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History
Motorcycle engines have been permitted
in DSR for many years but were never competitive with
automotive-based or 2-stroke engines.
Around 1998 the Superbike competition heated up and
the bike engine offerings suddenly became more attractive.
Since then, horsepower levels of these engines have
risen, weight and package size has decreased, and
reliability has gotten much better.
As a result, 1000cc motorcycle engines have become
the engine of choice in DSR and have been a significant
factor in the resurgence in popularity of that class.
However, with that gain in popularity has come an
increase in the spending to increase the horsepower levels
even more.
Class
Philosophy
In
a nutshell, the intent of Formula 1000 is to create a class
that offers high performance at a low cost, in an open-wheel
package. It’s
tempting to call Formula 1000 an open-wheel version of DSR
but there are significant differences in the engine rules.
While DSR permits several engine types, F1000 will
only permit 1000cc 4 cylinder motorcycle engines.
While DSR permits many modifications to the
motorcycle engine within the displacement limit, F1000 will
endeavor to keep the engine at or near stock.
By removing the heavy
automotive-based engine and gearbox and replacing it with a
lighter motorcycle engine with integral gearbox, the package
will provide a lighter package and higher performance.
By keeping the engines at stock preparation levels,
the cost will be held relatively low, much lower than
current automotive engines and reliability will be
increased.
Chassis
Preparation Rules
The
inception of F1000 was originally centered on converted FC
and SV cars. The
chassis preparation rules were designed to acknowledge that.
The intent of the rules is to include tubeframe
construction and prohibit costly carbon fiber tubs or carbon
reinforced chassis to maintain the “low cost” part of
the F1000 philosophy.
Envelope
sizes are roughly in accordance with FC as are the aero
rules, with a few exceptions to permit existing
manufacturer’s cars and to accommodate the increased
performance potential.
The Future
This formula allows
everything from an existing FC car converted to motorcycle
power, to purpose-built formula cars that are constructed
specifically for this class. It's clear that the
relatively simple tubeframe construction and limited
aerodynamic rules, combined with the inexpensive,
readily-available 1000cc engines, will result in a low-cost,
high-performance, exciting new class.
Think
of it:
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