Hey Gang, Denny Moore and I were talking recently about safety issues and the IHRA and NHRA rule books. Which starting me thinking.... Which of the rules set by IHRA and NHRA are the MOST OVERLOOKED safety rules? So... I will start... Everyone please chime in on this one. This should give other racers items to look for in there cars. In my opinion the most overlooked safety item is the Flex Plate Shield. Any car running quicker than 9.99 according to NHRA rules should have this item on there car. (Or an equivilant Ultra Bell) How many of us are illegal in this area? I certainly was guilty of this untill we had a flex plate come through the floor and all the way up through the hood. Take Care
Another one John Here is another one that i bet is being overlooked and is a new rule for 2005. This is straight from the NHRA book: "On any car running 11.49 or quicker, a flywheel and clutch meeting SFI Spec 1.1 or 1.2 and a flywheel shield meeting SFI Spec 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, or 9.1 will be mandatory" I know that alot of people has the sfi flywheel, but what about the shield?
Saftey Rules Ah jeez this is an easy one. 1- Updated harnesses.........I had cars go through tech with harnesses from 1996!! thats a no no. 2- Neck brace.......They dont do yall any good when they are just wrapped around the roll bar. 3- Fire Jackets...........No a thermal fleece is not a fire jacket 4- Engine Diapers.........Not a requirement on the slower cars but I sure wish they would make it manditory for anything faster than 12.99. 5- Drinking alky..........A definate no no when racing at 150 mph but it happens every weekend believe it er not. I got more.
Denny, I don't think there are too many stick-shift cars out there running 11.49 to begin with, but, seeing how "Big Daddy" Don Garlits lost part of his foot when his clutch exploded some 40 years ago, I had a scatter shield as well as a block-saver plate in my mid-12 second, Stage1 4-speed convertible when I raced it back in the late 80s. Even way back then I was set on overkill! If you are making enough power with a stick car to run that quick, you are making enough power to blow the whole thing right through the floor and kill or seriously injure yourself. Forewarned is forearmed! :Smarty: PS - I seriously doubt that 5% of stick cars running 11s actually have an SFI clutch and flywheel. Guys with stick cars don't race too often, IMHO.
I have been seeing more and more stick cars every weekend and they are awesome. Denny you may recall a few from on fridays and saturdays.....the Green Chevelle with wylie coyote on the side. And the MR.Security Car driven by Rich Feldman those are by far my favorites that I seen this season. The Stupid stockers and the stock classes that IHRA brings are incredible to watch.
Flywheel Shields Will agree on the flywheel shields. I never ran one until this summer at the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion I had the weight come off the flexplate and break the transmission case. To fix it I went to a Ultra Bell to save the case and make the car legal. Makes me feel better and won't have to worry about tech, even though I had never had any problem getting through without one. Also agree with Doug about the stick cars. After seeing a guy blow up a flywheel in a 55 Chevy several years ago on the street, I know the value of a scatter shield. He blew up the flywheel and the bellhousing broke and the trans. feel out in the road and the brake line was cut and he coasted for 1/2 mile unable to stop and his foot was badly cut. It was an ugly mess. Jim N.
I went with an Ultra-Bell last year when I bought a th400 off a Chevy guy. It worked out pretty good, I've had no problems plus I got to tell the wife that I had to have a new cordless sawzall in order to install a this new Safety item :TU: . Some of the saftey rules I see a lot of guys breaking are: 1. Not hooking up the neutral safety switch when they install an aftermarket shifter. 2. The shut off switch will not kill the car when running an alternator with factory wiring. 3. Not using a window net. 4. Guys in 7 sec. dragsters running with super loose belts so they can lean up and see for finish line racing.
