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January 2011 - Formula 600 is a newly proposed class in SCCA. The specifications consist of the same requirements for Formula 500 with the exception of a diffferent power plant and transmission. The primary goal of Formula 600 is to provide an alternative powerplant and transmission to the current Formula 500 specifications. Many believe this will increase numbers in a class that has been dwindling over the past years due to the challenges of tuning and maintaining a 2-cycle motor and CVT.
To truly appreciate the progression to Formula 600, you must first gain an understanding of how the class came to be. "Formula 500 was originally introduced in the early 1980s as Formula 440 (F440). Formula 500 is a spec class in the sense that the engine, drivetrain, and shock absorbers are all tightly regulated, but the chassis, bodywork and other car parts are free for designers to experiment with within dimensional and structural limits. These regulations allow for very competitive racing at a relatively low cost which rewards driver and car set-up skill. The major difference between Formula 440 and Formula 500 cars were the location of the front wheels relative to the driver and a 440cc powerplant compared to a 500cc powerplant. Both cars use a 2-cycle snowmobile motor and have an advanced Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)." More specifics for Formula 500 can be found here. For the upcoming 2011 season, Formula 600 will not be a national class in SCCA. The Club Racing Board ("CRB") has decided to postpone consideration of 600cc motorcycle engines in F500 until additional testing has been done using restricted engines on track situations. When sufficient information has been provided, the CRB will put the proposal before the membership again. For the the 2011, Formula 600's can be run in regional races and test days to accumulate this data for SCCA. The most recent information on Formula 600 can be found here. |