Pro3 rule on ballast

GGilmor

GGilmor

Member
I got a "summary" of the rules from local Pro3 guys and it says that the maximum ballast is 100lbs. so don't over-strip the car.
I see in the rules under weight and ballast that ballast must be in 50 lb segments but there in no mention of the 100lb limit. Is this referenced elsewhere?
Thanks
 
Good eye! You are correct that the ballast reference is only to the increments, but there's no mention of any maximum. It seems that some of us (me included) at some point started (mis)quoting that section of the rules when in fact there was no maximum allowed ballast amount.

Citing Section 1316.B.4(a):

"4. Weight and Ballast
(a) A minimum weight for cars with driver will be honored at all
times. Ballast is allowed, but must be located on the
passenger floor, aft of the firewall and no further rearward
than 1” of the rear stock seat bolt holes of the front
passenger seat. Ballast shall be in segments no heavier
than 50 lbs, and shall be capable of being removed to be
weighed apart from the car. Each segment shall be fastened
securely to the floor with a minimum of two (2) bolts, SAE
grade 5 or better with locking nuts, with large-diameter, load
distributing washers.
E30 325i minimum with driver is 2,650 lbs."

The complete comp regs may be found at:
http://www.icscc.com/rules/comp_regs_2009_complete.pdf

Feel free to email me direct for any questions as well. rickshaw_racing at yahoo dot com.
 
Because is the short answer.

The long answer might be.. if you weigh 75 pounds and could rip enough stuff out of the car and shift weight where ever you wanted it in a C-dan.. you could develop quite a handling advantage over a car carrying a 300 pound driver
 
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Thanks for the clarification. Now we don't have to be worried about over-stripping the car, because we can build the weight back up using as much ballast as necessary placed within the area designated in the rules.

I also didn't see any add-on weight for 1st through 3rd place finishes either - correct?
 
For me, the idea of a maximum ballast amount is a perceived safety issue. Based on the rule as written, it's pretty specific how and where the ballast may be apportioned to the car. Now, can you imagine someone coming through tech with a stack of 50# weights totalling about 400# sitting immediately adjacent the driver, held on to the sheet metal body pan using a couple of Grade 5 bolts and some fender washers?

No thanks.

Regardless of my thoughts, the rule doesn't establish a ballast maximum, so the point is moot.

Careful in your stripping of the car; make sure it's rules-compliant because some of that removal of material may be difficult to replace!
 
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