removing competition number when driving on the road?

removing competition number when driving on the road?

Author
Discussion

shivars

Original Poster:

437 posts

208 months

Tuesday 5th August 2008
quotequote all
Hi,

I'm sure I remember reading (ah the trusty blue book) that I need to remove competition numbers when driving a race car on the road.

Anyone know why this is? I can't see how they would be dangerous or confusing for anyone...?

Assuming they do need to be removed, can any with more experience than I recommend the best way of making them removable or coverupable

thanks

Shane

RetroWheels

3,385 posts

278 months

Tuesday 5th August 2008
quotequote all
Does not a diagonal slash of 3" tank tape , over the numbers,do the trick ?

Sure i've seen this done on Historics .... i could be typing gibberish though , as it's late, and tuesdays is White Burgundy night hehe.

JP_Midget

438 posts

218 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
RetroWheels said:
Does not a diagonal slash of 3" tank tape , over the numbers,do the trick ?

Sure i've seen this done on Historics .... i could be typing gibberish though , as it's late, and tuesdays is White Burgundy night hehe.
I think the wording says something like it should be removed or obsucured? Basically, I think if you've crossed it out then it can't be mistaken that you're competing in an event on the public roads and you'll be ok.

Redlake27

2,255 posts

251 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
It must be an MSA ruling, not a road traffic law....

.....otherwise all those Herbie 53s will be illegal too. Not to mention those police cars that have numbers on their roof to help the helicopters!

Ranger 6

7,183 posts

256 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
AFAIK it is an MSA ruling and yes, a diagonal of tape is sufficient to obscure the number/s.

shivars

Original Poster:

437 posts

208 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
awesome thanks all - thats nicely clear smile masking tape/etc it is then!!

GBRM

954 posts

235 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
It's an MSA ruling as it could be deemed that you are bringing the sport into disrepute or something similar if you were involded in an accident - it wouldn't reflect well on motorsport.

What I do on my racer is get a couple of bits of vinyl or big blank stickers and then use electrical tape to keep them in place and therefore it's easy to take the sticker/vinyl off when needed. I'm not sure if strike-throughs are considered good enough, maybe check with the MSA.

JP_Midget

438 posts

218 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
GBRM said:
It's an MSA ruling as it could be deemed that you are bringing the sport into disrepute or something similar if you were involded in an accident - it wouldn't reflect well on motorsport.

What I do on my racer is get a couple of bits of vinyl or big blank stickers and then use electrical tape to keep them in place and therefore it's easy to take the sticker/vinyl off when needed. I'm not sure if strike-throughs are considered good enough, maybe check with the MSA.
Strike-throughs seem to be tolerated, but I'm sure they'd prefer the better approach of blanking them off completely.

RetroWheels

3,385 posts

278 months

Wednesday 6th August 2008
quotequote all
I suppose the cost of numerals , as a function of the whole cost of racing, is so minute that it may be worthwhile just peeling the buggers off after a meeting.
Renew them again for the next race.




G&T's Tonight hehe.

rustybin

1,769 posts

245 months

Thursday 7th August 2008
quotequote all
As we change numbers for each event, a lot of hillclimbers use magnetic numbers. If you have a TVR (or Noble) this is obviously a stoopid plan.


Edited by rustybin on Thursday 7th August 07:28

paublo

1 posts

195 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
The black tape strike solution is not accepted by the MSA.

When my car was running rough at Doune this year I went for a run with strips of black tape covering the numbers and got a telling off from the MSA chief scrutineer up from Englandshire. He said that the numbers had to be fully obscured. I now use a4 sheets that can be taped over the numbers. The car also had to be scrutineered again after leaving the event for 5 minutes incase I had installed a turbo or swapped the engine... smile

There has also been an instance of the cops pulling over a chap in Scotland and accusing him of racing on the road with the numbers in place. I suppose you are drawing even more attention to yourself and therefore a good target for the plod.




SimonY

348 posts

215 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
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I'm sure that lecturing a driver about not covering up a number properly is something that Clerks would really enjoy, most race officials do seem to love petty issues like this.

jellison

12,803 posts

284 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
GBRM said:
It's an MSA ruling as it could be deemed that you are bringing the sport into disrepute or something similar if you were involded in an accident - it wouldn't reflect well on motorsport.

What I do on my racer is get a couple of bits of vinyl or big blank stickers and then use electrical tape to keep them in place and therefore it's easy to take the sticker/vinyl off when needed. I'm not sure if strike-throughs are considered good enough, maybe check with the MSA.
You can gues what I have done with my two TR races for the last 2 years or so;)

MGRacer

79 posts

235 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
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Well I have driven a race car with numbers on it past a number of police cars on the road - No problem whatsoever. Clearly if I was doing more than the speed limit or something else then I would have been stopped.

Lets face it once you are outside the gates of a race circuit what authority does the MSA have over what you do on the public highway - none! If its not against the RTA then do what you want would be my suggestion.

Whats stopping me putting numbers on the side of my road car if its not against the RTA?

jellison

12,803 posts

284 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
quotequote all
MGRacer said:
Well I have driven a race car with numbers on it past a number of police cars on the road - No problem whatsoever. Clearly if I was doing more than the speed limit or something else then I would have been stopped.

Lets face it once you are outside the gates of a race circuit what authority does the MSA have over what you do on the public highway - none! If its not against the RTA then do what you want would be my suggestion.

Whats stopping me putting numbers on the side of my road car if its not against the RTA?
Exact Loads of estate agent (Foctons have) numbers on.

It is all cobblers.

I drive my racers out of the track to test things up the road and never been and issue.

A NON ISSUE.

GBRM

954 posts

235 months

Thursday 28th August 2008
quotequote all
I'm not agreeing with it being an issue or not being an issue but I was always under the impression that the MSA can revoke your license. A bit like the management reserving the right to refuse entry to a pub/club, if the MSA don't think you're fit to hold a competition license then they can take it off you.

I think I'll have a scan through the blue book and see what it actually says.

jellison

12,803 posts

284 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
RetroWheels said:
I suppose the cost of numerals , as a function of the whole cost of racing, is so minute that it may be worthwhile just peeling the buggers off after a meeting.
Renew them again for the next race.




G&T's Tonight hehe.
YEP - my numbers never come off.

hugoagogo

23,383 posts

240 months

Friday 29th August 2008
quotequote all
why not paint a large circle of blackboard paint on your doors, then use chalked on numbers wink

even better, white paint and whiteboard markers