Sometimes you just 'gotta run topless

[LAP1DOUG]

[Mrmaddbrad]

What a beautiful day at the track!

Oow oow! While you're here. Are you running a roll bar? If so what kind? Brey-Krause?? I'm not allowed to run in Medford, Oregon, or at my local hillclimb with out a "better" roll bar that the stock hoops with the Brey-Krause extension!

And they keep telling me that no track day would ever except those! Heeelllppp!! lol

[ChrisZang]

@LAP1DOUG VERY NICE

@LAP1DOUG what track is this?

@Mrmaddbrad: I am running with various organizations (PCA, Trackmasters, NCRC, CDS) at various tracks (Infineon, Laguna-Seca, Thunderhill, Buttonwillow) with the B-K rollbar extension and never had any problems.
I should mention though that I have GT3 seats which are bolted to the floor (no sliders), so that I (barely) pass broomstick (I am 6ft 1in tall).

[Topless]

I concur!

A quick lap at Road America?

[LAP1DOUG]

This is the 2.5 mile course at RA as in Road Atlanta rather than 4.5 mile or whatever it is course at Road America. I wish I could post that kind of time at a long track like Road America!

Yes, I am running the B-K roll bar extension. Our PCA region did not require it, but the Chief Steward for the event strongly encouraged it. They did require arm restraints for running topless, so I had to fish them out of my old racing gear bag, and figure out how to hook them up with street seat belts.

[jaykay]

Jeeeez that's nice....they make us keep our tops on up here

One day I hope to run free!

[Johnny Danger]

Doug,

It looked like you had your shirt on to me ?

[LAP1DOUG]

Originally Posted by Johnny Danger

Doug,

It looked like you had your shirt on to me ?

I guess every club has their own weird rules. For us, the local PCA region rule requires everyone to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts on course.

I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt that day, so I just threw on my old Nomex suit from my race driving days rather than change clothes. Fortunately it was a fairly temperate day for June in Atlanta.

[Jittsl]

Odd to me that the loop bar is not considered capable of doing the job. It is actually constructed like the veritable brick ****************house and mounts to four solid pieces of boxed chassis.

Love the video. Where I was from in the Northeast topless was OK but you had to have arm restraints and pass the broomstick test. Don't know what the rules are here in TExas.

Laurie

[DFW02S]

Originally Posted by Jittsl

..... Don't know what the rules are here in TExas.

Laurie

Depends on who and where you're running.
BMW club runs require arm restraints, top up and 5 point, IIRC.
Maybe they've changed.

Most other clubs and tracks are good with the broomstick test.

[Topless]

Originally Posted by Jittsl

Odd to me that the loop bar is not considered capable of doing the job. It is actually constructed like the veritable brick ****************house and mounts to four solid pieces of boxed chassis.
Laurie

I think the stock roll hoops are plenty strong enough. The problem is with stock seats and a helmet, most drivers taller than 5'6" will have trouble passing a broomstick test. Worse case scenario you roll the car and support the weight of it with your neck. I added racing seats bolted to the floor and a BK roll bar extension so now I am 3" below the broomstick.

With PCA Z8, you can run top down with 5pt and arm restraints as long as you pass broomstick. Most guys run top up.

[Jittsl]

Originally Posted by Topless

With PCA Z8, you can run top down with 5pt and arm restraints as long as you pass broomstick. Most guys run top up.

When I was running events for NER I always presumed that the required arm restraints automatically meant harnesses which (for NER anyway) meant you had to have race seats. Most people found a way to get the setup low enough to pass the broomstick. So all was good.

Recently however, on this website, I discovered that there is such a thing as arm restraints for stock three point belts. They won't be so easy to make work.

Not sure that the softop is really going to help if you are unfortunate enough to roll your Boxster.

Laurie

[LAP1DOUG]

Originally Posted by Jittsl

Not sure that the softop is really going to help if you are unfortunate enough to roll your Boxster.

Laurie

I'm with you on that. There are a number of conflicting or overlooked safety concerns in many current DE rules, such as:

1- My convertible top has a very hard and virtually unpadded metal frame piece just a couple of inches from my head with the top up.

2- Without a window net, I would say you are still just as prone to having a hand or arm come out the car in an indcident, and the soft top is not going to help much if any. This should not happen with properly adjusted arm restraints.

3- I believe that in the very unfortunate case of an upside down car, it would be easier for corner workers to extract you without the soft top (or shards thereof) getting in the way.

So, I think I'll continue to run topless...

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by LAP1DOUG

I'm with you on that. There are a number of conflicting or overlooked safety concerns in many current DE rules, such as:

1- My convertible top has a very hard and virtually unpadded metal frame piece just a couple of inches from my head with the top up.

2- Without a window net, I would say you are still just as prone to having a hand or arm come out the car in an indcident, and the soft top is not going to help much if any. This should not happen with properly adjusted arm restraints.

3- I believe that in the very unfortunate case of an upside down car, it would be easier for corner workers to extract you without the soft top (or shards thereof) getting in the way.

So, I think I'll continue to run topless...

+1 on that