I've recently moved but almost all the Northeast tracks I used to run at Top up was preferred. I only saw 1 or2 guys ever run top down. It also helped a great many "pass" broomstick compliance. that said I have Roll bar/seats/harnesses/factory HT

 

Yeah NASA up here does not care top up/down. PCA requires top up. BMW requires a hard top. My hope is that at least some thought was given to roll over safety when designing the soft top. I understand there is always a greater potential for sharp pokey stuff, but hopefully consideration was made.

 

i would think the stock soft top metal will deform and bend but not snap and create sharp edges. try to look for some rolled s2k. and see. but ive seen some pictures and it looks like it just bends.

 

The soft top is designed to not impact the driver in the event of a roll over. Also you have a helmet on, so that lessens the danger.

Running top up gives you better aero and no extra attention to your roll over protection. If you run top down, you better sit lower than the roll bar or prepare to get black flagged. Track organizers can be flexible, but if you run top down, you are taking away their deniability.

 

I bought an OEM hard top mostly for the track. In summer I put the top on for track days and take it off for daily driving. I leave it on in winter.

I rigged up a rope and pulley system in my garage. It takes about two minutes to put it the top on or take it off by myself. It stores up next to the ceiling above the car.

For long trips I also put the HT on because it is quieter on the freeway. Not only does it reduce wind noise, it also reduces traffic noise from other vehicles.

On the track I don't like the idea of the soft top being up. If there is a rollover, I think that the bows would become bent and possibly break, leaving sharp edges. To me, top down just seems too exposed to rocks and rubber kicked up by other cars as well as being too exposed in a roll over.

One poster mentioned an OEM HT that was noisy with creaking and gasket noise. The HT needs a thin film of rubber lubricant on the gaskets to avoid this.

I have seen pictures of S2000s after a roll over without a hard top. There is also a debate on another part of this forum about the safety of the OEM HT that basically degraded into pictures of Miatas with their OEM HTs (these did not do well) and equating S2000 HT performance in a roll over to a Miata HT performance. The Miata design is not the same as the S2000 design, so Miata data (or pictures) cannot be used to make conclusions about S2000 performance. I would really like to see roll over results of an S2000 with the OEM hard top.

 

Most organizations don't allow you to run with a soft-top up - as mentioned some above, it presents a safety hazard in the case of a roll-over. HT will help with aero, but if you're just starting out it's not going to do as much for your time/skills as seat time. If you're debating between the two, my recommendation is to prioritize seat time.

 

This is exactly where I am at. Actually it is between nothing, roll bar/soft top + a bit less seat time, or hard top only with even less seat time. Regardless of the sharp pokey things I have to think the roll bar/soft top is a FAR safer option. The thing with the top is that it helps keep your arms in the car in the event of a roll over, which is why PCA requires the top up.

I am just not sure I am ready to hack up my car for the roll bar.

 

My experiences have been the opposite. We HAD to run top up unless we had arm restraints. Was a deciding factor for me even getting a hardtop, as my helmet frequently banged against the soft top frame. With the hardtop it's not as bad and the added aero efficiency is nice.

 

Every group I have run with prefers top up. Run top down if you have sufficient roll over protection. Not only does the soft top help keep you in the car, but it also could shield you from debris. Convertibles go through roll over tests in development. The top frame is stronger than it looks and will fold away from the occupants.

Do you really think they would allow the soft top to be supported by lawn chair aluminum tubing that will snap off and stab someone in the jugular?

 

so in a "little" off you somehow plan on scraping the hardtop/sliding upside down on the pavement?