Looking forward to this years challenge and wanted to clarify a few rule questions. Specifically, been reading the NHRA rulebook and wanted to see if anyone knows how the following rules will be applied to "open" cars at the challenge.
By open, I mean convertibles, T-tops, cars with no roof, and/or cars with no doors. I've seen many entries that fall into the aforementioned categories over the years, and it looks like a few are coming again this year. We're entering a corvette C4 and the t-top is gone, which according to NHRA means it's a convertible. If I'm reading the NHRA book right, the following rules look like they might apply to us and other challengers:
Q1: If you have no windows, no doors, a convertible, no roof or a T-top and you run less than 12.99 will we need need arm restraints? (we haven't used them in the past and have run under this time)
Q2: If you run faster than a 13.99 on slicks, or 13.0 on DOT tires, you need a driveshaft loop? (again we have gone under this time and have not had a loop)
Q3: If you run under a 13.49 you need a five point harness? Does it need to be SFI certified?
Q4: If you run less than 11.99 you need a NHRA spec roll bar with a drivers side door bar?
Q5: I'm sure a lot of challengers might not know how fast their car is as they might not have run the 1/4 yet. If one does go too fast and breaks one of the aforementioned rules,
does your time get bumped to the rule limit, or is does the run not count and you have to "pedal" the car to a slower time that doesn't break the rule?
School me drag racers.
Thx, Team T-Bone
Not a drag racer, but this is relevant to my interests. I have a couple NHRA rulebooks and no one else has taken this on, so.....
Open top cars:
- Arm restraints required at 11.99 and quicker
- Driveshaft loop required at 13.99 and quicker on slicks, 11.49 and quicker on street tires
- SFI driver restraint required at 13.99 and quicker.
- Roll Bar required at 13.49 and quicker. Roll Cage at 10.99 and quicker.
From the Challenge rules, your safety prep will limit your drag times. Cars that run quicker than their prep will not be given a time for that pass. IOW, pedal the car to the quickest allowable time based on prep.
2000challenge.com/rules specifically addresses number 5.
Yeah, I dont know why the NHRA rules are so hard to track down online (they seem to keep moving? and the general regs are only a section of the main document that has rules for all the classes, etc).
But somewhere there is a quick reference chart, that once you get to know what it is trying to say is pretty useful.
http://sportsman.nhra.com/content/about.asp?articleid=34603&zoneid=101
Basically if there is a Y in the grid item, you need that safety item. If there is a number, you probably don't need it, but you should read that section of the general regs for more details.
There is a weird, non-NHRA, challenge only rule that I think might be new this year, which is that if you have non-DOT tires in an open top car, you MUST have an NHRA rollbar and arm restraints regardless of drag time. You need it even for autox. There has been some discussion of that interpretation but that is how I read it.
Five-point roll bars meeting item 4:10 of the NHRA's general safety regulations and arm restraints are mandatory in all open-top cars running a 13.49 E.T. or faster or running non-DOT tires.
