I'm curious if anyone has seen any changes in caging requirements based on time over the years. 25 years ago, my camaro at the time, a 4th gen convertible, would have needed a roll bar if it ran less than 13s. which is a good safety thing. But fast forward and factory cars can break speeds that would require a decent roll cage. So have any rules changed over the years to account for the vast improvements in safety from modern chassis?

This is an old video, but makes complete sense why a 60s/70s and I'd argue 80s car needs all the safety equipment dictated by the rules. But the cars coming off the block in the 2000s like zr1, hellcat etc to name a few are all illegal at stock times.

Just curious thought on Sunday morning.

 

All I know is, the IHRA and NHRA have changed the rules so that '08 and newer cars can run all the way down to 9.00 and 149.99 without the need for a cage, due to improvements in factory safety equipment. Strangely, because of that rule change, if someone has a 6 point cage in their '08 and newer muscle car, they're limited to 10.99. Take the cage out, and they can go 9.00.

 

Old cars are not as safe.

I don't really remember all the past rules for going 7.99 as an example, maybe in the past you could go 7's with a 10 pt but nowadays you need a funny car halo.

 

NHRA if you are 2008 or newer you don't need a roll bar or roll cage if you run 10.0 or slower or 135 mph or less.

If you have a 2014 or newer vehicle, you can run 9.0 and 150 mph with no cage. That was just changed in 2022.

The car must be "OEM"/ "Stock". Doesn't mean it has to be all stock, just must be full body/interior, etc., so you can't pull up in a gutted 2015 Camaro that weighs 2800 pounds and runs 9s at 140 ,mph and run without a cage.

It used to be any faster than 11.50 1/4, /7.35 1/8, and you had to have a roll bar. I raced my 69 Chevelle for about 20 years, and now my dad has a Hellcat that we've raced a bunch the past few years. My Chevelle made 520/540 at the flywheel, and ran 7.60s in the 1/8 at the 5500 DA track I race at. The Hellcat runs 6.80 and has more left in as we get the traction sorted out. I can tell you the Chevelle was a wilder ride for sure. Had to run drag springs in the front so I had like 8+" inches of travel, for weight transfer, and the Hellcat just goes down the track straight as can be.

There is such a huge difference in safety of these cars. It's really amazing.

They keep changing the rules because the camaros, mustangs, hellcats, of the last 8 or 10 years are just so fast, and it's this renaissance in racing and performance that's helped keep these tracks open, and think how many people would never race if they had to have a roll bar because they ran 11.49.

I don't know about the rules for sub 8.50 second cars and if those have changed.

In 1988 my chevelle was a fast street car and it only ran 14.7 in the 1/4 at 5500 DA, with street tires and full exhaust, muncie M20, 3.55s, and a few burnt valves and a worn out motor. But I only lost a few races around town, and that was to well setup track cars, except for a Buick GN that got me cause I smoked the tires on launch.

Times have definitely changed.

 

I like the rules for my 2010 5th gen.

I don't see me ever putting a 25.5 or a funny car halo in my '67 I drove it all over.

 

My local track ( US 131 Dragway ) is IHRA sanctioned, and they've said my '13 Camaro can run down to 9.0 and 149.99 without a roll cage. I guess if NHRA switched the rule to 2014 and newer, I wouldn't have known - I rarely go to the closest NHRA sanctioned track, and I only wish my Camaro was that quick!