darrensls1

I race at New York Internaional Raceway Park which is an IHRA 1/4 mile track. I did some searches and what I read said I would be good to run mid 10's with a 6 point roll bar, 5 point harness, helmet & driveshaft safety loop. I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything so I asked one of the techs there last night. He said I needed a minimum of an 8 point cage! I thought you could get away with a 6 point weld-in roll bar for 10.00-11.49 as long as the chassis wasn't altered.

He also said I needed an electrical cutoff switch since I'll be spraying a 100-150 shot. Can anyone help me out here? If I have to I'll buy a 2006 rulebook and bring it with me to show him he can't fail me for having a 6 point roll bar. Unless he's right and my info is wrong?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

FloydSummerOf68

iTrader: (1)

Sometimes tracks will have their own additional rules that are sometimes even more strict than IHRA rules.

blue01ta

iTrader: (4)

I imagine you already know this but I didn't see it mentioned you will also need at least a fire jacket or full suit. I would also have to think that the track should have a rulebook on site in case such a situation arises.

darrensls1

Actually, I didn't know that about the fire jacket. I'm going to order an IHRA rulebook and bring it with me to the track next time I go.

Is it possible that they might say "Our track rules require a cage even if IHRA doesn't"? I don't want a full cage or to have to get a NHRA license which is why I set my goals for mid 10's.

FloydSummerOf68

iTrader: (1)

"The NHRA set of rules as found in the current rulebook are the master guideline for all rules at Houston Raceway Park. There are some instances where our track rules are actually more restrictive than the NHRA rulebook"

That is from my tracks website.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

The only time you need an elec. cutoff switch is if you have relocated the battery... if you leave the battery under teh hood there's no need for an electrical cutoff as far as I know. Fire jacket is needed for nitrous use period, and a full suit is needed if runnign faster then 9.99 The cage only has to be a 6 pt for any hardtop/t top car running between 11.49 to 10.00, 9.99 requires a 10 pt, along with a whoe slew of other thigns, like water only no actual antfreeze, all kinds of things.

I'd get that rulebook, and don't say poo to the safety people, pissing them off will only give you problems. The only diffenrence between a 6 pt and a 8 pt are the 2 bars that come off the main hoop and attach to the driveshaft tunnel behind the driver and passenger seat, those are easily added in and shouldn't be a big deal even if your track requires an 8 pt, so as long as you are having a 6 pt put in, just have those added in as well.

NRC-Motorsports

actually, what you guys need as a min. is a 5 pt bar,but now what everyone forgets is that there is also a MPH ,clause so the rule book should say 9.99,or 135 mph, so not just the ET is taken into account and if you are within 10% of any number they can ask you to step up to the next safety requirement, and the fact that you are juicing the car anything in the low tens can still exceed the MPH part of the requirement, and with all the nitrious mishaps they want to be able to kill the car.
and last but not least the track has the final say in whatever safety equipment they want on car,they do not have to go by rule book, its there insurance the less problems they have the cheaper the ins. bob

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

Forgot about the 5 pt bar.. most people just do the 6 for the chassis rigidity I think. the mph rule is there, that slipped my mind. I was unaware of the 10% rule... if you're withing 10% they can give you the boot? I already know I'm getting the boot this year for not having the bar in the car first full pass I make I'm 110% sure of that, but now you got me thinking I might want to just skip the 6 pt and go strait for the 10 pt, as I know that a low 10 once the bottle goes in, is praticially a guarintee.

Get a rulebook, that's the safest way.

darrensls1

Based on what I have seen in the drag racing section, my setup should be good for around a 10.5 @ 127. I don't see any way I will even be close to a 9.99 or 135 mph but I should be well into the 10's.

I'm going to call the track today and talk this through with the owner. I'll let you guys know how that one goes.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

What are you going with for a setup? Sounds like somethign very similar to what I'm doing.

darrensls1

Everything in sig +

ETP 215 Heads
New Era custom cam (should be something close to 228/234 114)
LS6 intake
Underdrive Pulley
New bolts, belts, timing chain, rods, lifters, injectors, fuel & oil pump
150 NX wet kit with window switch & bottle heater
MT street radials
Dyno tune that'll keep my stock bottom end from blowing up

I will probably try a built (rock-on or rossler) 4L60E. If that fails me then I'll go straight to a TH400 with T-brake, MVB and a 3800 stall.

If the rearend breaks then I'll switch to a 12 bolt with 3.42's but I'm going to try and run with the stock 10 bolt and 3.23's.

Other then that I only plan on some minimal weight reduction like aftermarket RA hood, lightweight racing seats, lightweight carpet, remove back seat, remove AC, remove front sway bar, remove bumper inserts, ect. I want the car to look normal and be able to drive to and from the track.

The parts are all ordered and only the cam and head gaskets are not in yet. But I still need to get a few bucks put aside for the roll bar and transmission. Probably won't be running the new setup until September or October. But I'm definately hoping to get it all installed and take it to the track before the end of this season. If not then it'll be a LOOOOONNNNGGGG winter

darrensls1

Update:

I just got off the phone with Bob (owner of the track) and I gave him the list of safety equipment that I thought I needed per IHRA rules.

T-tops on and floorboard/firewall intact
6 point roll bar
SN2000 or better helmet
Fire jacket
Fire extinguisher
Driveshaft safety loop (will likely upgrade to slicks)
5 point harness

He said that my list was complete and accurate. So apparently the tech guy (kid really as he was maybe 21) was either ignorant to the current rules or was just trying to talk me into getting more safety stuff to be, well safer I guess.

Thanks guys for the replies. I know now that I can just get the 6 point roll bar and be GTG.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

You should be able to get to mid 10's on that setup.. but if I were you, I'd save the time and $ and go strait to the th400. You won't regret it... if you like ot go to the track alot, then it's a damn worth while change. Not sure how far you're local track is, but with 3.42's you'll be fine getting there, just plan on cruising along at about 60 mph. Look at it like this though, it's a way to avoid getting tickets on the way to the track and back Plus, with your goals, the th400 will probably outlast your whole car LOL.

I'm on a similar path myself as far as goals go adn the weight reduction plan, but I'm leaving the bumper supports in, simply because until teh car's off the street 100%, I can't control what some other driver might do in front of me. But I plan on a cage, lw seats and carpet, a/r, radio, cruise, abs and tcs delete, lw battery and coolant resivoir, rear seat's already out and I'll remove all the sound deadening stuff too, and probably try to mod the heater setup to get some weight off that, the duct's in the dash on my ta/ will all be full of guages, so there's got tot be some duct work that can go away, stuff like that. I also plan to do a k member and a arms too, and eventually LW brakes, aerospace fronts, and probably strange or wilwood rears. I have a th400 with a nitrous converter waiting to go in with the new motor, converter shoudl stall at about 4000 in my car on motor, 4500 on the bottle. t brake and rvmb in the tranny, and I already have a 12 bolt with 4.10's, which will probably get changed to 3.73's and a spool next year when the juice goes on.

I'm hoping to see a 10.90 or better on motor this year, car shoudl weight about 3600 with me in it I figure, next year after the nitrous goes on the car and I get the LW stuff done and on, I'm expecting to be hiting low 10's, and I think that it's gonna be more then achievable... but a 10 second pass will happen this year, that I can guarintee... but only one, as I have no roll bar I'm just hoping to get to the track on a decent day before they all close here in new england thi syear, make a few 1st and 2nd gear pulls and shut it down to get the suspension hooking right, 60 ft times should be able to be in the 1.50 to 1.45 range, once I have the car hooking good enough to do that, I'll make a full pass.... but not until I see somethign under 1.50 on the scoreboard, if I'm getting kicked out, I want it to be after my 10 second pass, not a 11.40 or somethign stupid like that... it will do that leaving off idle and letting off at the 1000 foot mark I'm sure.

Should be 500 to the tires on motor, give or take once it's all done, and no, I'm not really getting into what it is that I'm building LOL.