Sprinting & hillclimbing

[Zumbruk]

Does anyone here sprint or hillclimb their Atom? I'm slowly inching towards getting an Atom as a retirement present to myself, but I will probably have to sell my sprint car (TVR Chimaera) in time (for some reason my wife dislikes the idea of a *third* toy car!)  Are Atom's competitive, or do you end up in a Sport Libre class and competing against dedicated hillclimb machines? I'd expect to end up in the same class as Caterfields/X-Bows, etc., over 2 litres - is that a reasonable assumption, or will I find myself competing against Pilbeams (and getting thrashed...)?

[toms]

There have been a few Atom hillclimbers over the years.  As long as you read the regs to the particular championship thoroughly and make any little mods/spec changes as appropriate then you should go in with the Caterhams etc - and win!

[bodnet]

I've done a few sprints - and marshalled at hillclimbs and seen expensive crashes from a misjudgement of a few inches, and decided to stick to sprints 

You'll need a 'non-race national B' license which costs ~£40, and no medical unless you fall within certain criteria (age, or existing medical conditions). The license comes with the 'blue book' which contains all the standard regs - but you can read yourself round in circles with that, and eventually reach the conclusion that the car's not permitted at all!! 

However... with a roll bar it definitely should be. Without, I've never had a problem, even though I also fail the 'stick' test (straight edge from roll bar/hoop, to solid member in front of driver, your helmet should be below that line). I added padding to the side of the air intake hoop just in case it got asked about. The first sprint I did I had side panels on, the others I didn't, I think it got mentioned that I should have, but I was allowed to compete anyway. I took a fire extinguisher with me, but not installed in the car - wasn't mentioned.

The biggest problem I did encounter was on one event they decided that they couldn't read the numbers on the side of the air intake, despite them being regulation size - though they did overlap slightly at the top! I think a set of numbers on the nose satisfied them in the end (I had spares!).

You'll need a timing strut, easy to make - I fixed mine to the front towing eye but if you don't have one, make it t-shaped and gaffa tape to the inside of the nose. You'll also need a motor racing spec helmet (bike helmets not permitted) and a racing suit - other nomex garments are by your own preference 

As for class, I ended up with the 2l Caterhams and various other kit cars - if you're supercharged it counts as 1.4x capacity I think - ie 2.8l - depending on the classes that might push you up one. My car is only a 160 though so I was seriously outclassed - with the sub-2l classes would have been more evenly matched - also at the time I had no track experience and dreadful road tyres - and don't forget you start with cold tyres - the whole run is basically the 'out' lap of a track day! 

Great fun though - challenge to beat your own times regardless of how well you do against others - especially if you attend the same event/course year on year. Many opportunities for photography between your runs too. The one downside is that if it's on a former airfield, they tend to be barren, windswept places!


Bod

[Zumbruk]

Hiya, Bod, and thanks for that.

I've been sprinting/hillclimbing for 10 years now (I'm still crap at it...) so I'm familiar with the mechanics.  In fact, here's yours truly at Abingdon last Saturday;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn--08XvnHM

If (When!) I bought an Atom, I would sell my Westfield track-day car almost immediately to help fund it, and likely sell my TVR after a while, but I'd like to continue competing, hence my query as to what one would end up competing against. I've never seen an Atom at a sprint, so I've never been able to see what class it was in.

(BTW, if you're running as "road going" (IOW, it's taxed, insured and MOT'd) you don't need a roll bar at all. My TVR roll bar fails the "stick test", but it doesn't matter because it's road going...)

[bodnet]

Thanks for that, yes I always ran in the road-going classes. As I said I managed to read myself round in circles regarding what was/wasn't permitted by the blue book!

I didn't realise I was preaching to the converted, but I hope my post helps anyone else thinking of taking part!

I'll try to dig out the regs from the events I competed in, but it was basically 'road going limited production cars'.


Bod

[bodnet]

Take a look at http://forum.atomclub.com/index.php/topic,4309.0.html - amazingly the regs from 2007 are still online at http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgccsw/2007/wessex07.pdf ... I ended up in Class B3 "Limited production road cars. Car engines over 1800cc".

According to http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,12611.msg235985.html#msg235985 I'd already sussed out the 'roadgoing' exception to roll bars: "Atoms, I think, should enter class B3 "Road going Specialist Production Cars. Car engines over 1800cc" - that way we avoid the necessity for roll-bars and fire extinguishers."

Some more discussion here... http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,11015.msg213613.html#msg213613

http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,10819.0.html links to more regs - http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgccsw/2010/wessex10regs.pdf - and this statement from me: "I have entered twice with no roll bar. The 'road going' classes are there to allow normal road-going cars to enter (I have also entered in my totally unmodified MG ZT-T). Though I agree that the Blue Book makes no allowance for this, and the first year that I entered it had me worried so much that I made sure I had a 'spare' vehicle I could swap to if it failed (MGF)."

And... "Our class (B3) includes a Ginetta GZ7R, Caterham 7, Westfield SEi, Robin Hood 2B, Elise and Sylva Riot."

Finally more regs http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgccsw/2008/wessex08.pdf linked from this thread http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,7150.0.html ..


Bod

[Zumbruk]

That's brilliant, thanks!

(Mind you, I might be tempted away. A friend has just bought a TVR T350 with a GM LS7 conversion. Mmmmm. 505 horsepower.)

[John Scherrer]

... solid member in front of driver, your helmet should be below that line ...

Steady there Bod !