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PS. The cage was installed by Pierce Motorsports in Torrance. They have a package deal for Spec Corvette racers. You take your car to them with the interior stripped away so they can install the cage, they weld it in and they give it back to you unpainted. Painting is your responsibility. I opted to take mine to the Maaco car paint shop down the street and they painted it for $400.
If you go to the Spec Corvette Facebook page and look for my cage install post you can see the deal Pierce put together for the Spec Corvette racers.
That side bar cage design is exactly the type the Aston Martin driver at Le Mans had when he was killed a few years back. Is gutting the door for NASCAR bars allowed?
That side bar cage design is exactly the type the Aston Martin driver at Le Mans had when he was killed a few years back. Is gutting the door for NASCAR bars allowed?
Steve
I saw that unfortunate Le Mans accident....very bad luck where the driver actually hit on the track. I've got to really wonder regardless of the cage system if he could have survived the g-load shock.
Please let us know if there is any written investigative reports in regards to that wreck and the roll cage/safety devices used and future recommendations. Tragedy often spurs future safety requirements.
That side bar cage design is exactly the type the Aston Martin driver at Le Mans had when he was killed a few years back. Is gutting the door for NASCAR bars allowed?
Steve
The factory cage in the Porsche Cup GT3 employs that exact style door bar. That series is known for lots of contact. Oli's point in keeping the car street drivable is well taken, that is one of the objectives of the series
That side bar cage design is exactly the type the Aston Martin driver at Le Mans had when he was killed a few years back. Is gutting the door for NASCAR bars allowed?
Steve
There is too much in a single crash dynamic to make a general statement about door bar types based on the Aston crash. However, the type Oli has in his car as pictured is an acceptable door bar style. It is well used in the industry with a good safety record. The "X" style is used and puts the A and B piller in tension. While a NASCAR bar set-up puts the A and B piller in compression. If you had a simple finite analysis program that undergrad engineering students all have on their laptops you can simulate and prove your design on paper to further reinforce your acceptance of past cage designs principles. I have seen unsupported NASCAR bars in converted streetcars that are worse than an X bar. An X is a lot harder to screw up. NASCAR bar design takes more thought. Also realize that some of these SpecVette cars will be used in other venues like SCCA T2 where the OEM doorbar must stay intact so there is that level of engineering from GM that helps in addition to the X bars.
Today the hot ticket is traditional X or NASCAR bar with distance to the door skin. In that distance a crash box similar to bumper foam is placed to attenuate the impact before reaching the barrier or bars. A crashbox should be considered by all those who want to take their car to the next level. You can see them back in the days of the C5R so that is really old tech still not tricking down to the clubrace level.
fatbillybob, I agree with most of your post. BTW The foam is actually called Impaxx and is made by Dow. It must be encapsulated in thin metal or something to be most effective. Not just glued to the inside of a gutted door. Intrusion has been my primary interest in my study of the designs and not tension or compression, BUT I'm not an engineer nor even overly good at math. Just a guy with a TV and a computer..... I have look into this subject enough though that I feel I can say that NASCAR(I'm not a fan btw) has extensively researched driver safety more than anyone over the last 10+ years. I will disagree that either the X or NASCAR style side bars are equal, if that was what you were implying by saying they are acceptable? Actual car max speed should be considered also. But the fact is NASCAR does not give the teams an option, for their car design and speeds.
I was bringing up an actual incident where a side impact had an affect and the bars construction bothered me. Without a test sled or computer modeling software I have examine what NASCAR has done with these tools and come to the conclusion for myself that their system is superior. Anyone can google and find the correct construction techniques for both systems and make the choice for their selves. I have done that and instructed my cage builders to follow my choice on my last 2 race car builds. As a previous group rep in a sanctioned race organization I have scrutinized cars for acceptance and while inspecting new builds and new cars to the club saw just about everything you can imagine. Thanks for the discussion!
I'm in Northern Virginia. This is going to be a 2018 project for me and I'm putting together a budget for planning purposes. I've been looking at C5 Vetts on Craigslist and other resources. Many of them are modified and most of them are very optimistically priced. Cheap cars are mostly looking very road wary with high miles, and engines would be a very unknown quantity. I would prefer starting with a Z06 that has had good maintenance. I would also like to see the class get some legs in the Mid-Atlantic region. I am the typical HPDE participant with no wheel to wheel racing history. I've looked at TT in both NASA and SCCA, but the Spec Corvette class would be a no-brainer for me should this class come to the East.
Not sure what's so confusing about what I said. I never insinuated that the Traqspec guy would make huge profits if folks decide to run his products, but how can you all not see that it's a bit of a conflict of interest for the series founder to write it in the rules that people can ONLY RUN HIS PRODUCTS? You guys went off the deep end in your responses to me when I mentioned that for some reason.
Oli - I've always respected you and your ambitions. I think this endevour is a good one and I hope it continues to grow legs. Lord knows we all talked about it years ago, but no one had the ***** to try to make it happen. With that said, I stick to my comments about the rule regarding hood vents being suspect.
I don't think you understand what a conflict of interest is. Someone starting a race series (a business) and saying you have to support his other business to participate (and here you DON'T have to) is NOT a conflict of interest. Moreover, it is a spec class, so by nature you have a single choice for certain components. And I believe this happens to be the cheapest spec item.
Now, go enjoy your race car. Wish I still had one!
There is also a private Spec Corvette Racer and Spec Corvette Interested mail list I can send on your behalf if you request. I can also add your name to the latter list. The way to get in the first list is to show you have purchased a car and are actively in the build process. There are a few questions you have to answer for the racer list and to get on the list to be authorized to buy the goodies and the super good prices we negotiated.
"Kinda like spec Miata, but with fast, loud and badass V8s"
Wish I needed of another racecar, I'd be there in a heartbeat.
Best of luck with the series!
07-19-2017, 12:04 AM
