Correct me if I am wrong -- and BTW I agree with the change, but then I have
a full width high--front-hoop cage so am not affected by the change.
My perhaps faulty memory is that under the old rules the rollbar portion
behind the driver's head could be a round hoop that was little wider than
the driver's helmet, and that the new rule requires that rear hoop, at its
highest measurement, to be at least half the width of the car. Thus, wider
than the previous minimum. IMHO a good thing.
I like my high front hoop for what used to be one reason, later became
three -- drivers in low-front-hoop or rollbar-only cars who went off course,
got launched toward a tree, and caught a thick branch right in the face.
Helmet squished between branch and rollbar. One was a race at Ponca City,
Okla. in the '70s. The other was TWO people in a Prepared or Modified class
autocross car at Irvine, Calif., in the early '90s. Both open roadsters. All
three fatal. High front hoop would have saved all three. Works in other
situations when something -- another car? -- is trying to invade your space
(the 2" rule only saves you from roadrash when inverted).
--Rocky Entriken
----- Original Message -----
From: "greg" <gtlund@cyberspeedway.net>
To: "FOT LIST" <fot@Autox.Team.Net>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 9:59 PM
Subject: SCCA cages
> I just got through reading the fast track section on Production Car
> cages. This change was made to put the cage rules in the same section of
> the GCR as the rest of the classes. The rules were listed in the PCS
> section. All the other cage rules were listed in the GCR.
> The design of the cage has not changed except that you are permitted
> removable bracing now. You are still permitted low front hoops. The main
> hoop has to be full width only to the top of the passenger door, then it
> can angle up to 50% width. The helmet has to be under a line drawn from
> the main hoop to the front hoop. The helmet has to be 2" under a level
> line from the top of the main hoop. This has been the recommended design
> now for 10 years. If one of these cages is built right they look much
> like a roll bar with two forward braces.
> These new low front hoop cages look better than the old 70's cages
> poking up in the air. If you are tall you just have to fold yourself up
> a little like a formula car driver to get a low cage. Steve Sargis is
> tall and he barely peeks over the dash in the Spitfire. Joe Huffaker is
> another tall guy in a short little British roadster that sits low in the
> car.
> Also, when I looked at an SCCA vintage GCR last year they were only
> requiring roll bars built to the roll bar specs of the car's period.
> Cages were not required.
> We are doing this for fun and nobody should be injured pursuing
> their hobby. We are smarter about safety than we were 40 years ago and
> the Vintage cars are all going faster than they were 40 years ago. I was
> at the Brian Redman event at Elkhart Lake crewing for a friend of mine
> standing out at the pit wall when a McClaren-Elva went past at what had
> to be 50 mph more than what it did in 1966.(I think they had maybe 450hp
> in '66- now they can have a Nascar small block making 800hp) Let's build
> and maintain safe cars. When that 3000 lb Camaro is bearing down on you
> you want a good cage or roll bar. We are not racing for a big purse.
> If you have any questions on cages or roll bars I will be glad to
> assist. I keep current on the GCR and PCS.
>
> Greg Lund
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