Spoilers, SCCA legal Options

[Randal]

Down at AAS yesterday.

All the modified cars had huge spoilers. I thought 8" was the limit, but it looked more like a foot.

Got to figure out what is legal and get one of those puppies on 222.

[Borderline]

I think you might be getting carried away with the rear spoiler. The spoiler isn't causing the down force all by itself. What it does is slow the velocity of the air over the rear deck lid. Without the spoiler, the high velocity air over the rear deck causes lift...bad. By placing the spoiler at the rear of the deck, it restricts the air flow and hopefully gives some down force on the deck. At a minimum it should reduce the lift. Making the spoiler a whole lot wider than the horizontal section of the rear deck doesn't seem to make much sense to me. On a 914 there is only a small flat section on either side of the trunk before it curves down the side. I would mount the spoiler to the deck lid and be done with it. The other thing is that Randal has a full roll cage and the 914 targa hoop messing up the air flow over the car. The Sprite has only a a roll bar and driver's head restricting the flow. I don't know which is better: good air flow and a good spoiler or turbulent air flow and a spoiler??????????