I have the same problem for the same reason. My solution was to use thick/strong zip ties to move the hose forward and away from the air box. Then I cut a piece of AL from a soda can and taped it to the hose to protect it from the air box abrading it. The air box does push on the hose, but they seem willing to coexist.
Grinding off an external rib from the airbox should be no big deal. I’ll have to check mine to see if I did that. If I didn’t, I might, because it sounds like a good idea. I just don’t remember precisely where, on the airbox, the contact is occuring.
Moving the air box might create some concerns tho
In regional races, no one’s going to care about any of that, as long as the movement of the airbox is really minor, your competitors are aware, and you’ve encouraged them to take a look. That’s just cultural stuff. Everyone’s there to have a good time with their buddies, and folks don’t get worked up over little stuff. Talk to your regional director and that’s what he’ll probably say.
National champs events can be different tho. There might be a competitor that prowls around cars and looks for things to complain about. There might be an Impound official with funny ideas re. what is reasonable and what’s not. So national events need to be approached carefully.
I can certainly commit that at, a Nationals event, that I’d stand by your side and help defend the mod. But my actual authority ranges from zero to not much. My success rate with talking the other person to exhaustion can work pretty well. The best solution tho, if you’re going to Nats, is to take some pics and send them to Shawn for an official ruling.
It used to be that we could have trouble at nationals events because the NASA guy running Impound might not see an issue like we would see an issue. But now that Shawn is wearing the additional hat of NASA Tech Director, that can’t happen to us anymore.
If you’re going to COTA for Nats, I’ll be there at Impound and Shawn will be looking over my shoulder. So nothing crazy will happen. Just don’t let there be any surprises found. Anything that might be iffy, get it discussed prior. Heck, we could stand up in front of a driver’s meeting at COTA and say, with a big stupid grin, “Weaver here is pulling some cheat again. He’s moved his airbox 2mm rearward. Go look at that wreck he calls a race car. Does anyone want to spend $100 to protest Dan’s car? By the way, Dan’s buying us all beer tonight”. And that shit would get fixed right up.
In SpecE30, you are surrounded by your friends.
