smackkk

I saw this posted on another board. Hope its not true.

http://www.ls1tech.com/threads/showf...1&fpart=1&vc=1

AL SS590 M6

Yeah I just read that. It really blows. It's going to knock all of the daily driver/ take it to the track and play F-bodys right out of the game

Super glad that I bought a hardtop now

Raptor1

Perfect excuse to install a roll bar

Stephen 87 IROC

Don't believe anything that's verbal. Have them show you the rule in the rulebook or any latest revision. There's still no revision to the 2003 rules on the NHRA website about t-top cars.

If the rule is posted on the web site or National Dragster, then it's official.

GREGG 97Z

You know, I always thought my local track (Maple Grove Raceway, big NHRA track) hated late model F-bodies. My car is in near perfect condition and half the times I run there their tech inspectors try their damdest to point out something "wrong" with my car. I've heard several times "You know, your battery is loose" , "I'll let it go this time but next time it won't pass" My battery had like a 1/2" of play in it at the time, plus where in the F is it going to go? there's no room for it to go anywhere even if it was loose? I'm always like, "Oh ok, I'll get right on that when I get home" Of course this is as some rusted out 1963 Ford whatever with 325,000 miles on it rolls right on through.

Plus they act like my helmet is some ancient out of date relic or something.....guy says "how old is this????" like it's not going to pass (me) uhm...a year old. I bought a brand new street motorcycle helmet that had the proper rating, Snell 2000. Their inspectors get on my F-ing nerves, sometimes I wonder why I even go there.

You know what it really is, I think a lot of the old timers can't stand the fact that all these younger guys in late model Fbodies (LS1's especially), some with minimal bolton mod's, can hang with and or are embarrasing some of their old school cars with 20+ years worth of mods and work, not to mention cutting into their track time. This rule would weed out 3/4 of the 4th gens I see when I run, me included of course.

If this t-top rule is for real that's going to be the last straw for me, I'm going to start going to some of the IHRA tracks until I decide I really need a roll bar.

kazman

I can't see the logic. 4th gen's are pretty strong even with the
t-top. Most LS1 and LT1 go faster than 13.99.

Gregg, I don't have tech problems at the Grove. Its a given that they are the toughtest around. When I tech in at other tracks the inspectors see my MG stickers and just sign me in. I guess I'm luckey 'cause I just installed a cage. A postive of having the car down since June.

GREGG 97Z

Kaz, you probably don't get the same hassle since you are a bracket racer trailering your car in and running there all season. I think they give the occasional t&t guy like me a lot more **** for whatever reason. Maybe it's just that they are picky, cause I sure don't get anywhere near the questions at other tracks like Cecil. Hell, at Cecil sometimes I don't even have to pop my hood! Congrats on the new cage btw

ru2slo_99

I am glad the tracks around here are outlaw tracks. They dont care what you run as long as you pay the $15 entrance fee. I have never seen a car get inspected for safety.

That sucks about the t-tops. NHRA needs to be kicked over this rule.

BigRick

The new rule is supposed to be printed in the upcoming National Dragster

GREGG 97Z

Here's some good news on this :

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=633460

Raptor1

Please don't take this as a flame, because it certainly isn't intended as one. But you may think differently about tracks with slack safety rules if the guy running next to you has unsafe tires and one blows out at 100+ mph and he runs into the side of you - possibly killing both of you. I'll stick with the tracks that enforce the rules

GreenbeanZ28

I remember at Atlanta Dragway, they wouldnt let me run a buddy of mines car because the battery hold down was loose. This is the same track that didnt say a word about me goin 11.2 without a cage...... I too like my outlaw tracks.

Stephen 87 IROC

I don't know who decided that the t-top cars needed a roll bar anyway. Anything is stronger than a convertible and the top of a t-top car is stronger because of the extra bracing than a hardtop.

All my hard launches and I still don't have any cracks in the top of my t-top car. I do have SFC and a 6 point bar though because I run deep into the 11's. There are a lot of wrinkles in the floor from when I still used a torque arm suspension and LCA relocation brackets.

NoFear95

Just went to the track Tuesday and I have an TA with T-tops running mid 12's and they didnt say anything about it and the guy was a hard@ss.

red

Come back to reality.

Anyways, the safty rules are there for a reason. That reason is for your safty and for insurance reasons that NHRA has to deal with. I know it is a hassel and a big expense to meet the safty rules of NHRA but it is their rules that have saved the lives of uncountable drivers. Untill you have crashed your ride, or someone you know have crashed their ride, at the track you will have no understanding of what those safty rules mean.