rlm328

Windows, they just add weight. Take a hammer to them before you go out. Should cut 2 or 3 seconds per lap off your time.

Flying Finn

Why not?

Glass windows vs. lexan? Cage? Harness? No interior? Fire suit? Center lock wheels? Bigger Spoilers? More sponsor stickers? Better pit babes? Nicer RVs?

I'm being a bit sarcastic but seriously, why not? Just saying "windows down is safer", or "if they races street cars fresh off the showroom floor" doesn't explain the difference why it's safer for Pros to keep windows up while it's safer for amateurs to keep them down.

You car is not street car fresh off the showroom floor, are your windows up?

I'd like to know why all of you "windows down, absolutely" guys seem so strongly know better than folks at International sanctioning bodies such as FIA?

Bob Rouleau

Three different clubs at my home track. One (PCA) window down (driver side only unless with a passenger). A different club is windows closed. A third is window halfway down. Somebody has it wrong

winders

Pro Race cars are designed with the idea that the driver need to gets out. They have fire systems in place. The drivers have to wear fire protection. They don't have glass windows. They have experienced corner works and safety crews all over the place.

If a street car at a DE gets wrecked hard and the windows are up, the driver could be trapped inside with no fire system. There may not be as many or as experienced safety crews.

My car? It's a full blown race car with no driver or passenger windows. I have a window net that I put up when I drive it.

Again, the FIA is dealing with race cars, not full street cars at DE events. Does the FIA sanction DE events and track days? Didn't think so......

Scott

Matt Romanowski

I like Amsoil....

I didn't know windows would get grouped with oil, FHR, politics, and other contriversial topics.

mrbill_fl

1+ on the fire system in race cars, not on most DE cars...

OTOH, full blown race cars must run DE's with window and NET DOWN...

-I could point with a net up, but it was a very small point.
just a hand or finger... but it was enough for a racer to see it. but at DE's maybe not.



-and fwiw, I do have a window punch bungied to the wheel stalk... (all my street cars, and families too ).

Since Florida has a ton of canals, and often the cars drive in and go wheels up.
but so far untested...


Rain is the only time I really hated windows down... especially on a street car.
most just sit it out, and that's a real shame....

mrbill_fl

& HP vs Torque

Flying Finn

That's my point! Someone is wrong unless it's really not an issue or one issue (i.e. fire) is as good/bad as the other (i.e. debris).

See Bob & mine above. I know all of those facts but my point is how do we know so sure that the event of fire from escape point of view (which windows arguably make a lot slower) is more dangerous than flying debris through the open windows?

Since some organizations say windows need to be open, some only driver's side (IMO that's really questionable assuming it's from escape point of view since as already pointed out, car can land on it's driver's side) and some windows closed who's here to say which in the end is THE safest way?

As far as window nets go, I don't know if they're much easier/faster to open than breaking a window?

Look, I'm not trying to argue against windows open, I've done that in rain and had no issue with it (would've preferred to have windows closed but "rules are rules"), just wondering what really is the safest way and certainly not strongly disagreeing with neither position.

There's always room for another hp vs. torque debate!

mglobe

I'm just guessing here cause I don't know for sure, but I suspect the windows in the pro cars have some sort of quick release mechanism?

333pg333

Seems to be 2 distinct subjects here. For a DE window down for sure. Nothing worse than being behind someone who is relatively new and they have the windows up and can’t point by…if they’ve even been told how/when to do this. For a race car it is or can be a different matter.

333pg333

sbelles

well that's just right out.

Cory M

The GrandAM rules require it, otherwise I'm sure they would be running windows simply for the drag reduction (especially at Daytona). In GrandAM open windows and nets are probably a carry-over from NASCAR. It will be interesting to see if they make the ALMS GT2 cars change in the future, probably won't. The GT2 cars have air conditioning and a max cabin temperature that is monitored by the track officials, at least at Lemans. I watched a bunch of GT1/3 and European GT endurance races and ironically almost everyone with a little slider window had it slid open, in addition to having cooling fans in the cabin.

I don't have windows myself. Now that I am in a GT class I think I could though. My car doesn't have an external door handle, and I want to make sure it's easy for cornerworkers to get me out if they have to. I also spend a lot of days at the track when it's 90+ degrees and don't mind getting some fresh air. I'm not sure I'm driving close enough to the limit that the added drag matters in a 30minute sprint race.

Veloce Raptor

TORQUE

white924s

Do the pro cars that run windows up have a mechanical (ie not electric) way to open the windows? My guess is that they are allowed to run windows up bc the driver could open the windows if he needed to even after power was cut. That's not the case on most street cars, so my guess is that most clubs mandate windows down so they don't have to check each car's window mechanisms.

It never really bothered me much one way or the other - I just drive too fast for debris to get in my window haha