Rollbar Specification Change for Wakefield and Nationals

[400TT]

Originally Posted by Aussie Mike

I don't think this is much of an excuse. If these guys are racing all the time wouldn't you think they should be on top of their safety gear setup already?
Cheers

I'm guessing that they already consider their cars safe enough already, I know most have spent considerable time & money making safety changes. And to be honest I'm not going to judge their opinion or priorities on safety. They are certainly compliant for all the racing they do up here. It's just that 50mm rule that seems to be the killer. That's a big ask in a Cobra, considering most want to keep them looking the part. Remember these are street driven cars, quite a few are strong show cars as well. Also don't forget about soft-top/hard top clearance as well, most would have problems there if the roll bar is changed. It wasn't long ago that structural roll bars were virtually non-existent, that's why most kits don't have factory roll bar supports.

Plus applying different rules on a time basis has some serious issues in my opinion.

Up here we have seen plenty of Cobras have serious off-road excursions into barriers etc. We have not had any incidents that would have benefited from a Cobra style roll bar no matter what height or mounting. Seat belts, seat construction, head support(head rests), side protection seem to be more important issues and factors in these type of incidents.

To be honest we have been struggling to get interest in the Nationals as we have plenty of race, show & social events up here to keep everyone happy. It's a long and expensive trip to the Nationals from QLD. We only gathered enough momentum so far to support Shelby Fest for one year(2006). I doubt we would be able to do it again unfortunately, took too much out of everyone. It wasn't long ago(a few years), we struggled to get much interest at all in the Nationals and I don't want to go back to those days. And it's not just us, this will affect all interstate competitors.

These rule changes don't affect me at the moment, so I don't have any personal involvement in them.

[Bryan Wilson]

Follow this link to a post I made on a similar subject.

[spookypt]

I just had a good look at the Nats photos from last year and all I can say is good luck finding a car with 50mm clearance between helmet and roll bar top. I sit very low in my car based on a Cobra Race Seat and NO runners and I doubt I would be compliant. Maybe, but even so then my car in rego'd form would be classed as "unroadworthy" as my seat no longer has runners which is an ADR requirement.

The deeper we dig the uglier it gets....

Wazza, the thought of you in a nappy and race suit with bare feet does not paint a pretty picture....

Funny you mentioned my beautiful GF as she did say to me once for a man with such a large personality you seem to present quite unimpressively in the sugar daddy department! It must have been a VERY COLD morning!

She is considering the idea of joining us all.... Beats cuddling up to Scotty!
And perhaps the noises coming from my room will be far more pleasant than thso ereverburating like last year! Yeee HAaaaaa

Wazza, on a serious not perhaps we best get this sorted so we all know the real extent of the issue?

SpookyP tttt

[Rebel1]

Originally Posted by 400TT

It wasn't long ago that structural roll bars were virtually non-existent, that's why most kits don't have factory roll bar supports.

Actually Craig, In the early 1990's when the RMC was the favored kit in Queensland, you could not register without a roll bar. It was strongly enforced by the Dept of Transport. They required at least 40mm thick wall chrome moly, across behind the passenger and it had to be padded with a 25mm padding. Everyone used that black foam tube used for pipe insulation. It made the bar 4" in diameter with the foam tube fitted. That was why, in those days, no-one ran the single hoops behind the driver.

Rick Perceval (sp) and Connor Craig, then agents for the RMC, argued for months with the Department for an exemption from the roll bar rule. It took the release of cars such as the MX5 etc., before the department removed the requirement.

Gawddd, now I'm really showing my age.