A question about safety rules for bring-your-own-car days at the local raceway
 

When racetrack have days when they are open to the public, do they hold cars to the same rules as during official racing? I'm considering putting a turbo'd engine in my firebird, which could put out 650hp. The car is not a race car, it'll be a street car that may see more than a few road trips so a full roll cage will be a little inconvenient. If I want to bring that kind of power to the track will most raceways require a roll bar or other NHRA safety features?

Typically, if you make a pass that's faster than you are safely equipped, it's "slow it down or go home".

All depends on the track and the event. Houston Raceway used to be real picky if you clicked off faster than a roll bar rule and did not have one. The last few times I have gone there is not even someone in the timing booth giving slips to check. Heck last few you have to download their app to even get your times!

This is true.

This is true, too. But - they still check.

I got in trouble in St Louis (Gateway) this year, even though they have an app for timeslips, after ripping a string of 9.80 passes with no cage. The starting line official is the one that noticed I didn't have the proper personal protection (ie, no gloves, and no neck collar) for 9 second ETs, and notified the race officials.

I was able to get it slowed down to 10 flat and was ok at that point.

K

Sorry but I quit drag racing when you began being disqualified for going too fast and got into Autocrossing instead.

Some I agree with such as scattershields and driveshaft loops. Others I can see (extra equipment above a certain speed).

But losing because you go too fast, give me a break. Even in the last century I could design a computer to go the same speed every time (easier than the controls for "hard ride" in an F-16) but then is not a test of my skill, just the skill of programming..

Frankly I trouble understanding drag racing on TV today - how do people still spin the tires when they talk about setting Traction Control on their laptops ?

"That does not compute".

"Sorry but I quit drag racing when you began being disqualified for going too fast and got into Autocrossing instead."

Getting way off topic here... but how would you propose dragstrips run an event that could draw 100s of participants and not be a yawn fest? Without today's bracket racing, it simply comes down to who spent the most money to go fast. If that fits your fancy, a lot of tracks hold heads-up events with the only rule being big tire or small tire. In addition, "muscle car" races are setup with half second index brackets.

Of course a computer can be programmed to run a constant speed- just look at self driving cars today. But if it were that easy, every drag race would end up in a tie- if the track permitted the use of such computers...

I believe modern type bracket racing saved local drag racing and helped it prosper. It allows a broke 18yr old to go compete against racers with deep pockets and still have a chance to win.



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To the OP, basically yes. If you want to tune your 650 horse car to get the most out of it, you will probably have to make it a race car. If your satisfied to make one pass and get kicked out, then so be it. I laugh every time I see the advertisement for "Texas safe streets night". It will go on to implore you to bring your car to the track instead of running it on the streets, which I agree with that concept for sure. However, it would be more accurate for them to tell people they'll have to spend thousands of dollars, and make their street car LESS safe to drive around on the streets(roll bar to head etc)
Personally I don't wanna cut up my classic for the occasional trip to the track. Also personal opinion it's a sign of the times where we are to be legislated or regulated into submission "for our own good" of course...

The short answer, as has been said, is yes. The check for safety at tracks is constant, (at least @ NED it is) and inline with whatever time your car runs, regardless if its a "street" car or a "race" car

I'm not one for being over regulated, and don't like authority any more than the next guy, but I have to disagree with the statement that roll bar, or any other safety gear makes any person or vehicle LESS safe to drive around on the street. If its all done properly and you know how to operate it (5pt harness for instance) it all works to protect you.

Aside from you crashing yourself, the worse that happens is you make a killer pass and they ask you to get X modification done before you come back. Its not like you go to jail.

They will do an initial tech, but most of the time its pretty lax. Both of the 1/8th mile tracks around here and even the big track at Indy they have never opened my hood. They just ask me if I have my battery in the stock location and if I have a safety loop. Then they ask to see my helmet.

That said I drive my car in. Indy gets more in depth with cars that trailer in and look like they reel of 150mph ETs.

I would also say you probably arent going to be as fast as you think you are. Getting the power is only the first step. Your initial passes likely wont yield the ET the engine is capable of making.

I’m all for fast street driven cars. Single digit cars, driven on the street. The problem is, if you get into an accident on the street, rear ended , t boned, whatever, you are not wearing a helmet, and your skull is going to smack the roll bar/cage. That is what makes it unsafe. And I would have no issue daily driving a car with a roll bar. But I understand the danger.

Our local tracks on street car testntunes are pretty easy on the tech. I think mainly because the real street cars have become faster and faster over the years. Many newer cars with simple mods and many without mods run under the rollbar or safety rule ets. The tracks know this..as long as its a "test n tune" and not competitive racing they let it slide. Otherwise 95 percent of the faster street cars on a test n tune night wouldn't be running.

Thought speeds was why many changed to 1/8th mile and not 1/4 as gentlemen and the horse intended.

I run at NED and tech is strict in my opinion. They check everything on my car and the sheet of paper I have all the expiration dates of SFI equipment. I think it's good they do that based on some of the junk I see.

From what I gather, they dropped that last 300 feet because it wasn't making a difference in who won the race. The only thing that might happen was the cars going airborne.

Keith I have been to Baytown with my Camaro/IA probably 4-5 times last time was a little bigger "track rental" probably 50 cars and the first time the car has even had a tech guy look at it! And then about 30 second look. I do have all the safety stuff to run 10.0s but have yet to get a full tech. They used to be really picky as in slow it down or you are kicked off if you ran 0.05 sec faster than equipment you had.
Freaking Houston Motorsports 1/8 mile where the Camaro did it's maiden voyage tech was "this your car" Ok here you go! Track and other cars were so scary we made 2 passes and left.

When they were running 1/8 then 1/4 at Sealy they were fairly lenient. My 78 TA ran 6.90s @ 100 in the 1/8 no roll bar no hassle.

There was a guy at the old DAPA Pontiac Southern Nats with a nice 65 GTO gold I think drop top no roll bar that swore it had 650 hp, don't think I ever saw him make a pass. They jumped on me for going too fast no roll bar.

Gainesville Raceway is NHRA owned so they go by the book, no exceptions. The one inconsistency, as I see it, is the roll bar rule that dictates a roll bar for cars running 11.49 down to 10.00. Okay, I get it but I have always contended that the rule should be based on speed as well as e.t. It bugs me that my son's car can run a 11.40 at 118 and be required to have a roll bar, but some ricer can come out and run a 12 flat at 130 and not be required to have a roll bar. I have seen this many times as they have no performance down low but when the turbocharger really gets wound up they run big speed #s.

"dropped that last 300 feet" if that is what they thought perhaps a lack of math is the reason. 1/4 mile is 1320 feet, 1/8 is 660

For me it is a little effort to load drive an hour+ unload to get kicked off for no safety equipment. Although last smaller rental I was at a new Demon was clicking off in the 9s not even a roll bar!

That would bo good. Butt they cut back 600'. I can do that hard accel on highway on-ramps.

Took mine to track after putting turbo`s on to try to tune a good launch and was letting off half track and officials noticed, So when I finally let her rip a 9:76 and just rolled window down just a crack to get slip my day was over LoL