29 November 2024

Dear Members & Promoters

THREE QUARTER MIDGET ECU’S

The Board would like to thank stakeholders in the TQ grade for engaging in the recent discussions regarding altering ECUs. To recap:

• At the end of last season, Speedway New Zealand conducted testing of ECUs currently in use by competitors in the grade. Testing was carried out by officials at Meeanee Speedway on 29^th March 2024 and at Ruapuna Speedway on 6^th April 2024. A random selection of vehicles competing at both of these events were tested, using the Woolich Racing Systems software, purchased by SNZ in 2023 to allow for the testing of Suzuki ECUs.
• Through this testing, it was found that the majority of ECUs being used in competition were neither locked nor compliant with rule T10-2-4 (k) vii. Non-compliance was mainly centred around the modification of fuel maps. Some had modified ignition maps. All competitors that were checked had the standard RPM limit.
• Speedway New Zealand made the Woolich Racing Systems software available at tracks around the country so, on an amnesty-type basis, competitors could check the status of their ECUs.

To ensure the Board understood the entirety of the situation across the country, the Board:

• Wrote to competitors in the class to survey the types of modifications being made to ECUs and the reasons for that,
• Consulted the Open Wheel Technical Committee and the Technical Advisory Panel,
• Conducted a survey to gather information from technical experts,

The results of our investigations concluded that:

• There are modifications being made to ECUs that are being used by competitors,
• These modifications are being made to ensure reliability of engines once they are moved from being used in road-going motorcycles into a racing setting,
• Modifications are also being made to standardise ECUs because there is no consistency in maps from OEM

Therefore, following this thorough investigation and engagement with the grade, the Board has decided to allow the status quo: which is the re-mapping of fuel maps only, to ensure that TQ competitors are able to build in reliability of engines.

Speedway New Zealand would like to remind competitors of the Technical Rule Change process that opens in February. See more information here.

We thank everyone who engaged in this process.

Good luck to all competitors.

Board of Directors

SPEEDWAY NEW ZEALAND INC

Article added: Friday 29 November 2024