From: http://www.nhra.com/2003/news/october/102302.html

Other rules changes by category:

E.T. brackets
In Super Pro, Pro, and Sportsman, T-top design vehicles will be required to have a roll bar if the car runs between 11.00 and 11.99; and a roll cage if the vehicle runs 10.99 or quicker.

How does this apply to us normal Joe drag racers? My car is a t-top car and has an a unmodified chassis, floor pan, and firewall best 1/4 et of 11.076. I'm not sure which if any of the above three listed categories apply?

Will we need to have a 6pt cage to now legally run 10.99 or quicker with any t-top car?

Thanks

 

i thought NHRA rules stated that ALL 11.99 and quicker cars needed a rollbar/cage?

 

That's correct. The guy's running 11's around here, regardless of coupe or ttops get kicked off the track w/o a 6 point.

 

There's a difference in a 6pt roll bar and 6pt roll cage. The roll cage includes a halo bar and two extra vertical bars that run down the A pillar to the front two chassis points.

Again what appears above is that if you have t-tops and run 10.99 or quicker you must have a cage. This implies to me that if you have a hard top car and run 10.99 or quicker a 6pt roll bar is sufficient.

 

The old rule was that all cars required a minimum of a 5 point roll bar at 11.99 and quicker. Everyone installs a 6 point. Under the old rules, the 6 point bar was good down to 10.0 as long as the floor or firewall were not modified (engine set back etc). If the floor or firewall were altered then a full cage was required to run 10.99 and quicker.

Under the new rules, a T-top car now needs a full cage if running 10.99 and quicker even if the floor or firewall are unaltered.

A roll bar consists of the main hoop, 2 door bars and 2 rear bars. It can become an 8 point roll bar with 2 additional bars running down from the main hoop towards the driveshaft tunnel usually welded to the SFC.

A roll cage includes all of the above plus the halo bar around the front of the roof and 2 A-piller bars. Roll cages are usually 8 or 10 point. With 2 additional bars going forward from the A-piller bars towards the front of the car it becomes a 12 point cage. 12 point cages should also have a dash bar (goes in front of the knees) and a sill bar or X bars in the doors.

I was already in the process of installing a 12 point cage into my car when the new rule was announced. The other option is to cut off the T-top roof and install a hardtop roof from a donor car.

Don't worry about all the SFI specifications stated on the NHRA site. Those are only for the 180+ mph cars. 9-11 second cars only need to have the cage installed as per the rulebook specs. I have to wait for the new rulebook to see what they may have changed reguarding cage installations.

 

The thing is, a cage and street use are incompatible, IMHO. It's too bad, as I doubt that it's really based on any kind of objective data regarding safety.

Rich Krause

 

I guess the handfull of 10 second "street" cars with T-tops will just have to install a cage.

Having a full cage with a swingout door bar still makes it easy to get in and out of.

 

ahhh, i got ya now. thanx for the info.

 

Stephen hit that one on the head.... swingouts rule!!! my cage will be a 12 point soon, and legal for many more mid 9 second passes come spring time!

 

Yes, but a cage is potentially dangerous unless you are fully restrained and wearing a helmet. I went through this last year. I had my whole interior out and the car was ready to go to the chassis shop when I backed out. Unless you have had a "street" car with a cage, maybe you don't know what I mean. It's got nothing to do with swingouts. It's hitting your head on the side bar of the "halo" just going over bumps and the potential for a major head bonk if your head the bar the runs along the windshield header.

One reason I am getting a real race car to avoid compromising the Camaro for the street.

Rich Krause

 

i was under the impression that all T top cars were going to be treated as open bodied cars (i.e. convertibles) as in 13.99 and faster required a 6 pt bar. Now im REALLY confused. Need to figure this out so i know weather im going to switch to t tops this winter or not. Prorac1

 

Rich,

i see your point, even with padding around the bars, it is important to buckle up! and not just loosely.

i will remember that when i am cruising around next year thanks! normally i don't tighten it up too much, but i will next year.

 

Prorac1: That proposal was shot down. The only new rule is that the T-top cars will need a full cage at 10.99 and quicker. All cars will still need a roll bar at 11.99 and convertibles need one at 13.99. Now that's just an NHRA rule. So far IHRA has not changed their rules and a roll bar isn't required until 11.49 and is good until 10.00

My roll bar doesn't have a swing out bar but I do have a removable steering wheel which really helps getting in and out of the car. If I have to do any work on it and I'm constantly getting in and out, taking out the T-tops makes it real easy.

The 12 point cage I'm installing will have X door bars so a swing out bar isn't possible.

By the rules, you are suppose to have padding on all the bars that your head might hit. If you want to drive on the street without the padding and without having your seat belt done up then you deserve to hit your head. You don't need to use the full 5 point harness on the street. Just the lap belt will do.

I agree the halo bar will be a problem but then like I said, there's only a handfull of "street" 10 second T-top cars. I can't see many of them being daily drivers.

 

I think that's the smartest thing I've heard on the subject yet!

 

Good news!

NHRA has dropped the new rule change for T-top cars. The rules are back to the original ones.

All cars need a roll bar at 11.99. A roll bar is good to 10.0 as long as the floor or firewall are unmodified. A roll cage is required at 10.99 if the floor or firewall have been modified. All cars need a full cage at 9.99 or 135 mph.

There must have been a lot of complaints from T-top owners not just F-bodies about the roll cage rule in the 10 second range who still had original floors and firewalls.