Will I need a cage?

DarkProphet · Apr 12, 2007

If i recall, you need a cage starting at 13.49? I haven't taken my car to the track yet, and have no idea what it will run. Its a 5speed, has stock gears as of now, about 360-370 rwhp and stock weight. I've played with a few STI's and evos which I know run around that time and I keep up pretty easily, but ive never raced them from a standstill, it was always from a roll. Would anyone want to take a guess at what I would run??

cobra259 · Apr 12, 2007

DarkProphet said:
If i recall, you need a cage starting at 13.49? I haven't taken my car to the track yet, and have no idea what it will run. Its a 5speed, has stock gears as of now, about 360-370 rwhp and stock weight. I've played with a few STI's and evos which I know run around that time and I keep up pretty easily, but ive never raced them from a standstill, it was always from a roll. Would anyone want to take a guess at what I would run??

You have a convert.....you will need a cage at any time, if the track is strick.

JJ95GTID · Apr 12, 2007

Actually I believe you just need a roll bar at 13.49s.

reddy351 · Apr 12, 2007

From the 2007 NHRA rulebook: "A roll bar is required in any convertible running 13.99 seconds or quicker in the quarter mile, and in other cars beginning at 11.99 "

How's that?

Bosko5.0 · Apr 12, 2007

can t you run the car once and see how quick you are and go from there?

trav_19 · Apr 12, 2007

yes they let you run once if your unsure of what it will do but after your pass they tell you to load it up and bring it back once you have it legal

reddy351 · Apr 12, 2007

You can show up and run whatever you have. If you go faster than the speeds in the rulebook, the track owner will not let you run again, until you are "legal". That's for the more strict tracks. Some don't care at all. Tech is like that for every different track. Some strict, some not so much.

Nice timing trav_19. I just posted the same thing.

95strokerPSU · Apr 12, 2007

Where are you planning on going? I'm in the same situation. I have a roll bar in my basement but I don't think I'm going to be able to put it in this year. I'm gonna give Atco a shot and see how strict they are.

DarkProphet · Apr 12, 2007

95strokerPSU said:
Where are you planning on going? I'm in the same situation. I have a roll bar in my basement but I don't think I'm going to be able to put it in this year. I'm gonna give Atco a shot and see how strict they are.

Either Maple Grove or Atco, depending on where everyone else wants to go. What area are you from??

drewzx3 · Apr 12, 2007

Where can you get a roll bar for a vert from?

trav_19 · Apr 12, 2007

usually test and tunes are less strick but if your vert lays a low 12 or something you might raise some eyebrows

my friends 91 gt ran 11's and when the guy came up to him after his pass he stuck his head in the car and said oh no....geez you got stock seatbelts you cant run until you get different belts in here and he was like well i paid im going to run tonight and he said as long as it wasnt so fast so he got to run again and lifted figuring he would be ok and get to run that night but he laid down to fast of a timr again and they really got mad that time ....i dont recomend making the track mad lol

trav_19 · Apr 12, 2007

any bars in a vert look terrible to me...thats why my vert is done getting performance mods and dont visit the track anymore

stprorolla49 · Apr 13, 2007

95strokerPSU said:
Where are you planning on going? I'm in the same situation. I have a roll bar in my basement but I don't think I'm going to be able to put it in this year. I'm gonna give Atco a shot and see how strict they are.

I'll give you a little advice because ive been to all 3 tracks in NJ, as well as a few others. Believe it or not, Island Dragway is the most strict of the 3. Theres this old gieser who has probably been inspecting cars for 50 years, and always gives me or my dad **** for something. He wouldnt let me make even one pass down the track because my helmet wasnt DOT2 certified, it was only DOT certified which is a new rule evidently. And he bitched at my dad because the screws that held the bracket he made to bolt the seat back to the rollbar werent visible because the seat fabric covered them, so he wouldnt let him make a pass til he peeled the fabric covering off the seat frame and cushion to show him. They are asses there.

Atco is the second most strict tech inspection, as they actually look over the car thoroughly and make sure all the safety requirements are there. If you for instance need to get new harnesses because they are past their 3 year life, he will let you run for that day til you get new ones, its happened to my dad.

Raceway Park is a JOKE! For tech inspection at Etown, they dont open the hood, they dont look in the interior, they dont do ****. All they say is if you are running a power adder, you need a fire jacket. They've never checked my helmet or anything. They never even checked the certification on the cage in the Nova. Basically if you think you need more safety things but wanna run, go to Etown. If they ask, "Its pretty much stock, just some bolt ons."

Danman765432 · Apr 13, 2007

What should I be like at etown?...

"Well it is pretty much stock with bolt ons, oh yeah i forgot i got nitrous too."

Adam95GT · Apr 13, 2007

Atco isnt bad... they never looked at anything in any of my cars... they asked my friend if he was on a bottle he said no... other then that i have seen no real inspection at the track...

ProKiller · Apr 13, 2007

i've never had problems at maple grove. they check the battery and the seat belts and push you through. i ran a mid 12 without a helmet and nobody said anything.

trav_19 · Apr 13, 2007

i like really strict tracks...its for our safety and i respect them for being so thoural(sp.?) ....i dont know...i follow the rules not like im trying to hide anything
and maybe im not totally understanding the bolt story about your dad's seats but if i was inspecting i would like to see how it was bolted to the frame too...

the belt laws about replacing them sucks because they do check them and they get expensive to keep replacing and throwing out..i dont think they need to be replaced until they show signs of wear or something... i can see the replacement rule for like a 8 sec. car but come on thats a ton of money for us slower guys

getusummm · Apr 13, 2007

Gezz, all you guys want to complain about somebody trying to make sure you live to race another day. What gives? Remember, its not just you on the track. What happens if the guy in the other lanes gets out of shape and plows into you? Hmm, maybe that helment, harness, and cage wernt such a bad deal after all.

stprorolla49 · Apr 13, 2007

I think some of you guys are taking this the wrong way. Trust me, i am all for them doing a thorough tech inspection, especially on my car because ive really got nothing to hide, and especially on a car like my dads Nova since its a mid 9 second car. I just dont like people who nitpick about stupid **** like machine screws vs. carriage bolts. I appreciate that there are people there loking out for our own good, i was simply saying that if 95strokerPSU wanted to find a track where they might not care or notice about not having a cage, just to see where the car is at for the day, then Etown is probably where you'll get away with it. I hope no one too this the wrong way. Be safe

illwood · Apr 13, 2007

getusummm said:
Gezz, all you guys want to complain about somebody trying to make sure you live to race another day. What gives? Remember, its not just you on the track. What happens if the guy in the other lanes gets out of shape and plows into you? Hmm, maybe that helment, harness, and cage wernt such a bad deal after all.

Helmets, rollcages, and firesuits (oh my!).

But seriously, getusummm has a valid point. We all spend so much time working to make our cars fast and it is much more rare to concern ourselves with making it safe at the track.

I was at New England Dragway a few years ago during a Nostalgia event (my dad has a 60's dragster) and a guy was running a ProStreet first gen. Camaro. The car was done up right. Big block, supercharger, full cage, 4-link narrowed rear, tubbed inner fenders and big meaty slicks. The guy started to make his run and started to loose control about 1/3 way down. He must've had too much pride/ego to take his foot out of it and by 1/2 track he was skidding the rest of the way on his roof. When he got out of the car (unharmed I might add), he took off his helmet, spiked it on the track, and then threw his neck brace at the car (thought that was a little unsportsmanlike). All of the safety features in the car saved his ass. The only thing that was hurt was his wallet.

I'll take a hurt wallet over a visit to intensive care any day.

Will I need a cage?

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