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rmfantasysetpieces1 · 2 months

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F1 is an engineering sport

The problem here is automotive sport is not like other sports. Adding an F1 team from cadillac, who hasn't made a good car in decades, and definitely not a great engine, will not improve the league. Cadillac can't make a better car than mercedes or ferrari. And Redbulls is uisng ford motor engines soon. Renault is an economy class car company. I concur to the assessment. Andretti + Cadillac want the f1 brand to help them. But they will not compete. People don't comprehend , automotive sport is not just about drivers, it is about engineering, and the costly nature of engineering. An F1 car's engine first and foremost is not something you see on the street, the design, the materials, the design is particular. I only know one firm that makes a car that is open wheel and legal to race in the street. I am not convinced. And besides, why can't andretti make their team for indy car? or better for the super formula series based in japan? They can easily prove their quality by dominating indy and superformula but they can't cause you can't hype your way in motorsport. Your car's quality will be exposed , especially that engine.

Lastly, this is the price of being sold to a USA firm. From FIFA and the world cup to FIA and F1 it seems the USA wants a greater role or influence in these sports absent quality or merit in the field itself, just using its power outside the sport to bully its way in.

What do you think?

THE ARTICLE Liberty Media is under investgation over anti-trust violations after denying Andretti F1 bid nathan brown, indianapolis star Fri, Aug 9, 2024, 11:01 AM EDT

Three months after receiving letters from members of the U.S. Congress -- including one from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee -- scolding and questioning their decision to deny Andretti Global and Cadillac the chance to join the Formula 1 grid in 2025 or 2026, Libery Media noted in a quarterly earnings call Thursday that it is facing an investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice for related anti-trust violations.

Greg Maffei, the CEO of the Colorado-based company that, through its subsidiary Formula One Management owns the commercial rights to the F1 World Championship, noted on the call that Liberty Media would cooperate with the DOJ and was confident Liberty hadn't run afoul of any regulations regarding its Andretti decision.

"We believe our determination, F1's determination, was in compliance with all applicated U.S. antitrust laws, and we've detailed the rationale for our decision vis-a-vis Andrett in prior statements," Maffei told Wall Street business analysts. "We are certainly not against the idea that any expansion is wrong. There is a methodology for expansion that requires approval of the FIA and the F1, and both groups have to find the criteria met.

"We're certainly open to new entrants making applications and potentially being approved if those requirements are met."

The years-long process began in 2021 with Michael Andretti losing out on an 11th-hour deal with Sauber to purchase a controlling interest in its F1 outfit that soon will be controlled outright by Audi. In February of the next year, Mario Andretti announced that his son had filed paperwork with F1 officials to inquire about joining the grid as an expansion franchise, first revealing to IndyStar that Andretti would plan to build its cars out of its now-under-construction sprawling headquarters in Fishers.

After a series of testy, public back-and-forths with Libery and F1 series officials, as well as many of the team owners -- most of whom have been vehemently against expansion to protect the financial solvency of the 10 current teams and their sky-rocketing valuations -- through much of 2022, the FIA in early 2023 announced it would open an 'expressions of interest' process where prospective new team owners could apply for clearance to join the F1 grid. After receiving the support of General Motors and its luxury racing brand Cadillac to run tandem in the project, Andretti would be the only team given the green light by the FIA in October of last year.

"Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only entity which fulfills the selection criteria that was set in all material respects," FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said at the time, regarding the FIA's "robust" due diligence process. "I congratulate Michael Andretti and his team on a thorough submission.”

Andretti and GM's application was then passed on to Libery Media and FOM for further review, as any new entrants to the F1 grid have to be jointly agreed upon by both the sporting and commercial sides in order to gain full clearance. Four months later, F1 dressed down Andretti's application in a thorough denial, stating the entry was unlikely to be competitive; that its stakeholders likely didn't understand the scope and difficulty of the project; that it was unlikely to add value to the sport and its current 10 teams; and that the Andretti brand was more likely to gain from admission than vice versa.

"Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship," F1's wrote in a three-page decision letter sent to Andretti officials. "The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.

"While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around. … We do not believe that the applicant has shown that it would add value to the Championship. We conclude that the Applicant's application to participate in the Championship should not be successful."

In a statement in response that same day in January, the team said in a statement that it "strongly disagreed" with F1's findings. "Andretti and Cadillac are two successful global motorsports organizations committed to placing a genuine American works team in F1, competing alongside the world's best," the pair said in the statement. "We are proud of the significant progress we have already made on developing a highly competitive car and power unit with an experienced team behind it, and our work continues at pace."

In April of this year, the team opened a new nearly 50,000-square-foot facility near the legendary Silverstone race track in the U.K. out of which its more than 100 F1 project-focused employees would work out of moving forward. According to Mario Andretti, Michael's famous father and the 1978 F1 champion, all the work of the last several years boils down to the next year or so. Despite F1 and Liberty saying they'd be willing to potentially reconsider Andretti Global's bid once Cadillac can produce its own power unit for the project in 2028, the elder Andretti told reporters in April at Long Beach that the team's F1 prospects were boom-or-bust for a 2026 entry point, so as not to be forced to pay hundreds of millions more in a steep entry fee that would be split among the 10 current teams to offset their losses as F1's marketing dollars would begin to be split 11 ways instead of 10.

“The point is, right now, the Concorde Agreement that’s in place, that’s the valid one. They want to come up with a different one after the end of 2025, but we started this process over two years ago, and we’re going under the current Concorde Agreement,” Andretti said. “We didn’t build, we didn’t do everything, we didn’t invest to be here in 2030.

“The objective was to be on the grid in 2024 when we started. Then it’s 2025, and now it’s 2026. But this has got to happen. We’ve invested knowing that we’re going by the book, and I don’t want to hear about the new one. Throw everything you want around, but that’s a different story. We’re going by what’s in place now.”

Less than two weeks later -- and just days ahead of a planned meeting with F1 officials at the Miami Grand Prix to further discuss the issues at hand -- the elder Andretti was on Capitol Hill with Rep. John James (R-Mich.) to meet with various members of Congress to discuss Liberty's purported anti-trust violations. That day, a bipartisan group of a dozen politicians sent a letter to Maffei expressing "concerns with apparent anti-competitive actions" related to Liberty's denial of Andretti during the potential expansion process. In asking for a quick response and answer to three pointed questions about its stonewalling of Andretti's bid, the signees also said that "participation of all Formula 1 teams -- including any American teams -- should be based on merit and not just limited to protecting the current lineup of race teams."

The initial letter, which went public May 1, was then followed by one penned by Jordan six days later that requested a trove of documents from F1 officials related to its decision to block Andretti's bid for the grid, poked holes in its argument against Andretti's admission and requested a "staff-level briefing" on the decision.

"Weak teams want to be protected from competition to the detriment of consumers and an additional team (that) would compete for prize money and sponsorships. If Formula One must hinder competition and harm consumers to protect failing competitors, then the entire Formula One model may be broken, and the entity cannot hide behind the necessity of a sports league to pursue anticompetitive conduct," Jordan wrote.

"Delaying Andretti Cadilla's entry into Formula One for even one year will harm American consumers to benefit failing Formula One teams."

On May 21, a bipartisan group of seven U.S. senators -- including both from Indiana -- published and sent a third related letter, this one sent to members of the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, to share concerns that Liberty and F1 were "acting at the behest of its independent teams and other key stakeholders…to exclude the team formed by (Andretti Global's) partnership with General Motors from entering (F1)."

"It is possible that such a refusal to deal -- especially if orchestrated through a gropu boycott -- could violate U.S. antitrust laws," the letter read, going on to point out that F1 had run with 11 teams in 2016 and 12 in 2012 and that Andretti endeavored to be the only member on the grid with an American-made car, American-made components and an American driver. The letter also pushed back at F1's claims that Andretti wouldn't be competitive straight away, referring to Red Bull having won all but one race in 2024 and that half the grid went without a single win combined the previous four seasons.

Further, it noted the rise of American interest in the sport, adding that "clearly there is a financial incentive to adding an American team to F1's roster, and there is no reason Team Andretti-Cadillac should be blocked unless FOM is trying to insulate its current partners from competition."

"We have serious concerns that the rejection of Team Andretti-Cadillac was based on a desire to exclude a rival from the racetrack. marketing opportunities and prestige that competing in F1 can lend to a car manufacturer competing to sell cars across the globe," the letter closed. "That F1 stakeholders may have engaged in concerted action to exclude Team Andretti-Cadillac -- especially after it met all technical requirements to join F1 -- that merits investigation."

Andretti Global declined to comment on the news of the DOJ's investigation of Liberty Media.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: U.S. DOJ investigating Liberty Media for denying Andretti F1 bid

URL https://sports.yahoo.com/liberty-media-under-investgation-over-150109731.html

#rmsoccer

#rmsoccer #f1 #andretti #cadillac #fia #formula1 #openwheel

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bigmacdaddio · 2 years

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The Fray: 2023 rules

Preamble:

These rules are written with the intent of providing a precise specification that will define the cars construction. It is fully expected, and in fact intended, that the racers will adhere to these rules as they design and build their cars. Any breach of these boundaries will result in the car’s disqualification.

The following rules list what can be done to the car. Anything not listed as allowable, is not allowed. For example: No fillers can be placed in the gap between the three com sections because there is no rule allowing it.

To support this principle, the tech committee will gladly answer any of the racers’ questions of the rules prior to tech. The voltage for the Fray is 20 volts. The final rules update for the 2023 Fray will be posted in January 2023. Clarifications, if needed, will be dated and posted in Clarifications section below.

Changes To Be Aware Of in 2023

There will be a 7 gram downforce maximum limit at a 70 degree ambient temperature as measured by Peter Doane’s “Peter Meter”. With one or two exceptions, all cars that have previously been measured and competed in the Fray fall within this reading.

New Parts Submission Guidelines:

Any new commercially available TJet part or resin body must be submitted to Rick Phillis for approval no later than December 31 prior to the event. All newly approved TJet parts and resin bodies must be commercially available for sale 60 days prior to the event and must be for sale in quantity from during Fray practice. Please send all parts submissions to:

Rick Phillis 448 Camp Weott Road Ferndale, CA 95536

ADDITIONAL APPROVED PARTS FOR 2023

Dash Motorsports – Ghia

Hurley – Prius GT

Gregs Garage – Corvette C8R

Wizzard – Copper Electricals WJ 05

Wizzard – Notched Copper Brushes

Wizzard – Wizjet Chassis WJ 01; For all Team Racing

APPROVED PARTS LIST

Complete Car Regulations:

The complete car must weigh at or between 19.0 grams and 24.0 grams.

The complete car must freely pass through a standard 1.3125 (1 5/16) HO tech block.

Body Regulations:

Body: The body must be a copy of a 1:1 car and concept cars.

Bodies must be manufactured by either the process of casting or injection molding and be made of resin or plastic. No featherlight resin allowed.

Bodies must be originally manufactured with the intention of being mounted with the use of two (2) screws via two (2) bodymounting posts on a/an: Aurora Model Motoring (which includes: Vibrator, Thunder Jet Wild Ones, Tough Ones and Xlerators), Bachmann, Faller, Model Motoring ThunderPlus, Marx, Eldon or Tyco S series HO chassis.

Bodies with castin handling pans or exaggerated details such as unrealistic or inappropriate hood scoops, oversized windows, side pipes, sloped sides, or snow plow noses are not allowed.

No Indy style Formula 1 or Formula style openwheel bodies will be allowed.

No ballast or fillers, other than color pigment, are allowed in the plastic or resin.

Maximum overall body width is 1.200. Accordingly, the body must pass through our 1.2 bodytech device.

The maximum thickness of the lower portion of the body, including items such as the front end, rear end, fender flares, and running boards must not exceed 0.125.

With the body mounted securely to the chassis and viewed from above, the body must cover the chassis except through windows and vents. Unrealistic overly large windows and vents are not allowed.

With the body mounted securely to the rolling chassis and when viewed from the side and/or the rear of the body, the upper edge of the top-plate, minus rails, cannot be above the rear window frame as measured at the rear of the topplate. (i.e.horizontal top of the gear plate (base) cannot protrude above the rear window opening). Put another way : The lower rear window opening must be equal to or higher than the gear plate plane.

Bodies must be fitted with all of the manufacturer’s original or exact-replica bumpers, heads, rollover bars, etc. in their stock locations.

Cracked or broken bodymounting posts may be repaired or with the use of glue and/or a plastic sleeve around the original post or a plastic rod/tube in place of the broken post.

Other than the plastic post reinforcements, stated in Body Rule 12, no additional weight may be added to the body.

The body may be lowered and lightened by removing material through the process of grinding or scraping as long as Body Rule 9 is not violated. Bodies cannot be heated or reshaped from the original cast of the body.

Bodies that have a separate roof and windshield casting/molding, and have moldedin interiors (also known as Hardtops, e.g. Aurora’s ’65 Mustang), may completely remove the interior portion of the body.

Front and rear wheel wells may be opened up for tire wheel well clearance. This opening may be no larger than a 1/8inch drill bit (.125″) around the entire wheel well and tire.

Wheel wells must not be modified in such a way as to allow the use of any other wheelbase than that which was originally intended by the manufacturer of that body.

Any bodymounting screw may be used. Nonmagnetic screws are recommended so that a loose screw will not be picked up by a passing car, thus causing damage to the car and/or the track.

Both front and rear screws must be used and must secure the body to the chassis at all times.

The front windshield must be plastic or resin, clear or painted, may be glued in place or molded in, and must fill the frame. Tape windshields are not allowed. Side and/or rear windows may be removed.

Bodies that violate Body Rules 4 and 9 by having illegal openings such as too large or unrealistic windows, missing engine covers, and open truck beds may be repaired by gluing a 0.025 minimum thickness plastic cover over the opening. The repair must be made so that its thickness can be checked using a micrometer having a diameter anvil.

ThunderJet and Dash Rolling Chassis Assembly Regulations:

TEAM RACING: Only original Aurora ThunderJet, Dash Motorsports, and Wizjet chassis assemblies with nonplated copper electrical components are allowed. Commutator brush springs may be bent to alter brush tension. Pickup shoe hanger plates may be bent.

INDIVIDUAL RACING ON FRIDAY: Only original Aurora ThunderJet assemblies with non- plated copper electrical components are allowed. Commutator brush springs may be bent to alter brush tension. Pickup shoe hanger plates may be bent.

The rolling chassis axle, armature, and drive pinion shaft holes may be opened slightly for increased clearance or peened to reduce clearance. Use of fillers to decrease clearance is prohibited. (2a) The Truck hole cannot be utilized in any way.

The rolling chassis assembly must not be fitted with bushings.

The chassis may be trimmed slightly (no more than .010) to allow for crown gear tooth clearance.

Only original Aurora 2 Lam TJet pancake gray armatures or Dash Motorsports 3 Lam armatures may be used for all race events, The Dash Motorsports 2 Lam armatures may be used in the team racing events. The arms must be used with their original commutator, and all of their original unmodified windings may be used. Armatures may be balanced and trued. A shim may be used between the armature and the top plate to prevent the motor windings from contacting the top plate.

Each armature pole is to be measured across two separate commutator segments. The AVERAGE of all three poles must be 16.0 ohms or greater at 70 degrees. This armature is LEGAL. All measurements are to be taken at the current available room (ambient) air temperature. The warming of either the commutator or the armature is not allowed before/during measuring. (The combined total ohm reading of all three armature poles must equal or exceed 48 ohms.) We have an armature that tests 16.0 on all three poles at 70 degrees. It ohms lower in cooler temperatures and will be the standard for testing arms at the event. The Hall temperature can vary between 60 to 70 degrees.

Only Johnny Lighting, Auto World, or Dash Motorsports Magnets may be used. The magnets may be sanded to fit the chassis. The distance between the magnets must be a minimum of .700″. This will be teched using our custom designed, specially fabricated Plug.

Magnet shims may be used but they must be plastic or cardstock. No shims are allowed either under or on top of the magnets.

Any flat top and bottom carbon/copper motor brushes are allowed. Brushes may be scored with one score line or an X.

All brass gears must be minimum thickness of .047

Only stock TJet or commercially available stock replacement 14 tooth brass armature pinion gears are allowed.

Only stock TJet or commercially available stock replacement 24 tooth brass idler and driven gears are allowed.

Only stock TJet or commercially available stock replacement 9 tooth brass drive pinion gears are allowed.

Only stock TJet or commercially available stock replacement 15 tooth crown gears are allowed. The crown gear diameter must equal or exceed .300″. In reducing the crown gears to .300″, the crown gear must maintain the 90 degree angle to the back of the gear’s top and bottom. The gear cannot be angled, tapered, rounded, beveled, thinned, sliced, diced, drilled, etc. The idea is to allow the stock crown gears to be the same diameter as the aftermarket crown gears. This will be looked at VERY closely. The crown gear boss may be trimmed, spacer(s) may be added to adjust for proper gear mesh within the crown gear box. You can add a small delrin retainer to the driver’s side rear axle for the purpose of adjusting crown gear mesh with the 9T rear pinion. The diameter of the delrin retainer must not exceed 0.125″ with a thickness not to exceed 0.070″.

Only metal drivengear shafts may be used. The drivengear shaft must not exceed .065″ in diameter.

Geartooth friction surfaces can only be deburred by polishing, filing, or sanding.

Gears must not be chamfered, lightened, or relieved.

Only commercially available front wheel, tire, and axle assemblies including Wizzard, Zoomin Motorsports, JW, RTHO, and OS3 may be used with two exceptions. The front and rear axle diameter must not exceed .065″ and the front tire diameter must equal or exceed .300″. Front axle washers (small spacers) are allowed. All front axle spacers/washers must be located outside the chassis or chassis frame rail. Maximum lateral movement in the front wheel assembly is 0.031 (1/32). All unmodified commercially available front wheel, tire, and axles parts may be mixed and matched. See approved parts list for allowable front ends.

Rear wheels must be plastic or Delrin with dished center. No axle weights, wheel weights or hub caps allowed on rear axle or inside the wheels. Note: A small delrin retainer (ie. front whell retainers) will be allowed on either side of the rear axle for the purpose of adjusting crown gear mesh with the 9T rear pinion. The diameter of the retainer must not exceed 0.125″ with a thickness not to exceed 0.0700″.

Any stock or approved replacement pickup shoe may be used. These shoes must have a factory formed step and the step must be unaltered except to allow flat pickup shoe contact with the track rail. Ski shoes are not allowed.

The “step” in the pickup shoe must remain at a minimum height of .010 from the top of bend #2 to the bottom of bend #3. The first bend in the step, (Bend #2), may be changed slightly so that proper “pickup shoe” to “rail” contact can be achieved. No attempts to “flatten” the “step” are allowed. The area between Bend #1 and Bend #2 may be “flattened” to achieve better contact with the “rails”, however Bend #1 must remain as stock. The front vertical slotted portion of the pickup shoe may be bent to limit shoe travel. The rear hook portion of the pickup shoe may be bent to limit shoe travel and adjust shoe tension. The chassis’ copper pickup retainer may be bent slightly to improve electrical contact.

Pickup shoe springs may be cut, stretched, shimmed, or compressed but must maintain stock shape and configuration.

Any amount of the vertical gearplate rails above the upper horizontal plane may be removed. No amount of material may be removed from the gearplate at or below the upper horizontal plane. The serial/patent numbers and letters must also remain intact.

Commercially available guide pins must be plastic and must be of a design essentially similar to the original Aurora black plastic front guide pins. They may be cut, trimmed, or bent. Countersinking of the guide pin screw hole is permitted.

Glue may be used on a rolling chassis assembly only for the purposes of attaching gears to shaft, guide pins to chassis, and front wheel axle retainers to the end of front axle. Solder may be used to attach metal gears to their metal shafts.

The Chassis may be oiled to maximize performance.

The Fray promoters reserve the right to clarify and interpret the rules as they arise for the best interest of the event.

CONTROLLERS Only the track power supply shall power the cars, A controller cannot store power nor can it interfere with the track power supply or with the operation of another racer’s car or controller.

These rules are an enumeration of what can be done. Doing something not listed as allowed is not allowed.

If you have any questions regarding the rules and regulations, please call Richard Phillis at 707-496-4475 or email [email protected]. Please email [email protected]. Team fees for the Fray are $125.00 per team. The deadline for payment is January 20. Payment must be in the form of a check or Money Order, made payable to Richard Phillis.

Please send your payments to:

Richard Phillis 448 Camp Weott Rd. Ferndale, CA 95536

RACING PROTOCOLS – GENERAL

All tracks are six lanes

All tracks will be powered with 20 volts

All tracks are two wire only, no brake wire

All races will be race to the line format in each heat. Points are awarded in inverse order 1st place 6 points, 2nd place 5 points,……6th place 1 point.

At the end of the race, the team or individual with the most points is declared the winner.

Tiebreakers: Individual- first tiebreaker is the number of laps, second tiebreaker is run-time Team Event – If two teams have a tie in win/loss records, the head to head winner prevails. If the head to head race was a tie, the team with most 1st place finishes is the winner, if that was a tie it fall to second place finishes and so on down the line. If it remains a tie the team with the most laps in the head to head race is the winner. The final determination is the overall run time in the head to head race. If more than two teams are tied, and there is no head to head atvantage, the tie breaker will be the total points scored the tied teams in the races between all the tied teams. If two team tie in this scenario, then the two team tiebreaker will determine the winning team.

RACING PROTOCOLS FOR THURSDAY IROC TEAM EVENT:

Each Team will have six cars color coded to the lanes. These will be standard Fray cars with slip-on rear tires. Dash Chassis may be used or mix with the original Aurora and/or approved after market parts in any combination The lane colors are: (Blue,White,Green,Orange,Yellow, Red)

The teams will keep their cars with them. When two teams meet, one team will supply Blue, White & Green cars and the other team will supply Orange, Yellow & Red cars. These will be the six cars the two teams will compete with.

RACING PROTOCOLS FOR THE FRIDAY INDIVIDUAL EVENT:

Qualifying order will be determined by random placement

Cars will be pre teched prior to qualifying. If a car does not pass pre-tech, the driver will moved to the end of the qualifying order.

Seeding will be determined by average time for 3 qualifying laps.

Each main will consist of six drivers with the possible exception of the first main and the B Main which has ten drivers, of which six will move to the A Main

The top three drivers of each main will move up to the next main with the exception of the B Main as previously discussed.

Each main is 10 laps per heat with the exception of the A Main which is 15 laps per heat.

After the A Main race all six cars will be subject to full tear down by the tech committee.

RACING PROTOCOLS FOR SATURDAY TEAM EVENT:

On Friday evening all team all team cars will be teched.

Teams may enter up to 15 cars.

If cars pass tech, they will be marked.

The cars will be placed in a team box.

The team boxes will be placed in a heated locked room until after the drivers’ meeting (7:45AM) on Saturday morning.

After the drivers’ meeting, the team captain will be called to get their team car box.

All teams will have 10-15 minutes on the tracks before the first team race starts for final adjustment.

The only time a car leaves the box is to warm up or race the heat and the car must be returned to the team box after the heat. When all heat races are over, the team captain will put all team cars back in the team box and they will remain there when he transfers the box to the next track. The cars will remain in the box until the next track is cleared for the next race.

The team captain will supply the racers their cars prior to the heat.

Team racing begins at 8:00am.

All teams will have 35 minutes at each table to complete their heat race.

During the noon lunch break, all teams will be able to take their team cars to their pit area for maintenance or repairs. Be advised, your cars must still meet all post-race rules and regulations.

All teams must place all team cars back in their team box, which will go directly to tech table at the end of team racing. The top finishing team is subject to a full tear-down of their cars!

All cars on the winning team must fully pass tech. If one or more of the cars does not pass, the ENTIRE team will be disqualified.

We hope you understand our rules. Thank you for your interest coming to the Fray in Ferndale. This is not a TJet race; this is a TJet racer’s paradise!

Your Hosts, Richard Phillis & Rick Machado

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