2007 Rule Book Draft

[chaos4NH]

I apologize for any discomfort caused by the tone of my post. I am merely concerned that a safety item, being snug in your seat for better car control, would not receive a more detailed look. In light of the fact that a roll bar or cage, both of which can help stiffen the chassis, are allowed, I felt that the removal of 6 lbs would be a minor issue.
Could you give me an opinion on acceptablility of moving the seat cushion forward an inch or so to allow acess to the belt mounting points?
I appreciate your consideration.

[HerbD]

I apologize for any discomfort caused by the tone of my post. I am merely concerned that a safety item, being snug in your seat for better car control, would not receive a more detailed look. In light of the fact that a roll bar or cage, both of which can help stiffen the chassis, are allowed, I felt that the removal of 6 lbs would be a minor issue.
Could you give me an opinion on acceptablility of moving the seat cushion forward an inch or so to allow acess to the belt mounting points?
I appreciate your consideration.

Don't get me wrong, I understand your position. It's unfortunate
that Mazda chose to bury the hardpoints so far behind the seat.

There are those who would argue that a 5-point harness without a
rollbar is actually more dangerous in a rollover accident than the
stock 3-point belts, so you won't get as much traction as you think
from the safety angle.

The issue is that the rules need to apply equally to a couple hundred
different cars, and that balancing act means that not everyone will be
happy with every decision that we make. If you've never had the
pleasure of attending a rules meeting, you would find that striking
what we hope is a balance between the classes can result in, shall
we say, "heated" debate.

So, let's say we allow you to remove your 6 pound rear seats in
Showroom Stock. You're in SSA. The E30 M3 is also in SSA. The
E30's rear seats don't weigh 6 pounds. What if they weigh 50 pounds?
Do you want to give your competitors that kind of performance
advantage?

This doesn't even begin to address the spirit of "Showroom Stock"
cars having their interiors removed.

As far as moving the seat forward, this is probably acceptable, as
long as the shifted seat is mounted securely enough that you won't
get thrown out at tech. We'd hate to see that seat get loose in an
accident and whack you in the head.

[Tsurara]

This is starting to sound like the SCCA boards!

I think the moral is that the COM board is trying its best to accommodate all makes and models. If you have a complaint or concern about a particular model, it will do you a lot better to bring it to the board, with as much research as possible rather than whining (just kidding) on the forums

I am sure they will honor all reasonable requests.

[chaos4NH]

OK, see y'all tonight.

[chaos4NH]

First, thank you all for considering my rear seat cushion removal request for SS cars. That is did not pass is fine, I will make whatever adjustments necessary.

However, I noted on the sample 2007 tech sheet that was passed around last night, that there is a requirement for the top of the driver's helmet to be 2" below the top of the roll bar/cage. Perhaps it is an oversight, but this requirement is not included in the general, or specific roll bar rules. There is mention that targa tops must be 2" higher than the top of the helmet, but nothing mentioning height of the roll bar/cage. I only mention this because anyone reading the rules and assuming that theycomply with them, would be failed at tech inspection for failing the 2" rule. I believe the 2" rule should be added to rule book to prevent any "surprises" at tech.

[Stynger]

F. Vehicle Interior

4. Roll bars are required in all Street Prepared and Prepared cars and in all convertible and open cars regardless of class.
Roll bars are permitted and strongly recommended in all classes and may be required in the future. A roll bar is a
steel one- or two-hoop roll-over protection device, solidly mounted to the structure of the car, and provides two
inches of space between the top of the roll bar and the top of the driver’s helmet. Commercially available “harness
barsâ€

[chaos4NH]

OK! Thanks, kinda buried there.

[tju-vette]

There is mention that targa tops must be 2" higher than the top of the helmet

Why are targa tops considered to be different from fixed roof cars? I have a 93 vette and this rule may exclude me from running with COM.

I ran the July NHIS event last year and asked one of the tech inspectors (being new I can't remember who) told me that that rule didn't apply because my roof was in place and no roll bar was present.

Is there any clarification available on this? TIA.

[HerbD]

There is mention that targa tops must be 2" higher than the top of the helmet

Why are targa tops considered to be different from fixed roof cars? I have a 93 vette and this rule may exclude me from running with COM.

I ran the July NHIS event last year and asked one of the tech inspectors (being new I can't remember who) told me that that rule didn't apply because my roof was in place and no roll bar was present.

Is there any clarification available on this? TIA.

Targa roofs are different because in a rollover, the roof panel WILL
shatter or crush inwards. On fixed-roof cars the roof may hold up OK
in a light rollover. So, we want some space up there.

I ran a C4 and C5 with COM, and the trick to getting a little extra
roof clearance is running one of the clear roof panels. You can
pick up as much as an extra inch of headroom, since the clear
panels have no lining.

[tju-vette]

Targa roofs are different because in a rollover, the roof panel WILL shatter or crush inwards. On fixed-roof cars the roof may hold up OK in a light rollover. So, we want some space up there.

Understood, in reading Section VI.F.6 I see the 2" rule. Does this require 2" clearance on the inside from helmet to inside of roof or just 2" from helmet top to highest roof point?

I am currently running the clear roof panel and have also lowered the seat so it mounts directly to the floor. However, @ 6'4" I take up a lot of that extra room.

What would be the best way to make sure that I'm compliant before an event?

Thanks for the feeback.

[HerbD]

Targa roofs are different because in a rollover, the roof panel WILL shatter or crush inwards. On fixed-roof cars the roof may hold up OK in a light rollover. So, we want some space up there.

Understood, in reading Section VI.F.6 I see the 2" rule. Does this require 2" clearance on the inside from helmet to inside of roof or just 2" from helmet top to highest roof point?

I am currently running the clear roof panel and have also lowered the seat so it mounts directly to the floor. However, @ 6'4" I take up a lot of that extra room.

What would be the best way to make sure that I'm compliant before an event?

Thanks for the feeback.

The "broom handle" test is a quick way to see if you're in the
ballpark. Sit in the car fully geared and belted the way you would
be when driving on track. If you can pass a shoulder-width length
of broom handle over your helmet without touching the helmet or
roof (or roll bar, if so equipped), you're probably OK. Any
closer than that, and you run the risk of getting gonged at tech.

[HerbD]

I have uploaded a revised copy of the rule book.

This topic is now locked. Please see the new topic regarding the
rulebook and make your postings there.

Thanks!