does any1 know the rules for drag racing with a convertible top? is it the same as reg cars no cage till 11.50?

 

iirc they treat convertibles the same as regular cars (roll bar/6 point from 11.50 to 9.99 or 135mph)

 

Not necessarily relevant, but our track makes you wear a helmet regardless of time for convertibles. YMMV

 

Ok kool i was hearing diff stories someone was telling me convertibles are restricted to 13.5 untill they install a hardtop..11.50 an under u need a cage

 

At my track you can't go faster than 13.0 without having a hardtop.

 

According to nhra rules all convertibles need a roll bar faster than 13.49, but if the top is closed my track let me run till 11.49 with no roll bar.

 

It really depends on the track and if you know the people running it. There's an eighth mile strip in my area that allows pretty much anything, you can even have passengers as long as they wear a helmet. There have been guys in the low 6's with no cage whatsoever. I'm sure at any big track this isn't tolerated, but some of the small tracks in the south are very loose with the rules.

 

Hmm now im confused...i want to go to the track on sunday but i dont want to waste my time if they wont let me run faster than 13.5

 

I would call the track and ask.

 

That is usually due to a tracks insurance. Our track requires anything making a pass down the track, even 30 second cars, to have a helmet. BUt Bandimere Speedway, a national event track doesn't require helmets until 13.49 I believe. Never ran a street car there.

At 13.49 you need a roll bar on a convertible. If you have a hardtop installed, you do not need a roll bar until 11.49. If you retain the stock firewall on a unibody car, a roll bar is sufficient to 10.00. 9.99 or faster you need a full cage and a boatload of SFI requirements.

11.49 is the magic number when many SFI requirements are coming into play.

- Aftermarket rear axles
- SFI bellhousing or flywheel shield
- 16.1 5 or 6 point harness (13.49 for convertibles)
- Driveshaft loop
- SFI 1.1/1.2 approved clutch
- SFI 18.1 Approved Harmonic Balancer
- Snell 2000 of SFI 41.1A minimum rated helmet (13.99 and faster)
- Roll bar padding wherever drivers head may come in contact with the bar.
- SFI 3-2A/1 Jacket

Here is a link to the NHRA quick ET Reference chart CLICK and here for the general regulations HERE

If you have any questions or don't understand something, don't hesitate to ask. I've grown up around a dragstrip all my life, I have had my competition license since I was 16 running 9.90's and ran juniors from 11 years old. so technically I've been drag racing more than half my life as I'll be 29 this year. lol

Passengers are allowed for 1/8 mile, and 1/8 mile only. Even on a full 1/4 mile track, the car can only be under power til the 1/8 mile. I'm pretty sure that anything running faster than a 6.39 1/8 mile is equivalent to a 9.99 or faster 1/4 and would be require to follow the same rules and regulations as a 9.99 1/4 mile car.

My biggest question is... What are most people doing for flywheel shields, mainly the V160 guys. I know there isn't a commercially available one and there isn't a whole lot of room for one. Are most people just happening to get away with not running one?