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Question and answer
I have friends racing in SO who have never had a motor inspected at a TORC race. Why now?

Because its 2012 not 1965. Things have changed and lawsuits are common. One thought is to have a consent form as part of the 3 stage inspections. I believe you when you say your legal and its is just the time and added expense that concerns you. You will have no trouble signing the consent portion which you sign stating your motor is legal, you don't want it inspected, you remove TORC, CBF and fellow racers from any lawsuit caused by you. This idea is not an original. It is in other types of motor sport. Very strong and effective. The other option states it is legal, you will allow the motor to be inspected or it has been inspected and sealed. The purpose is to protect the organizations and fellow racers from lawsuit[s].

Clarification on the 3 stage inspection process.

The first item on the CDF [YES, we are going modern, CDF stands for Compliance Due-diligence Form]
is the Compliance Agreement. You see these on everything you use or register for. You are signing that YOU READ, YOU UNDERSTAND AND YOU AGREE. Common practise to-day. The other part of the CDF shows that TORC has done the necessary due diligence in the required inspection process. The onus now shifts to the racer and not the club or its other members.

So what does this mean to you the racer.

Example: Say your running a NOS system. Not legal in your class. You have signed the CDF. You have a serious accident in a race. The injured party's lawyer is looking for a law suit. The law suit is going to end up in your lap.

Question and answer
I like this direction. Anything more? I want to get started early.

Here are two more short forms. URR and BTBP

URR…you R responsible
-You are responsible for getting and understanding the rules. Just like your Auto Policy the rules are not automatically sent to you. They are available on request.
-you are responsible for registering, inspections and being race ready. Register on time and be at the race on time. The inspector is not going to go looking for you….you arrange with him.
-no one is going to chase you make sure you’re ready at the launch ramp.

BTBP…..Be on Time and Be Prepared
We are not going to wait for you.

T Class is getting larger and we need to be better organized and more professional. Officials don’t have time to chase everyone. Everyone has to go to them.

Question and answer
We need more support people in the T group to make this work. Do we have the people in place.

Now that T is becoming more PRO [professional/responsible/organized] we expect TORC to do the same. This is not a one sided coin. We will have the people we need we will push for the other classes to do the same. We also have the vote power at TORC meetings.

REMEMBER THE TORC MEETING ON THIS COMING SATURDAY..BE THERE!

[quote="Hounddog"]Question and answer
I am currently running in T class. I am racing for fun, There is no prize money. I don't want to have any motor inspections. I am OK with the safety inspections. There are others that want to do the same. What do you think?

I have no problem answering your question. First the inspection rule is not just a T Class rule. It is a general rule for all classes. You need to make up your proposal and present it at the CBF annually meeting. It cannot be done at the TORC meeting. T is based on the UIM T class. What you are trying to do is make T like Formula V an old cancelled APBA OPC class. I have the rules for that class if you would like to follow them. It maybe easier to get them passed compared to changing a general rule. Until that happens you have to follow the existing CBF rules.

C. FORMULA V TECHNICAL STANDARDS
Max. Total Cu. In. Displacement Min. Boat Length Min. Boat Weight
0 - 49.9 c.i. 13’ 700 lbs.
50.0 - 74.9 c.i. 13’ 780 lbs.
75.0 - 115 ci. 15’ 1,100 lbs.
Formula V Boat Standards (See also Rule 21)
1) V-bottom boats or flatbottom boats are permissible in Formula V. No Mod VP type boats will be allowed. The rectangular area of the bottom extending from the aft end to a transverse line four feet forward of the aft end of the boat bottom, and bounded by fore and aft lines one foot to either side of the boat centerline, is subject to the following limitations:
a) No part of this area shall be above any part of the boat bottom outside this rectangle, with the exception of longitudinal grooves no more than one inch deep, formed by strakes or lengthwise steps.
b) No part of this area may contain breaks in the longitudinal continuity of the surface.
c) In Formula V, any modification may be made to the bottom of the boat either during or after the molding process. Boats must still be in compliance with all existing Formula V rules.
d) All boats’ hulls in Formula V will be of plastic or molded fiberglass construction.
Formula V Motor Standards (see also Rule 23)
1) All Formula V motors must remain stock production motors. No grinding, port work, decking, milling or machining of any kind. No back-dating of parts.
2) OMC motors can be up to 115 cu. in., and 99.9 cu.in. V-4 motors must be 1977 and newer cross-flow motors.
3) Mercury motors may be production motors up to 115 cu. in. Inlines with 15 or 20 inch lengths.
4) Plastic or fiberglass reeds are allowed on stock reed cages.
5) Oil injection, rev limiters may be removed.
6) Diaphragm type fuel pumps may be replaced with electric fuel pumps.
7) Exhaust relief holes may be added to the lower unit above the cavitation plate.
8) Low water pickup/nosecones may be added.
9) Power trim is allowed; if motor came without it, it may be added.
10) Aftermarket parts will be allowed as long as they are to the specs of the original part. No aftermarket performance enhancing parts allowed. Example: Sierra head gaskets or Wiseco pistons may be used as long as they are the same spec as the stock original manufacturer’s part. No high ring or single ring pistons, etc., are allowed.
11) 010, 020, 030 oversized pistons are allowed.
12) Cosmetic appearance may be changed. Louvers, vents, etc, may be added to motor covers. V-6 cowlings may be used on V-4s to eliminate lower pan, making jetting, carb removal and head removal easy and accessible; as heads, cylinders, etc. will be inspected to determine motors are stock.
13) OMC V-4 gear cases may be fitted with V-6 prop shafts to increase availability and lessen the cost of propellers.
14) No Speedmaster, Clubfoot or any other high performance lower unit is allowed. All lower units must be fully shiftable and operational. No cutting or removing of gears or internal parts is allowed.
15) Participating boats that are 13 and 14 feet must run stock motors also, but weights and cu. in. restrictions would remain the same.

Question and answer
I was reading a thread on Ron Hills site about Mod 50 motors. On one post you are mentioned as having the ultamate mod 56'r ever built. The motor came from the OMC designer? Where is that motor? I would like to see it.

THANKS DAVE!!! I have that motor and it has never been raced in T. It is there just in case T got out of hand with racers not following the rules. I have mentioned several times, the degree to which you modify your motor has no bearing on the definition mod. It is or it is not. Soon as you alter it in any way, you have a mod motor PERIOD!. We track the performance levels of the class to keep the speeds within the speed range. If I got mad enough seeing one or a few racers dominating when I knew they were mod and ruining the class, then they would have to race this mother. There is a big difference between people who think they know how to Mod one, they generally end up with a lot of failing parts and less performance than a legal one, and those few with the knowlege to build the good one.
I have a good one and I am no where close to being upset enough to race it.

Dave, I didn't know about that post. I have had the motor over 4 years.

Lesson #20 Team Work

I hope you can see the direction we are going. We want to attract more racers by offerring a well organized, honest, competitive, supportive, low cost class of boat racing. The growth of T class shows the interest is there. Like every new class you need to make concern concessions in order to get a boat count. If you don't have boats you don't have people to race against and classes die from lack of support. TORC and CBF have been very supportive of T class. They have been surprised and very pleased to have us. Our class may? have saved them. We have added to their program and provided a much larger member and fan base. Behind the scenes is a different story. I warn you racers that if you try to make T a no inspection mod class you will not get that approved by CBF. This has nothing to do with certain people in the class, it is fact. It is time to move forward and make T the best class not only in Canada, but in North American. Big statement, but do able. Next year I estimate we will have over 20 boats. Boat count makes concessions tighter. We don't need 20 boats. so next year if you not willing to obey the rules, you will not be racing. We don't need you. Tuff love? No we would be very happy to have 10 boats and I will be much happlier not being in the firing line. So enough said on that topic. Here is Lesson 20.

Team work
Many people are and will be asked to expand their duties within T Class. In previous posts you see the accountability is directly on the racer. We are going to be even more supportive but in a different way. The difference is you must come to us. The T group is too large for our support people to go to you and hold your hand. However, is will be much easier to get the CORRECT information than last year. We are working on an inspection plan, more pit support, and a complete booklet that can be down loaded that covers everything. We need to make suggestions, rather than rule changes in our motor rules. We are confident for example that we will be able to give a racer with bridge port fishing motor a head spec that everyone with that motor can follow. We need to get one for the SST 60 and the oval port models. The rule does not need to be changed, we just need to SUGGEST what we know is legal. We will have that early in the new year and it will end up as part of the booklet.

IF YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE TEAM, YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN.

Question and answer
I have my block at my engine builder and I need to advise him what he can do to the block for it to remain legal. Can you send me the spec sheets?

You forgot to tell me what block you have. If it is a Yamaha, 49 or SST 60 block I can forward them to you. We are in the process of getting the specs for the other OMC 56 fishing blocks. You really don't need the spec sheet. The measurements are very accurate for the same model block. The rules are very clear. You can not change the block from STOCK other than:
[1] surfacing the block
[2] cutting the head
[3] cleaning up the ports. What you are after is equal balance in all cylinders. You can remove any aluminium showing in the port holes and there is always a + or - of 1 thousands of an inch on any measurement. So to be safe measure the ports on your motor. You will find they are very close to being the same. If one is larger by 1/1000 then you can enlarge the other two cylinders to match. Same is true if you replaced a sleeve. We are only talking a very slight difference.

I am sorry, but we do not have a lot of specs for the oval port 56 fishing block. If your block is one of them. Number [3] above is 100% correct. Unlike the bridge port 56 fishing motors the oval port is close to 150 lbs compression in stock form.
It may only need the block and head surfaced to get the compression to the 160 mark, so be careful you may ruin the head by taking too much off. You are allowed to run the larger carbs on that block. No one has raced one yet, so we cannot suggest what jets to use. So be careful.

The engine rules of T class are not to make a pure race motor. They are to make a fishing motor more dependable and stand up to race conditions. You don't have to spend big money for a competitive motor. The extra money you spend is NOT worth the gain. Just built a good stock motor. You will not be disappointed.

Question and answer
The rules state that the boat must float and not sink. It doesn't say what materials to use, how much or their locations like in the old EP OPC rules. What do I use?

Under the old OPC rule the boats still sunk. Most used blow-in foam or inner tubes. The foam blew out of the boat when the hull broke up in the crash and the tubes either came out or got holes in them during the crash and lost their air. Within a couple of years with no crashes the foam would become waterlogged, heavy and useless. We have suggested foam filled swimming pool bags in a previous post. They work! Don't use air floatation. As for the amount of material, if you look at your life jacket and the amount of weight it can float, it is safe to say that floatation equal to 4 extra large racing style life jackets would keep the boat afloat.

The required amounts of "foam" for floatation is listed in the 2011 rules...see page 14 paragraph 19-B-2 of the rules. It does not state how or where it is to be attached. The 2012 rules make not reference to T class what so ever from what I've read so it must have been an open class last year