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After a turbulent day’s racing at Bishops Court in October, we finished off the season in fine form with a Drag Road Race in Kells, Co Meath. This is the fashion in which we aim to kick off the 2012 season. In a decisive move to prevent any repeat of the problems that plagued us in the past, none of the 2012 Drag Racing dates clash with any of our Drift competitions. Incidentally, any driver who entered the Drag Racing at Bishops Court on 9^th October 2011 will be privileged to a special deal for Round 1 in March; all those who are eligible will be able to enter the Drag Racing at BC on 3^rd March for just the spectator fee, which is only £10. This is a small gesture to indicate our good intentions for developing the sport this coming season. For this we need your valued support. I hope this offer is received in good faith.

The same Drag Racing classes will be retained from the 2011 season, enabling cars of similar performance to enjoy good close racing for cars all the way down to the 1600cc Class 5 cars. However we will not be holding a points championship for every class. Instead points will be awarded
based on the overall results from each round. The Championship titles will be awarded to the drivers with the highest points total in each of these divisions:

*Motorbike

* 4wd Car

* 2wd Car n/a (incl Nos)

* 2wd Car Turbo, S/C (incl Nos)

We feel that in real terms these are the groups that matter the most to people on the street and that carry the biggest bragging rights for the one who claims the title. For example; when bragging down the pub, rather than say “I am Class 1 Champion”, it sounds a lot better to say “I have the fastest 4wd car in Ireland” This is the direction in which we are taking the 2012 Championship. I hope you like where we are headed and come along for the ride. The race is on!

DRAG RACE Events Calendar:

Sat 3rd March, Bishops Court:
DRAG RACING – Irish Championship (R1) & Run-What-Ye-Brung

Sat 5th May, Bishops Court:
DRAG RACING – Irish Championship (R2) & Run-What-Ye-Brung

Sun 10th June, Ards Festival of Speed:
DRAG RACING – Irish Championship (R3) & Run-What-Ye-Brung,
Sprints, Drift Demo, Air Show, Car & Bike Displays, Funfair, Monster Truck, and more…

Sat 18th Aug, Enniskillen 100 Revival: Vintage, Classic & Modern Car and Bike Sprints
DRAG RACING – Irish Championship (R4) & Run-What-Ye-Brung + Various Activities

Sat 15th Sep, (To Be Confirmed)
DRAG RACING – Irish Championship (R5) & Run-What-Ye-Brung + Various Activities

Sat 13th Oct, Bishops Court:
DRAG RACING – Irish Championship (R6) & Run-What-Ye-Brung

Please note folks, that none of the above dates include any Drift competition.
This is a deliberate move to prevent any repeat of the problems that plagued us in the past as we are determined to set a high standard for all of our events in 2012.

The same racing classes will be retained from the 2011 season, enabling cars of similar performance to enjoy good close racing for cars all the way down to the 1600cc Class 5 cars. However we will not be holding a points championship for every class. Instead points will be awarded based on the overall results from each round. The Championship titles will be awarded to the drivers with the highest points total in each of these divisions:

* Motorbike

* 4wd Car

* 2wd Car n/a (incl Nos)

* 2wd Car Turbo, S/C (incl Nos)

We feel that in real terms these are the groups that matter the most to people on the street and that carry the biggest bragging rights for the one who claims the title. For example; when bragging down the pub, rather than say “I am Class 1 Champion”, it sounds a lot better to say “I have the fastest 4wd car in Ireland”

This is the direction in which we are taking the 2012 Championship. I hope you like where we are headed and come along for the ride. The race is on!

SWRC have made the committed to bring back a low budget circuit racing series. With so much interest from a wide variety of machinery, we will be running 2 Divisions from the very first day, with a points championship being held for the Touring & GT classes.

* Touring Class … Standard cars with very limited Mod’s. 2wd N/A cars only

* GT-Modified … Modified & High Performance cars

(Full regulations are available upon request, or from: http://www.sideways-racing.com/2011-driver-info/)

2012 EVENTS

Sun 4th March ___ Bishops Court: UDC (R1) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sun 8th April ____ Bishops Court: UDC (R2) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sun 6th May _____ Bishops Court: UDC (R3) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sat-Sun 10th June _________ Newtownards: Ards Festival of Speed (Various Activities)

Sun 8th July _____ Bishops Court: UDC (R4) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sat 30th June ___________ Kells Co Meath: Nitro Festival – Live @ Kells Road Races

Fri-Sun 29th July _________ Details TBA: UDC (R5) Details To Be Announced

Sun 5th Aug _____ Bishops Court: Drift Track Day (To Be Confirmed)

Sat 18th Aug ____________ Enniskillen: Drag Sprints & Various Activities

Sat 15th Sep ____________ (To Be Confirmed) Drag Sprints & Various Activities

Sun 14th Oct ____ Bishops Court: UDC (R6 – King of the Court) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

POSSIBLE ADDITIONS

*** The OPEN Class is as the name suggests, a class open to all manner of competition cars including open wheeled, purpose built racing cars.  With this we can facilitate almost any manner of vehicle. In time this could grow into a very interesting class with some very lairy machines. For now, cars in this class will be racing purely for the fun of it and to entertain the masses. As soon as the demand is there, this class will join the others with full championship status.

* The T-16 Class is for cars up to 1600cc NA and based on the Touring Class Reg’s. This class will come to life as soon as there are sufficient entries to justify a new division. Until then we would encourage drivers with cars eligible for this class to come along and race with the bigger cars. This is the only way we can be sure that the demand is there. You might even surprise yourself with how competitive you can be!

* GT16
 2wd cars <1600cc NA, modified beyond the restrictions for the 1600 Touring Car class (T-16)

To start with we will be running the Championship Series alongside the Drifting at Bishops Court. Annually we expect to run 8 – 10 race events, over Summer & Winter, extending to other venues as the Series becomes established in its own right. On at least 2 occasions throughout the season, our Racing cars will be eligible to contest timed Sprints (not to be confused with Drag Sprints, which are also accessible) at some of our biggest events on the calendar. One such event is the Ards Festival of Speed, where all manner of vehicles will vie for the title of overall fastest around the 1 Mile Sprint course. At this event drivers will be racing in front of a crowd of approx 10,000 strong, not to mention the much wider audience viewing from home, watching the coverage by RPM on Utv, Setanta and Motors Tv.

The Reg’s outlined below are for the TOURING Class. The safety  requirements listed extend to all other divisions. Any typical GTi would be  ideal for this class. Already drivers have begun obtaining an interesting variety of machinery that will lead to some very close racing.

With cars such as the BMW E36 325i now obtainable for as little as £500, the potential for this budget class seems boundless. Coupled with the extremely
low running costs (EG: tyres last for months rather than minutes!) we believe that a revival of low budget circuit racing is very timely.

We invite enquiries on any aspect of this new racing series. Your calls, emails or texts are very welcome!”

If any questions arise in relation to this subject, please feel free to ask.

I can be reached directly on wayne@sideways-racing.com or on 07791 976672

SWRC – Circuit Racing Regulations

In addition to the racing classes defined in these regulations, it remains our goal to add more classes as soon as entry numbers  permit. If you find that your car falls outside of these regulations, please contact SWRC to discuss how we might best accommodate you. Our desire is to include you, not exclude you. We will endeavour to make low cost motor racing to enthusiasts from a variety of
motor sport backgrounds.

TOURING Class - Circuit Racing Reg’s 2011/2012

Eligible cars are only those models manufactured from 1991 – 2001

Cars older than 1991 are eligible as long as that engine, gearbox and chassis combination are still in production between ’91 – ‘01. Cars younger than 2001
are also made eligible by applying similar guidelines.

ENGINE

• NA engines only, up to 3500cc. Motorbike / bike derived engines excluded.
• No engine transplants / conversions
• Car must retain original Engine & Gearbox layout and configuration

These Reg’s are intended to define ONE racing class, with no separate divisions. The following figures are based upon manufacturers’ figures and do
not include any gains from permitted modifications. These restrictions will help to ensure that a variety of cars can be competitive, rather than having one car dominant over all others:

(MANUFACTURERS FIGURES) 

• Engines up to 1800cc limited to 110 Bhp / Litre
• 1801cc to 2200cc limited to 100 Bhp / Litre
• 2201cc to 2500cc limited to 80 Bhp / Litre
• 2501cc to 3500cc limited to 72 Bhp / Litre

• Cylinder Head ports may be ‘Gas Flowed’ or ‘Ported’. Standard OE valves and cams
• No other Internal modifications
• External modifications limited to – Full exhaust system (min 1 silencer) & aftermarket ECU
• Standard sized OE throttle body. May not be oversized.

TRANSMISSION

• 2wd Cars only
• Gearbox & Internals must be standard production items as supplied by the vehicle manufacturer
• It is permitted to fit a Non-Standard / After-Market Differential

SUSPENSION

• Aftermarket shock absorbers and springs may be fitted
• Adjustable top mounts also permitted

BRAKES

• Friction material and discs may be upgraded
• Standard OE callipers must be retained
• Adjustable bias valves may be fitted

WHEELS & TYRES

• All tyres must be intended for road driving, up to and including ‘R’ rated tyres
• Recommended tyres are Toyo Proxes R888, Yokohama A048R
• Competition / Rally / Racing slicks, cut slicks are NOT permitted
• For clarification on the eligibility on any particular tyre, please contact SWRC
• Wheels & tyres must not extend beyond the body line of the car

CHASSIS & BODY

• Composite body excluded. Space frame chassis excluded
• All body panels must be original gauge material
• Wheel arch extensions are not permitted
• Wheels & tyres must not extend beyond the body line of the car
• Body kits and aerodynamic aids are permitted, provided the rules above are adhered to

SAFETY – Minimum Requirements (CAR)

• 4 point racing harness seatbelts (Non inertia reel type)
• Racing seat of Fixed back design
• A fire extinguisher (at least 1Kg) should be installed in an unlocked portion of the cabin, secured in an approved manner and be in full working order.
• Full 6-point roll cage, including diagonal brace and a single door bar on each side
• ‘Dash Dodger’ or ‘Road Cages’ are not permitted
• Roll Cages should be constructed from:

CDS Tubing – Min: 38mm OD x 3mm _____ Mild Steel Pipe – Min: 42mm OD x 3mm

• It is recommended to replace side and rear windows with lexan polycarbonate
• Lexan must be clear (not tinted) and of minimum 3mm thickness

SAFETY – Minimum Requirements (DRIVER)

• A Race Suit made of fire retardant material. Minimum single layer
• Fire resistant gloves and shoes are recommended
• Crash helmet (British Standard – BS6658:1985, Type A)

GT-MODIFIED Class - Circuit Racing Reg’s 2011/2012

Cars eligible for this class are those that fall outside of the Touring Car class. This is a class for High Performance vehicles. The only restrictions are listed below:

WHEELS & TYRES

• Wheels & tyres must not extend beyond the body line of the car

CHASSIS & BODY

• Body kits and aerodynamic aids are permitted, provided the rules above are adhered to

SAFETY – Minimum Requirements (CAR) – As Touring Car Class

SAFETY – Minimum Requirements (DRIVER) – As Touring Car Class.

The Ulster Drift Championship is no longer.

All hail the ULTIMATE DRIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP!

Northern Ireland’s premiere Drift League, the UDC has in recent seasons begun to travel beyond its humble origins and 2012 is about to see us back on our merry travels again, this time with a bigger and bolder production. In doing so the provincial name tag has had to be laid to rest.

The ULTIMATE Drifting Championship moniker also reflects the revised format of our Drifting competition. Certain parts of Drifting as you know it will remain as required elements, but we will be introducing a new level of ‘Ultimate Drifting’ to enhance the entertainment side of things, as well as encouraging drivers to really push their limits.

Previous UDC Qualifying sessions have been decided by the best single lap of 3 qualifying laps.
Our new Qualifying format will again see drivers given 3 scoring laps (no change there).
However, instead of the best single lap, 2 of the 3 laps will now be added together:

Best one out of Lap 1  & Lap 2 (80%) __ Lap 3 (20%)

Lap 1 & 2 will consist of all the usual required
elements (clipping points, speed, angle, etc..)

Lap 3 is where the
‘Ultimate Drifting’ kicks in. This is the BANZAI LAP!

Here we are encouraging drivers to attempt the impossible… Backwards entries, ludicrous speed and ridiculous smoke. Unlike your typical coring method, on this lap a spin does not result in a zero score. In fact we would even encourage drivers to attempt a high speed 360 spin. This lap is scored on the difficulty of the manoeuvre (completed or even attempted), and on entertainment value (even burnouts can score a few points). Add to that some shock and awe, combined with the precision driving of the earlier laps and we have the recipe for ‘ULTIMATE DRIFTING’

Each of our championship rounds remains open to all-comers at any stage throughout the season, up to and including the final round on Sun 14th October. On this day the Polish Drift Champion, Pawel Trela will travel to Bishops Court and attempt to claim yet another crown, in the season finale; the ‘King of the Court’ event.

The 2012 season will see a number of alliances made that will bring Drifters from every province, as well as from further afield, together in a singular event of epic proportion. More details on that in the official release.

SWRC are involved in running other types of events, some of which feature Drag Racing, Aerobatic Displays, Monster Trucks, Freestyle Motocross… the list goes on. We have become widely known for our signature events: the ‘Ards Festival of Speed’ and ‘Nitro Festival’. UDC drivers will feature heavily in each of these events and through our deal with RPM will reach a mass television audience, guaranteed to be broadcast on UTV, Setanta and Motors Tv.

2012 DRIFT EVENTS

Sun 4th March ___ Bishops Court: UDC (R1) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sun 8th April ____ Bishops Court: UDC (R2) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sun 6th May _____ Bishops Court: UDC (R3) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sat-Sun 10th June _________ Newtownards: Ards Festival of Speed (Various Activities)

Sun 8th July _____ Bishops Court: UDC (R4) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing

Sat 30th June ___________ Kells Co Meath: Nitro Festival – Live @ Kells Road Races

Fri-Sun 29th July _________ Punchestown: UDC (R5)

+ DRIFT ALLSTARS & DRIFT FEST!!!

Sun 5th Aug _____ Bishops Court: Drift Track Day (To Be Confirmed)

Sat 18th Aug ____________ Enniskillen: Drag Sprints & Various Activities

Sat 15th Sep ____________ (To Be Confirmed) Drag Sprints & Various Activities

Sun 14th Oct ____ Bishops Court: UDC (R6 – King of the Court) + Drift Practice & Circuit Racing