BIG CHANGE! SP safety rules now same as SS/ST

[brucesallen]

The Board voted tonight to make the SP safety equipment rules the same as SS and ST. That means that no longer are aftermarket belts, fire suits or roll bars required (roll bars are still required in all classes for convertibles).

This will normalize our sefety equipment rules for all cars except Prepared cars to the safety equipment rules of other High Performance Driver Schools. People that have added many modifications that may still be street legal but classified them as Street Prepared are no longer required to add five point belts or roll bara or purchase and install roll bars even though these additions are highly desireable.

So sign up! You might still be able to get into Watkins Glen if youi email Mark Swinehart, the registrar.

[jrussell]

The Board voted tonight to make the SP safety equipment rules the same as SS and ST. That means that no longer are aftermarket belts, fire suits or roll bars required (roll bars are still required in all classes for convertibles).

That's great news. I know of one person right off the top of my head that can now run with COM, and would be doing so at the away events. The Acura 1.8l in a Honda puts a car into SP from what I can understand from the rules. A Honda del sol can't be fitted with a roll bar without seriously molesting the car.

[cuda6666]

A rule change of this magnitude 5 days before the first event? Although I think it's a good change, if it had been made last November, I wouldn't have had to hack up my Subaru interior to fit a roll bar.

[TroyV]

This isn't an April fools joke is it?

I knew quite a few people that would be interested in hearing about this change.

[jlwhorf]

WOW what a change! Going from me being ejected from event in 1998 because of having no roll bar and harnesses in ST, to enforcing harness date codes last fall, to this. Not saying it is a bad thing, but wow.

Jonathan

[Grippy]

Those safety items are still strongly recommended, but no longer required. I personally would not want to be in a car without a cage in any class, but that is not for everyone. I started out with my street Miata with bolt in rollbar, then got serious and built my current car with a full cage.

The BOD is serious about safety, but we NEED to get more bodies at the events. We have heard for years that these rules are what keep many people away, we'll see if participation goes up. I hope so.

So tell all your friends who may have been on the fence.

Gordon

[91rs13]

I know of at least 2-3 people from the Albany area who should start attending events now. (small mods put them in SP)

[chaos4NH]

I know of at least 2-3 people from the Albany area who should start attending events now. (small mods put them in SP)

Can they make it to The Glen? We want them!

[91rs13]

I will try Sam.

[Grippy]

Those are exactly the people who benefit from the change and we hope will now come out and play.

They can probably get into the Glen, we could use a few more cars to minimize our losses for this event. Current car count is 75. Who knows, we may never be able to afford to go back to the Glen in the future.

[91rs13]

Those are exactly the people who benefit from the change and we hope will now come out and play.

They can probably get into the Glen, we could use a few more cars to minimize our losses for this event. Current car count is 75. Who knows, we may never be able to afford to go back to the Glen in the future.

I cannot promise it --But I am headed to Pocono Friday with NY BMWCCA and will play it up a little ---although I need to play up Patroon BMW at WGI in June as well.

If COM has some serious issues with numbers @ WGI ( as does Patroon-we do approx 75 as well ) --we might want to talk for next year..........

[Mick]

I have mixed feelings about this.

I know of people who had simple mods like bigger brakes, that got bumped into SP because they couldn't install a roll hoop. With bolt on mods and things like big crazy wings becoming more common I can see how this is would be a well needed change that could boost new member sign up.

On the other hand, I don't think safety equipment being "strongly encouraged" is enough.

The thing that's different about COM is that we're a competitive club with a culture that encourages people to very push hard. Which is great, but also makes it slightly more dangerous than a typical DE.

I know this would complicate the rulebook and tech. But would it make sense to allow a free pass for SP during school/practice, but require the safety equipment to participate in the TT? As to not hurt attendance on at away events we could allow them to run practice on the TT day, just not compete.

My thought is that this would allow new people to participate but would send a stronger message that it's important to outfit their cars with proper safety gear as they get more involved.

[Grippy]

partnering up with other clubs was also brought up at the BOD meeting last night. More discussion to come for sure.

[rajito]

I agree with Mick on this.

Having run COM events and other HPDE events, I have to say that none of the other clubs could quite match the intensity and the search for the perfect lap that COM has. Hell, SCCA black-flagged a bunch of us for going too fast. On a race track. Even me, so you know it wasn't really fast.

If I supercharged my 350Z, which instructor would want to ride in the passenger seat with the OEM belts? On the other hand, is it any safer than the new 500+ hp (?) Z06 with OEM seatbelts?

I'm not sure if applying the safety rules to TT's is going to make it safer, as I don't recall very many incidents happening during TT.

Raj

[Mick]

I'm not sure if applying the safety rules to TT's is going to make it safer, as I don't recall very many incidents happening during TT.

Just to be clear. I'm not saying that the safety equipment is more or less necessary during the TT.

I'm just speculating that people who push hard are doing so because they want to be competitive. This seems like a way to encourage people to invest in safety gear as they get faster and more involved in the club.