round 2.

• You should indicate on both front and rear of your car where your tow points are. A “tow” sticker and arrow indicating where the tow points are is mandatory. This may be as simple as using some red or yellow (or other contrasting) electrical insulation tape to point to where they are.
• The MSNZ rulebook states that towing eyes must have a minimum through-diameter of 40mm. This allows the recovery crews to pass a standard hook / strop through. MOST production cars have smaller towing eyes, so you to these you will need to add a D-shackle front and rear to your factory towing eyes such that a 40mm aperture exists through the towing point. If you already have aftermarket towing straps or large diameter tow rings then you’re good to go, but if not, head to your local hardware store and buy a couple of shackles to bolt on
• Fire extinguishers. These must be securely fastened exactly as prescribed in Schedule A of the motorsport manual. Most are all good but if you have doubts, please double check. Also your extinguisher will have a manufacturing date stamped on it and the extinguisher MUST NOT be more than 6 years old.
• Batteries, please check these are secure and check that the positive battery terminal is covered with a non-conducting material. This may be as simple as wrapping it with insulation tape, but a more robust solution seems to last a bit longer. As long as this is something you check before each race day you’ll be fine.
• In-car cameras, laptimers etc. A new ruling has come into place lately that states that items may not be secured in cars using suction cups. Many of us are running GoPros and cellphone holders that stick to the windscreen and if scrutineers see these on your windscreen before a race then they may stop you from proceeding to the grid. Cameras / laptimers etc may be secured using a robust adhesive mount (such as the ones supplied with GoPros) or with a clamp to your roll cage tubing.

Compliance items

Due to the hectic pace of the first race day of the season, the technical committee were unable to check over a great many cars. The following points have been noted:

A few cars were spotted with illegal suspension and these members will be notified and forced to rectify their suspension before being eligible to score points in forthcoming rounds.

Exhaust noise from most cars was good, a couple of cars were on the louder side, but we’re happy for now with how the field generally sounds. If you’re tapped on the shoulder because your car is too loud, you will be able to continue competing in the round (unless it breaks the track noise limit, which none of our cars should be anywhere near) and score full points, but the noise must be rectified before the following round or penalties will apply.

A reminder that bodywork must be standard. A few cars have been spotted running aftermarket or model-incorrect body-parts or spoilers and the appropriate competitors will face points deductions if these are not removed before the following round.

Suspension geometry. A few cars were noted running camber that’s visibly outside the manufacturers’ adjustment range. This is a final reminder that you are only permitted to adjust the suspension as per the factory adjustment range. Slotting holes, bending arms, running camber bolts or smaller fasteners to achieve more favourable geometry is not permitted. We will be bringing a camber gauge to Round 2 and if your camber is outside factory specifications your car will be subjected to a thorough legality check and penalties will be applied for any irregularities found.

Below is some sales spiel about transponders, any car that is racing needs one. You can hire one on day buts it works out cheaper in the long run to buy one, they also have a very high resale value due to the monopoly style product that AMB have, so it’s not much of a loss maker when reselling.

AMB are no longer going to produce the transponders you can purchase out right. The only ones will be the Flexi-lease ones that require license fees. So if you want to own a transponder purchase now.MyLaps Transponders can be purchased from the Historic Racing Club. Order online at www.motorsportentry.com or send a cheque to HRC Inc. PO Box 28-140 Remuera.

•    Direct Wired Transponder $650.00 incl GST (Only 4 left in stock) Perfect if you have one racecar. No need to charge the transponder.

•    Rechargeable Transponder $740.00 incl GST  (Only 3 left in stock)

Great if you have multiple racecars. Easy to switch from car to car. Special offers for this coming season include AMB Flex Transponder $89.00 plus license fee (only 30 left in Stock) Transponders can now be purchased as little as $89.00 plus a 1 year license fee of $110 making the total price $199.00. This price includes insurance and a lifetime guarantee! Your only cost is the license fee of $110 a year in subsequent years – that is less than 2 weekends hire and you own the transponder! AMB Flex Transponder lease is also well worth considering. One year is $199.00, 2 years $340 and 5 years for $597. At the end of the license period to activate your transponder is AU$100 for 1 year, 2 years AU$181.50 and 5 years AU$368.50. This new method would suit competitors who are looking a short term career in motor racing or those who are wanting to save money in the initial years. All My Laps Transponders are used at all New Zealand circuits.

Kind Regards,
James Watson
2KCUP