OK, I think I see what you mean: you're worried that the alternate light
must be the FIA-rated one. And you're concerned that you can't add-on the FIA light if you're running stock lights.
The basis for the FIA light requirement is fairly straightforward. We used to have verbiage in the regs stating how bright these lights had to be; "the brightness of a 15W bulb" comes to mind. I also seem to recall some time in the past a minimum lumens requirement. Neither of these "standards" were enforceable, because who's to say how bright a 15W bulb is? And/or who has a lumens-meter at the track?
And some formula car drivers were abusing the "standard" and, as we tend to do, the reg was adjusted again and again.
Some time around mid-2022 - by now LED lighting was becoming very available and affordable - we added "
FIA Technical List N 19 rain lights are recommended" (
TECHNICAL LIST NO. 19 - LIST OF LIGHTS FOR RAIN HOMOLOGATED BY THE ASNS AND APPROVED BY THE FIA).
But the abuse - and lack of enforcement - continued.
It was at that point that the SCCA got fed up and said, ok we're done with this argumentatation, we are now requiring FIA Standard 8874-2019, Technical List No. 76 on all Formula and Sports Racers. Done, end of argument, thanks for your input.
But it was during that whole re-write fracas that the confusion for the rest of us occurred.
During all these lighting changes, the regs for the rest of us never changed: we are required to have two rear brake lights and an operational rain light, the latter of which the vast majority of us accepted as simply turning on our stock running lights. As the verbiage became more confusing for F/SR, the requirements for us hadn't changed, though many thought it did - and poor re-writes didn't help there. We are - always have been - required to have two operational brake lights on the backs of our cars, and a rain light. And none of it can strobe.
But why disable the stock taillights and brake lights? I suppose "
All other components of the electrical system are unrestricted" allows it, but why? Given that we were required to have two operational brake lights, and we were required to have rain lights, and we can't remove the stock rear taillight assemblies ("
Taillights must be the stock type and mounted in the stock location"), then since "it's already in there" why feel compelled to disable such a remarkably simple, lightweight, and dependable lighting system? A few wires, some bulbs, and a pressure/position switch. Maybe replace the switch/stalk with a switch on the dash, and maybe the stock pressure/position switch to accomodate alternate pedal clusters. But why disable the rest of the system?
I don't think there was ever any expectation that any reasonable person would feel compelled to do that. GCR 1.2.3
I can understand the confusion that may have come in these years of constant regs adjustments to address rain lights on formula and sports racers. It was a terrible process, and why I recommended this final re-write. But I suggest that a reasonable person would read through the lines this whole time and understood that our regs have really never changed for us.
As for adding-on an FIA rain light...if you really really want that then can't you just pull the bulbs on your stock tail runnning lights and mount the desired non-strobing FIA light on the center of your rear deck...? You'll still need two brake lights, though.
I replaced the stock 1156/1157 bulbs in my cars with LEDs...$50 shipped, done.
GA
