Benton

Am I understanding this correctly: SCCA requires nascar bars in the IT classes? So, if my car conforms to NASA and PCA, do I still have to have nascar bars if I want to race my 928 in ITE? I'm about to start on my rollcage, and I won't be building a nascar setup, so I guess I won't be racing with SCCA. Thanks for the help.

Professor Helmüt Tester

'Allowed', not 'required'.

Rulebooks are readily available, and interesting reading.

Benton

Hmm, I guess I just misconstrued the text. I read the pdf on the internet. Thanks!

924RACR

Correct, they're allowed, not required.

It gets better. ITE rules are Region-specific - ITE here in Cendiv may be different than in the SE. You need to talk to the local guys, not read the national rules. The ITCS only applies to ITS, ITA, ITB, and ITC.

OriginalSterm

hmmm...
i was told that the nascar bars in my IT class Talon had to be removed. it could be just because the doors are not reinforced with the nascar bars though. but i was told straight bars in both doors and add the structure back into the door frames (just skins basically now).

Geo

OK.......

There is a LOT of ignorance out there on this subject. Sorry you guys are getting bum info.

I'm sure a fair amount of the misinformation about NASTYCAR bars in IT comes from the fact the Touring classes require them. But the Improved Touring classes do NOT.

In the last IT Advisory Committe conference call we had a fair bit of discussion about cages so this is fresh....

As far as side tubes go in IT, the ONLY requirement is a single tube on the driver's side and IIRC it should be roughly horizontal. There is no height requirement and there are NO required tubes on the passenger side.

All tubes in IT must currently meet the minimum size requirement, regardless whether they are required tubes or not. I think we voted to allow smaller non-required tubes in the last meeting (98% sure). Do go out and build a cage this way for IT yet on my recollection though. The ITAC does not even have the last word on this and I am not sure if this would be an immediate rule change or one implemented next year (if approved).

Now, IF you build NASTYCAR bars for your IT cage, you are allowed to gut the driver's door only and the side impact beam must remain in place and unmolested. The rule doesn't specifcally allow gutting and there are those who feel you can only cut the inner door skin enough for the NASTYCAR tubes to fit inside, but the wording is rather vague and I think the generally accepted interpretation (this is NOT gospel) is that gutting is OK. I think Herr Professor could shed a little light on the current interpretation.

Back to the gutting, this allows trimming the inner door panel (define trimming ), removing the glass and mechanism. The passenger door must remain stock with the exception you can replace the stock panel with 0.060" thick aluminum sheet.

You are not required to have NASTYCAR bars. You are not required to remove them. The basic required cage is a 6 point defined by the mounting plates (any number of tubes may connect to the mounting plate (100 in^2 max, 12" max on a side and 2" min). The 6 points are the front supports, the main hoop, and two main hoop supports. Two additional mounting points may be added to the firewall (but no tube shall pass through the firewall).

Herr Professor is quite correct - starting this year, the GCR and Category Specifications are available on-line (but only the book is still considered official).

Geo

Oh, and Vaughn is correct about ITE. Check with you local sheriff, er, scru crew.

evil 944t

Where do you get this rule book with cage info?

Geo

http://www.scca.com/Club/Index.asp?IdS=002A18-3612200&x=030|057&~=#gcr

And additional publications may be found here:

http://www.scca.com/Club/Index.asp?IdS=002A18-3612200&x=030|057&~=

Keep in mind that the IT cage is theoretically based upon the SS cage. As such the SS cage specs in the GCR must be read as well as the cage specs in the ITCS. The ITCS (category specifications) trumps the the GCR.

Professor Helmüt Tester

The evil emipre has it all on-line: http://www.scca.com/Club/Index.asp?IdS=002A0F-563F790&x=030|057&~=#gcr

Mr. Red - since ATL is probably Atlanta, you're in SEDiv. Look here for SEDiv Regional class rules (ITE being a 'regionally' or 'divisionally' defined class): http://www.sedivracing.org/2005SEDiv...ClassRules.pdf
Since they don't specifically discuss ITE, use the contacts listed.

In the Northeast Division and Central Division, ITE is for cars that are 'prepared to and currently compliant with' some other sanctioning bodies' rules for a specific class. Got a BMW or Porsche club car and a copy of the rules ? Great...you're in ITE. If not...if you've built some weird Franken-car that doesn't fall into somebody's class rules, then you're in 'Super Production', which requires a GT-class level of prep - major cage, fuel cell, fire system, etc. Basically, it protects people from themselves. Too many people were showing up with flame-breathing monsters and calling them 'ITE', hoping that an IT bolt-in cage, stock fuel tank etc. would keep their honky asses safe when they roofed it or smacked a wall at 120mph. 'Super Production' solved that problem.

I don't know about SEDiv and ITE. You'll have to ask.

RedlineMan

Hmmmm....

Don't know spit about compliance. As far as their effectiveness, NASCAR bars are not a be-all, end-all for intrusion protection. They really have to be done like NASCAR does them to be safe. One or two little door bars attached to frame tubes that are not attached to much of anything themselves is more dangerous than nothing.

The key point the think about: As far out as these NASCAR bars extend, so too will they collapse inward if they are not properly fettled! Hmmmm....

Benton

Thanks for all of the help, guys. I think I got the "touring" rules confused with the IT rules. Hopefully they have ITE in SEDiv. Thanks again.