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History the Spec Racer Ford is easily identified by the required "SRF" or "SR" designation on either side of the car Spec Racer was first conceived as low-cost sports racing class by a director of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Ted Cronin, in the early 1980s. The car was developed and originally manufactured by Renault/Jeep Sport USA in Livonia, Michigan under direction of Vic Elford. The car, designed by Roy Lunn, was introduced into SCCA Club Racing in 1984 as "Sports Renault." After Renault bowed out of the program in 1989, and the car was renamed "Spec Racer (SR)." The original Sports Renault/Spec Racer is no longer an SCCA class, although a few Renault powered cars still compete in National Auto Sport Association (NASA), Midwestern Council of Sports Cars Club (MCSCC) and Eastern Motor Racing (EMRA) events. By 1994, the supply of rebuildable 1.7-liter Renault engines was drying up in the United States. The SCCA made the decision to replace the original Renault drivetrain with a 1.9-liter engine and five-speed transmission manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. This change gave the SRF an additional 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) to 105 - enough to push the cars along at speeds up to 135 mph (217 km/h). Ford Motor Company started to provide a new drivetrain in 1994 and the cars with the Ford powertrain renamed "Spec Racer Ford (SRF)." For a period of time, both Spec Racers (Renault powered) and Spec Racer Ford (Ford powered) both raced in the SCCA. Other more recent changes to what is now called "Spec Racer Ford" include the now-standard "tallman kit", which is an extension of the original rear roll hoop (which was designed too low), Penske shock absorbers in addition to the original Konis, Butler Built driver seat, alloy wheels, rear wheel well cutouts, engine coolant recovery system, a safety modification to the brakes and an optional, smaller alternator. During the life of the car, there have been some incremental changes in various parts to increase durability. Tires have recently been changed to a Goodyear bias-ply racing tire from the previous Yokohama DOT radial tire due to a new sponsorship arrangement. The SRF still uses the original Renault brake rotors, calipers, outer CV joints, and suspension knuckles. Technical The SRF rules dictate that no performance enhancing modifications other than suspension adjustments within described parameters can be made to the car. This effectively eliminates the never-ending need for design enhancements and associated large cash outlays necessary in other classes of racecars to remain competitive and puts the focus on driver skill, rather than financial and technical investment. Every Spec Racer Ford weighs the same using ballast that can accommodate drivers who weigh up to roughly 225 pounds, uses the same engine, the same transmission, the same fiberglass body, the same chassis, even the same tires. The idea is that all of the cars are meant to have identical performance, so the only way to go faster is to be a better driver. The SRF's engine, transmission, and shock absorbers are sealed with tamper-proof devices that make it impossible to modify these components undetected. In addition, many parts of the car, including suspension arms, fiberglass, and sheet metal are marked for compliance checking with special holographic tamper-evident stickers bearing the Spec Racer Ford logo. SCCA Enterprises periodically deploys compliance officials to conduct surprise inspections of Spec Racer Fords at SCCA National and some SCCA Regional events across the US. Specifications: - Tube Frame Chassis - Suspension: front/rear rocker arm, coil-over shock/spring, lower "A" arm, dual externally adjustable anti-roll bars - Ford 1.9L fuel-injected, water-cooled, SOHC 8-valve, hemispherical head, inline 4-cylinder derived from Ford Escort, sealed by SCCA Enterprises - ECU: Ford Motorcraft, modified for racing, sealed by SCCA Enterprises - Ford 5-speed manual transmission, sealed by SCCA Enterprises - Goodyear Racing tires (bias-ply, same size on all four corners of car) spec tire, Goodyear Racing rain tire also available - Custom exhaust - Wheels: spec 13-inch alloy, can also run spec stamped steel wheels - Brake Pads: Hawk (spec pads) - Cockpit Adjustable Brake Bias (Tilton) - Penske Racing or Koni (original) shock absorbers (single adjustable, rebound only) sealed by SCCA Enterprises - 92 in (2,337 mm) wheel base - 1,670 lb (757 kg). including driver - 3-piece fiberglass body - Instruments: tachometer, oil pressure, water temperature, alternator warning light - 105 hp (+/- approx. 3 hp) - Fuel Capacity: 7.75 US gal (29 L; 6 imp gal) ATL Fuel Cell - Fuel: commercial pump fuel only, usually 93 to 100 octane - 135 mph (217 km/h) top speed Customer Service Representatives Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2009) One of the major strengths of the Spec Racer Ford is the network of Customer Service Reps (CSRs) that are located throughout the country. The CSRs sell, service, rent and support Spec Racer Fords for both club amateur and professional drivers. CSRs serve as the primary sales and support agents for new and existing Spec Racer Ford customers. Through CSRs, you may order a new Spec Racer Ford and have them assemble it for you. CSRs are also valuable sources of information on available used cars in their geographic areas. CRSs will do both routine maintenance and major repairs, assist with suspension setup, and they stock and sell parts for the cars. SCRs can also supply complete race services where the car stays at their race shop, is delivered to the track ready to race, serviced during the weekend, taken back to the shop at the end of the weekend, and prepped for the next race weekend. This customer-focused service reduces the time needed to race the car and is a great value to owners who lack the space or skills to maintain the car between races. The services offered by the SCRs are often referred to as "arrive-and-drive" where the CSR handles all of the mechanical preparation and crew logistics, allowing the owner/driver to be treated like a pro driver. CSRs also often have Spec Racer Fords available for drivers to rent for driving schools to complete their racing license training, try out the car before buying, or whenever a drivers wants to race without owning the car. Rental programs also allow drivers to attend race at tracks that are distant from their home areas. Instead of transporting their own car across country, they can just rent a car from a CSR for the weekend. CSRs attend nearly every race weekend. They are always eager to support drivers who maintain their own cars with by providing parts, service assistance, car setup, crew, advice, driving coaching and even moral support to owner/drivers who normally work on their own cars. This additional support reduces the need for a car owner to tie up large amounts of money in spare parts and helps them reduce travel costs since they can take advantage of the experienced staff available through the SCR. Gaming The Spec Racer Ford is available in iRacing where the car is now available in the starting rookie package. It is also available as a freeware download for rFactor. References General Competition Rules and Specifications Technical Reference & SRF Speed Secrets External links Manufacturer's Website Sports Car Club of America Website Official Spec Racer Ford Owner Registry Spec Racer Ford Discussion Forums 25th Anniversary Spec Racer Ford Event Web Site United States Endurance Racing Association Website Categories: Racing cars Sports Car Club of America Sports prototypesHidden categories: Articles with trivia sections from January 2009 All articles with trivia sections We are high quality suppliers, our products such as LED Tube Lights T8 , China Outdoor LED Floodlight for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits LED Tube Lights T8.
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