anyone know the rules at OSW for convertibles

I'm ready to Christen the Z but dont know what the rules are for convertibles. Im not running a lot of mods but anticipate mid to high 13s. I dont have a helmet or roll cage or anything.

Thanks guys

john- i don't know what OSW will allow you to get away with, but NHRA rules require a roll bar for any vert running 13.99 or quicker.

Do I need a helmet? I can probably get away with it the first time out without a rollbar.

I think, I am not sure that you need a helmet in any convertable, I rember a friend of mine getting bitched at Morosso in a 17 second 91 formula about not having a helmet.

But i do rember talking with a guy a few times that ran a lt1 vert without a helmet but he was pretty much stock and I think in hte 14s.

Does it have to be any special helmet or will an old motorcycle helmet work?

I would think.... if I were you I woudl go to discount auto, and buy some exhaust piping, and paint it black, and set it up so it looks like you have a roll bar :)

Thats funny. If I am going through all that work Im installing a real one I think. I have a buddy with all the equipment to custom make one. I just need the specs.

Some people fail to realize that the saftey requirments are for them and not the track officials. For the racer's protection, and saftey of the other racer's too. I'd hate to make a run through somebody else's brain goo, because they broke thier egg head :dead:
Ray
You need a least a helmet, with T-Tops or a Vert top!

john- you will need a helmet to run 13.99 or faster in any vehicle. technically it has to be a snell 86 or newer, according to the rulebook. after this year it will need to be 87 or newer.

I ran my 94 Z convertible without anything .. just me in the car. :) Best pass was a 14.1 though.

In the SS, I've run a best of 13.5 @ 105 .. and nobody said anything about 'needing' anything. :)

Chris

I know that I am jsut saying what they will do to let him race.

His car is stock I don't think he is ogng to lose it easily in a straight away the thing to wrry about is the guy next to you who drank a case of beer, and been using a blow torch on his nitrous bottle(now I have seen that at OSW)

Originally posted by Chris FL
In the SS, I've run a best of 13.5 @ 105 .. and nobody said anything about 'needing' anything. :)

Chris

that is a great reason to never go to that track.

Just this past Friday night I ran 13's all night in my convertible at OSW. They never said anything about needing roll bars or anything. I just had to keep the top up. :D
My nephew rode with me on my first pass. I was in the slow lanes (3-6). For the rest of the night I ran in the fast lanes (1 & 2). All they made sure of was that I wore a helmet. I don't know if it is snall approved or not. They never checked or even mentioned it for that matter.

BTW - I had a best of 13.5 @ 106. :) I'm pretty happy with that.

Originally posted by 2002Z28SSConv
Just this past Friday night I ran 13's all night in my convertible at OSW. They never said anything about needing roll bars or anything. I just had to keep the top up. :D
My nephew rode with me on my first pass. I was in the slow lanes (3-6). For the rest of the night I ran in the fast lanes (1 & 2). All they made sure of was that I wore a helmet. I don't know if it is snall approved or not. They never checked or even mentioned it for that matter.

BTW - I had a best of 13.5 @ 106. :) I'm pretty happy with that.

I've seen your car before on I4 once (I'm pretty sure yours is the only SOM droptop SS around here). I *LOVE* that color! Very nice ride. :)

My times were on my old motor. I don't think the new one is quite as fast.. :(

Chris

Originally posted by Chris FL
I've seen your car before on I4 once (I'm pretty sure yours is the only SOM droptop SS around here). I *LOVE* that color! Very nice ride. :)

My times were on my old motor. I don't think the new one is quite as fast.. :(

Chris
Thanks.

I've only seen one other Sunset Orange SS Vert ever. And it was a 2001 with a tan top sitting on the used car lot at Bill Heard Chevy. I liked the tan seats but the color of the top just didn't match up right with the orange. I've never seen another with a black top. Although most people never see what color my top is! :D I hate driving with the top up.

You're already on the second motor? What happened?

Originally posted by 2002Z28SSConv
Thanks.

I've only seen one other Sunset Orange SS Vert ever. And it was a 2001 with a tan top sitting on the used car lot at Bill Heard Chevy. I liked the tan seats but the color of the top just didn't match up right with the orange. I've never seen another with a black top. Although most people never see what color my top is! :D I hate driving with the top up.

You're already on the second motor? What happened?

Tan top = blech. I'm not a big fan of the two-tone color scheme that GM decided upon for these cars. If I was, I would've had a NBM SS convertible a while ago. But.. I wanted the black interior, so I waited. I like the triple black. It's more appealing (to me anyway).

I hate driving with the top up as well. After three weeks of being without my car, I put the 500 break-in miles on real fast, and topless. :D (Out to Daytona and back a couple of times, etc).

The first motor was slap-happy. It had bad piston slap, and I finally got my dealership to work with me and replace the motor. The sad part is ... I think this one's going to wind up just as bad, and it's not as fast. I think I'm going to have to run through my motor with a fine tooth comb and make sure all my plug and plug wires are in snug/tight (they already took it back once, it misfired when I got it *groan*). It pulls...just nowhere near as hard as my old one did.

Chris

Originally posted by 2002Z28SSConv
Thanks.


You're already on the second motor? What happened?

what he said. :)

Yeah it is a cool color and car, I have only seen that color once before on a z28 with t-tops.

OSW is starting to enforce the rules a little more. they told me i need a helmet tonight and i didnt do anything different from the last time i ran faster than a 14. so the next 2 runs i had my friend in the car and was on the brakes through the traps.

-Grant

If it were me, I'd make sure I had the top up when you go through tech so that maybe they won't notice. Also, try to get the lady tech... that guy is sometimes a jerk and the lady gets 3 cars teched for every one of his.

-Dave C. '97 Z28

(And it's not because he's doing a better job...he's just plain S...L...O...W....)

so they're inforcing the rules at OSW for safety gear now?

my almost stock z28 runs very low 14's, sometimes very high 13's, will they bitch?