This is a Peugeot 306 Maxi, a bonkers F2 class rally car powered by a naturally aspirated 2L 4 cylinder that gloriously screams to 11k rpm to make 300hp. Pictured is Francois Delecour driving one to 2nd place overall in the 1997 Tour de Course, only beat by Colin McRae. It’s awesome but that’s not the game we are going to play.
The game we are going to play is “Guess why you can’t technically enter this in an ARA event”. I say technically because the reason is stupid enough that I’m sure if you actually showed up at an event with one of these they would give it an exemption.
I will state right now it has nothing to do with safety equipment and roll cages. I can’t be bothered to compare the FIA F2 rule book to the ARA rules to figure out what’s different. The 20 year old cage probably needs to be updated anyway so we’re ignoring that. We’re also ignoring the legal shenanigans needed to have one in the US to begin with.
So Oppo, you roll into tech at an ARA event with a 306 Maxi, what’s the tech inspector going to fail you for?
Hint 1: The reason is externally visible and is somewhat unique to the 306 Maxi
Update: WilliamsSW got it, ARA has a rule stating that all aerodynamic devices must be lower than 3 inches above the roof line which the wing on the Maxi clearly does not meet. I would guess that this rule is in place to prevent people from showing up with crazy home built hill climb aero contraptions that would be prone to falling off the car. Given that this car has been winning rallies for the last 23 years (seriously, 306 Maxis won events just last year, 20 years after Peugeot stopped campaigning the 306 Maxi in favor of the new 206 WRC) and is a product of a major factory program I’m sure you could get it through tech without issue. Frankly it would probably be super sketchy to drive without the wing.