In an interesting move, a seemingly official update from IFMAR concerning the ‘fuel situation’ for Messina 2014 has been leaked online causing a stir in higher racing circles.
In summary, IFMAR’s President Dallas Mathiesen attempts to clarify what will happen in Messina, in a month’s time at the Worlds:
“IFMAR’s current 2014 rules for off-road do not have *Controlled Fuel.* In the case of the event this year, the Race Organizer needs to respect a number of laws and rules regarding more than 200 liters of fuel being stored in a location. This is the reason why the organizer of the IFMAR event in Sicily decided to contact a number of fuel manufacturers and asked them if they were interested in sponsoring the event in order to get *some* fuel into the venue for traveling racers.”
The sponsors’ fuels will then be sold at “normal shop price”, “as a service to participants”, billed to ease racers’ burdens that might travel with fuel. Limited quantities will be handed out to drivers deciding to use ‘sponsor fuel’, however those using their own must abide and respect the following:
– A limited quantity (1 – 1,5 liter?) per driver will be allowed to be brought in each day.
– There will only be one “fuel gate” with a checklist to control this, only the driver (pit pass with photo) is allowed to bring in his/her fuel.
– It’s not allowed for a team to share a can (3 liter), only one bottle per driver is allowed.
– During final days it will be allowed to bring a larger amount of fuel, the exact quantity will be announced at the team manager meeting.
It’s not allowed for anyone else to sell or supply fuel inside or nearby the venue.
It is the full responsibility of each driver to ensure that their “non sponsored fuel” fulfill all EU regulations and has legally been brought in to Italy. Neither The Organiser, AMSCI, EFRA or IFMAR will be accountable for this.
Both IFMAR and EFRA are aware that this will have consequences for the future of international IC events and we will have to investigate these new laws and regulations. Other blocs are also requested to check their laws and to see what has changed.
“ the Race Organizer needs to respect a number of laws and rules regarding more than 200 liters of fuel being stored in a location” –
Any Country that does not allow for the race to function as it normally would should be excluded from holding any world championship event. This issue gives an edge to the racers who already ready use the brand of fuel. We all know that different fuel brands act dramatically different form one another. So for a driver to show up to a World Championship event with untested fuel and be forced to run a specific brand of fuel is asinine. Things of this nature but damper on the progress of our hobby. This is just as bad as the customs issues at the last World’s in Argentina, If the hosting block can not insure that the event will be held without these types of restrictions then that block should be ineligible to hold such an event. The whole point of a World Championship is that racers from all corners of the globe get together at their best with only minimal restrictions and compete to see who is the best, everything that has happened at the last two worlds has hindered this. I am sure the racers attending this event want to know that if they win they beat the best at there best otherwise its just a joke of an event.
Joshua,
These are EUROPEAN UNION laws/regulations. They are NOT Italian laws/regulations. So ALL, I repeat, ALL of the EU will now be subject to this.
Exactly, what European Union laws is this, please link it.
I guess some mix this up with the ned EU regulation about nitro volume, but that’s a compleatly different thing.
http://www.redrc.net/2014/07/clarification-on-fuel-supply-for-18th-buggy-worlds/#more-83844
Doesn’t shed too much more light on this, but it mentions that the regulations are new, and that Italy has it’s own regulations that are causing problems too.
Like I said.. regulation number 98 of 2013, it’s fresh from last year and came as a result of terrorist bombings which actually killed people.
I think some need to go back and fully read the article, and chill out, it stated that you can run ur own fuel, so long as it is within the requirements, and only 1.5 titres a day on practice and heats days. just the limit of 200 ltrs in a venue is all that is allowed… Changing to different altitudes and or temperatures requires a re-tune any way. Selling outside the event or close to the event on the other hand is Bollocks, in my opinion, especially at a world event…. If a driver or pit crew cannot tune an engine on flammable donkey puss, then maybe they should not be at the event anyways.. These requirements are actually world wide to my understanding, though the rules are only now being fully enforced. Stay safe “F”ers regards Impromtue Racer,Down Under ;-p
Its too bad it doesn’t state the exact verbiage of the laws in question.
Your nickname isn’t Billy HO is it? I don’t mean that in a negative way. I have a friend with your initials is why i am asking.
ha!… nah, not me. 🙂
It’s regulation no. 98 of the year 2013. Came as a result of islamic terrorist bombings in Madrid (2004) and London (2005), none of you Americans complain that we have to be given the third degree and can’t even bring a screwdriver with us when travelling to the US, that’s not a problem, but EU having a rule about several hundred litres of nitromethanol, and OMG, EU must be banned from ever having a competition again etc! It just seems retarded, that the most paranoid country in the world finds it justifiable to complain about other countries being less paranoid.
If that’s the case then EU blocks can’t hold a worlds. Its that simple. Anything that distorts the quality of the racing is unacceptable. We are talking about a WORLD Championship, If laws in the host country compromise the integrity of the racing then why even have the event? Wouldn’t this just be a European Nationals??? IFMAR has done this wrong since 2009 when they hosted the 1/10 off-road worlds in South Africa, none of the major manufacturers sent there teams to compete in protest because of civil unrest and human rights violations in the region. Now they are telling us that an un-level playing field is ok??? I am sorry but i completely disagree with that. It is sad, that because of regulation the EU block will have these issues because i know there are a lot of great places to race in Europe, but the fact remains if holding the event there will distort the racing then that is completely unacceptable.
I understand the anger on this stupid law! Really. But you make a whole lot of drama in getting used to a different fuel! Getting used to control tyres is MUCH MUCH more dramatic! The pros ALL have the chance since WEEKS to select a fuel for the worlds to get used to it!
Did you get ANY bad responses on the control fuel of the 1/8 onroad Worlds in Miami? No. Why? Because it’s just no problem. And NO one in Europe ran Byron fuels in onroad racing. So no problem.
I don’t think I have made any drama Stefan I am just stating my opinion. And to the point of control fuel in on-road, very different engines very different tunes. I have ran both 1/8 on and off and the motors react very differently to fuel. I will agree with the fact that getting used to control tires is difficult, however a control tire is only going to change how you drive, control fuel in off-road can completely the reliability off an engine and everything that the driver and mechanic have worked on. So in short a control tire may make you slower and control fuel at least in off-road may mean you are unable to finish the hour long main. See what I am saying Stefan?
Joshua, I understand you. As I also run both, 1/8th on- and offroad, even with the same enginebrand, I never got problems to bring my engines to 100% performance with any issues on reliability. In onroad, a perfect tune is even more important than in offroad as it there determines the working of the clutches – on the engine and on the 2-speed. Onroad racing is all about the engine tune before working on the car setup. I think that control tyres are really a bigger problem as you even get different rims (especially in 1/10th nitro) which makes your car just a misconstruction. Just imagine 2mm more or less offset and your car will never work as it should due to different rollcenters, needed arm length and so on.
I don’t say it’s nice having to change the fuel as in some cases you can spill your engine and leave it without compression but when traveling to the Worlds, each driver should be able to also afford a new engine that he could break-in with the selected fuel before the event.
One thing I noticed is that some fuels need a tune on the engine more than once a day, others ‘not’. The one I tried and needed to retune twice a fall day, felt like it got a little more acceleration. As I said … felt.
ever hear of home field advantage? did you watch the World Cup? was it advantageous for Brazil to host or did the best team win?
at the end of the day, the fastest driver wit habit of luck will win and we will all go back to work. yawn!
Yes I have heard of it, and no that does not apply here. No I did not watch the world cup I am not a European Football fan.
No manufacturers boycotted the SA Worlds because of human rights violations. They were scared to go.
This is racing where things don’t always goes perfectly. It is about making the best of the situation and doing the best you can under the circumstances.
Laws are laws, plain and simple. This is a result of European Union regulation number 98 which came about in 2013, so it’s new. Please do keep in mind that the US has fair stricter rules for us that wish to enter as tourists, we have to explain all our intentions, and be able to name X number of tourist attractions we aim to visit, and we need to be able to prove that we have several thousand dollars to support ourselves even if only going for a week or two, if not we’re not allowed to enter the country!!! But as usual the comments here are the usual “USA, USA, USA! Every other country is monkeyland” gibberish.
Who here has said anything negative about Europe??? There is no nationalism in my comments. Everything i have said has to do with the quality of the racing. Grow up man and don’t assume so much. If the US came up with the same law i would be saying exactly the same thing.
I’m sure you are already aware of these laws, then? http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/law-changes-from-9-11
LOL When did this become a cultural debate about how the Untied States operates its foreign policy????? I am talking about RC racing not world politics. Have a good day.
That’s not foreign policy. That’s their domestic policy, you don’t seem to be all that educated.
Its a little bit of both but, ok I’ll give you that. Either way it has nothing to with RC Racing. Which is what we are discussing or at least what we should be discussing here since this is a story about RC and not politics.
uh…
Tell me about Billy, LOL. I don’t think I was rude or said anything negative about Europe at all. Yes I am an American and I am proud of that fact but that has nothing to do with this conversation
This is the actual law in question. If anyone has any complaints, I suggest you make them to the islamic terrorists who blew up bombs in London (2005) and Madrid (2004) and killed a bunch of people. http://www.dsb.no/Global/H%C3%B8ringer/utgangsstoffer_eksplosiver/forordning_paa_engelsk.pdf
I think this certain law has nothing to do with terrorism at all. Obviously this is just another law bothering experts in their hobby. Those deciding on this law always are afraid of the worst case, afraid that there could be 150 people having no idea about the dangers of model fuel … theoretically. Next up will be a law to wear HANS while having a shower!
My post was related specially to the 2014 WC. It’s not the fuel itself which is the problem but the fact that you can produce explosives out of it.
But anyways … the EU parliament with its organs is rubbish and the worst thing manhood ever has yield!
Greets from Germany.
This is regulation 98 … http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:039:0001:0011:EN:PDF
It starts 2-sept, but have a transition period until March 2015. It regulates the volume of nitro to 30 weight % that should be under 25 volume % we use…. so if we shall follow this rule, we can’t use 25% nitro either……
Its all about MONEY! The track got FREE fuel from a few Fuel Companies to sponsor the event by hanging banners or whatever and they will sell the fuel at full Retail price…