Yes but, and this is purely for the sake of argument and education, which
car are we considering (if we're talking about one of the Factory Five Cobra
replicars) it as for classing purposes? A Shelby Cobra or a Ford Mustang?
The first paragraph of 16.1 (which you skipped) states that "To be eligible
to compete as a modified production sports car or sedan, the car must meet
the requirements of Section 13 *(first paragraph), be specifically listed in
Appendix A or be otherwise recognized by the SEB."
*Section 13 (first paragraph) states: "Cars running in Stock Category must
have been series produced with normal road touring equipment capable of
being licensed for normal road use in the United States, and normally sold
and delivered through the manufacturer's retail sales outlets in the United
States. Cars not specifically listed in Stock Category classes must have
been produced in quantities of at least 1,000 in a 12-month period to be
entered in the Stock Category."
Hmm, both an original Cobra (which this ain't) and a Mustang (which it no
longer is) are classed in the Stock Category. So far, so good. For
Modified classing purposes it can't be considered a Cobra since it's not
running on a Cobra chassis. If it's to be considered a Mustang (due to the
drivetrain but still not a Mustang chassis either) then it doesn't meet the
letter of 16.1.A which states: "The shape of the body must retain
recognizable external features of the manufacturer's make and
model..........(skip over a bunch of unrelated body language).........The
original floor pan and frame/subframe must be retained for the full length
of the passenger compartment, except as required for engine/transmission
relocation within the limits of 16.1.F and for exhaust clearance.
Modifications to the floor pan (like using another entirely different shaped
pan?) and frame/subframe exceeding those allowed shall result in a 15%
weight penalty."
Now, the Factory Five replicas don't use a production Cobra or a Mustang
chassis. They have their own boxed, chopped, tunneled, gussetted, square
tube frame chassis and their own design floor pan upon which you hang the
Mustang drivetrain parts and their fiberglass body parts.
So, the way I read the rules it ain't even legal for DM or EM. That means
it should get bumped to AM.
Am I wrong in my interpretation here or do the rules once again contradict
themselves as in the ESP Talon Turbo update/backdate issue of last year?
(For my money, the Talon turbo update/backdate was/is a legal mod.)
Like I wrote earlier, we let the local Cobra replica guys run in Prepared
and that's where I think they should go. Especially if they're going to
continue to run on BFG Radial T/A tires. Yech.
Eric Linnhoff in KC
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