Greetings;
It great to see new interest in our track program and lots of discussion
on car prep. I wrote the Tech Guide couple of years ago in an attempt
to meet the needs of both new commers as well as those performing our
annual tech inspections and address these issues:
1) multiple sources of info: GCR, National Solo Rules, SFI, etc.
2) Mis-information and specuation from not only various forums, but from some of people who sell or make roll bars.
3) Lack of install instructions when you purchase harnesses.
4) Define the SCCA SOLO1 spec roll bar described in Appendix J.
Unfortunaly SCCA would not give us permission to reprint
Appendix J. I sometings wounder if half the people making safety
equipment have ever read the G.D. thing.
4) Answer questions that I come up in repeated email's and phone calls.
5) Document a base line safety program for our Clubs Track Program
6) instruction guide for the Track Events team or others performing
an annual tech inspection.
There are always going to be car specific stuff can cannot be
addressed in a general guide and some baseline of motorsports
knowledge assumed. If you need help clearifying or understanding
a requirement by all means please contact a member of the track
team. It's our job in the club to help you. THis is what we do.
We have a Tech Director: Chris Schemmel and lots of experts to
consult. The Forum is great for getting ideas and solutions from
other people so you don't have to re-invent the wheel, but when
it degrades into speculation, opinion, or does not answer your
questions, it defeats the purpose and adds fustration rather than
help. If you don't ask us and resort to mob rule, we can't help you.
I can see it's probably ready for an update but we do
fail less vehicles each year. It is clear the level of
car prep in the club is better now then it was before and continues
to improve. It has to be providing some good for some people. However, it will never be the end all, be all, refrence for all. At some point you need
to pickup the phone and talk to somebody or email with JPG's
1) We have never failed a car that did not later show up
for an event usually the event intended. You are there when
we check the car and see for yourself what warn out stuff needs
to be replaced. Everyone has been really great about this and seems
to actually appricate the chance to get their car on a lift for a look over
and/or learn how to check ball joints and steering components etc.
2) Having said that, when we fail a vehicle, in most cases
we have the documention on hand, we all get together have a look,
and make recomendations how to fix it, or get an expert involved like Dave Blum, Peter Krause, Chris Schemmel, or who ever is needed.
I just spend about 5 hours total time this weekend getting a Viper
roll bar to pass inspection. (You think Miata 'a are a nightmare).
We got an aftermarket bar for a Corvette re-designed and approved
by the SCCA National Solo Board in time for Feb. Our job is to
help you get on track not keep you off but at the same time
make the transistion from a casual attitude about
safety issue to a serious attitude and do a lot of educating.
This does not mean we comprimize when someting questionable
come up but that we provide recomendations for solutions when
that happens.
3) HardDog's competiton roll bar does meet SCCA spec. It is
make of 1.75 diam tubing with .120 wall thickness , is a 4pt
design with at least a single, some designs double, diagnal.
However, HardDog, just alike Autopower, makes roll bars to
fit a Miata's not necessarly Paul Tillery (or the over 6ft person
of your chocie) If your are tall and don't fit under the roll bar and
have to lower the seat that is not their falut. The only issue
I have ever had with Bathenia Garage, whom I have the
highest respect for and who's workmanship is execllent, is
their sholder harness installation. I have discussed this with
the owner at length, sent faxes of the GCR, but if he continues to
insist on mounting sholdernesses on a single tab,
effectvely making a "Y" Harness we are going to fail them.
The roll bar may be claimed to meet SCCA SOLO1 spec but
the harness install does not make the same claim. Best to get
the wrap around harness bar and be done with it or insist
on seperate mounts for each point of the harness (5 , 6,
or even 7). If you read the Tech Guide you would at least
know what to ask for.
4) As if the subject of roll bars was not complicated enough
SCCA did a SEPERATE spec for SOLO2 roll bars.
They use smaller tubing than SOLO1 spec bars. Why two
seperate specs? So now even if a vendor states SCCA
"competiton legal", you have to ask SOLO1 or SOLO2?
5) Refrences in the Tech Guide that "add on harnesses bars/guide"
should not be used to mount the sholder harnesses. It
should be mounted to a structural member or bulk head.
When a 1.75 by .120 DOM Steel SOLO1 spec roll bar is welded or
bolted to the frame or tub it becomes, and can be consiered,
a structural part of the car. The said horizontal 1.75 by .120
steel harness bar is designed to mount a sholder harness.
We are refering to "track/guide bars" that bolt to
the b piller behind the seat . For the most part they
are undersized, untested, unproven, and un-approved.
I have seen a Grnatellli unit for a Corvette that is massive
enought to become a cross member and would be approved,
but most of the devices sold for autocross cars would
not be approved for track use. There is a statistic on
Scroths web site on the force in lbs on the sholder harness
in a 30mph front impact of a 150lb subject. Look it up and
note we go faster than 30mph and unforutnatly many of
us weight substnatnially more than 150lbs.
6) Equal Protection Clause is to prevent you from getting into the
embarrasing situation where an instructor would refuse to ride
in your car or that an instructor demands you can't use your
5pt harness and must use the stock 3 pt.. All instructors reserve
the right to refuse to ride in a car they can't fit in properly
or they deem unsafe.
That means if you have a GCR Complant 5 pt harness
sytem they get one too, but they don't have to have a $1000
Sparco seat so long as their seat offers the same level of
protection as yours. Added lateral support is NOT a safety
requirement. That means when your harness reaches
5 years old you don't put it on the passenger side and
put the new one on your side. Don't laugh, people
have actuall done this.
The convience of cam locks for the passanger
is not a safety requrment as long as the harness is SFI or FIA
rated and less then 5 years old. The comfort and convience
of your passanger should be your concern but we can
be reasonable. Thus far, with the exception of hight
issues (I keep a list of "height chalanged instructors" who
are "Miata" certified)., this has never been an issue. Futher
more, some people who would not ride in a convertibable in
other clubs are confortable to so with THSCC/TZC becuase they know
we have and are dilligent in inforcing roll bar standards.
Tthey trust us and feel safe. We seem to be doing good job here
because people tell us so.
7) Effective Jan1, 2006 we are going to a SNELL SA2000 Minimum
helmet spec for the entire Track Program. Most other clubs are
doing the same or are already at SA Spec. Get over if it.
The $200 helmet you bought to autocoss with 5+ years ago
wont cut it anymore.
Aftermarket 3 and 4 pt harnesses: Don't confuse TIme Trial
Requirements for entering the HPDE. All that is requred for an
HPDE is stock car with the required DOT equipment. An
aftermarket 3 or 4pt belt that has the DOT FMVSS label on it
is acceptable. In most cases they mount to the stock attachment
points and contain the sensors required to work as OEM indent.
However, if they don't mount at stock locations it is UP TO YOU
to provide the documentation they were installed as TESTED
to meet the FMVSS standard.
9) Since I wrote the Tech Guide, and after Dan Ernhart's untimely
death, every belt manufactor web site I have visited now contains
guides for installing their harnesses. Most are amost ver batem
of what is on the SFI web site.Simpon's is re-printed in the
Tech Guide. If you follow their recomendations you will be
GCR sec 17 compliant and have proof you meet the MFG's
recomendations as well.
However, we do check for old,
and warn out looking seat belts. If you car is over 10 years
old and you want to start doing HPDE's there is a good chance
the drivers seat belt is either showing signs of wear or is
worn out. 100K+ miles of use will do that. It's been caught
in door jams dozens of times and has marks on it or is
obvously faded you need to replace it. If you have been
in a hard front end impact the belts streatch indicators may
be showing, that means it time to replace the belts
(insurance company claims adjusters sometimes miss that
but it part of accident damage. Same thing for competition harness.
They are only designed to be "used" ONCE.
We have concluded the first round of Tech Days. and will
schedule at least one, possibly two before the April VIR-South
Course event. I really like to thank everyone for their
interest and dillagence in car prep. These events in themseoves
have amost become social events for the good spirit and
sportsmanship displayed by the club.
Se Ya On Track!
Mark V
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