Race 1 Details:
Background:
The challenge begins at the turn of the century, with the launch of the world’s first international racing series - modeled off an actual historic event, run by the eccentric James Gordon Bennett Jr. (owner of the New York Herald).
In 1899, Bennett challenged European automobile clubs to compete for a trophy in an annual race, with the rule that each car club’s entry had to be entirely made in the country it represented. The inaugural race took place in 1900, with a grueling 568 kilometer journey from Paris to Lyon, setting the stage for a new era in competitive motorsport.
Course:
Race 1 Rules:
Overall:
• Model, Trim, Engine Family, and Variant year = 1946
◦ REMEMBER, these are racing cars and are supposed to be from 1900. Try to be as period correct as you can. Cars that are far too modern will be penalised / disqualified.
• Tech Pool = -15 for everything
• Quality = -10 for everything as default
• Quality points to ‘spend’ on whatever you wish = 10
• Min weight = 600kg
• Max weight = 1200kg
Chassis:
• Solid Coil & Solid Leaf suspension only
Engine:
• ‘Bonus’ Quality for Bottom End = +15 (to get around some limitations in Automation with large engines this old)
• Max engine part stress = 10%
• Fuel = Leaded Regular 92 RON
• Max power must be below redline
Car:
• Front Brake size = 160mm & Front Force = 50% (Closest we can get to rear brakes only)
• Tyres = Cross Ply
• Tyre Width = 100 max
• Rim Diameter = 20 to 30 inches
• ‘Bonus’ Quality for Wheels & Tyres = +0 (to get around some bugs/issues in Automation with -ve quality and such thin tyres)
• Aero parts banned
• 2 Front Seats minimum (Driver and Mechanic)
• Both open & closed wheel bodies allowed (noting that closed wheeled really just means over-fenders in this era)
Advanced Trim:
• Wheels & Tyres - Banned: wheel diameter, tyre diameter
• All other settings allowed within reason & only to ensure correct aesthetics / make logical sense. I reserve the right to penalise or disqualify an entry for abuse of advanced trim.
Race 1 Performance Guide:
- Cars of this era varied immensely in both design and performance! Go wild! But also remember that this is really really really early days in motorcar development and racing, so the power output is going to be ridiculously low compared to what is now ‘normal’.
- As examples:
- The 1900 Panhard that won ran with a 5.3L four cylinder, producing 24HP.
- Karl Benz’s son, Eugen Benz, almost entered in 1900 with a 2-cylinder 15HP car (potentially didn’t enter because he realised it wasn’t competitive!).
- Alexander Winton, from USA, entered in 1900 with his own car powered by a 3.7L 1-cylinder producing 16HP.
- Power massively increased in later years but I’m looking for lower powered cars to start this challenge with…
- (the 1902 Napier had a 100HP 11.1L four cylinder, and the Mercedes Simplex that won in 1903 had a 90HP 12.7L OHV four cylinder engine).
- REMEMBER: This is a long race, and in these early years, cars were harder to drive and more unreliable, as well as the fact that roads and infrastructure were far more agricultural and less developed. This means that the reliability and drivability stats will be very important if you want a chance at even getting to the end - between 1900 and 1903, only 8 out of 26 cars managed to finish!
Submission Details:
Submission Deadline: Saturday, 8 February 2025 at 00:00:00 UTC Time
Submission Name: EDMR – [year in YYYY format] – [forum username] – [Car name etc]
(Current year = 1900)
Submission Extras: Please also submit -
- A photo of your car entry (Think action shot, promotional material, news article, etc - not an advertisement, as these are racing cars).
- A brief description of both your manufacturer and your car entry, that includes:
*Manufacturer Name:
*Country of Origin:
*Foundation History (how it all started):
*Founder’s Name(s):
*Anything unique or notable about the company:
*Car Name:
*Anything unique or notable about the car:
