So scca and all the others won't even let you run hpde without harness and seat? I've run nasa without even having a rollbar but was hoping to get one so I could run with scca thscc and others. And eventually get into time trials and all.

 

It cuts down on vision when Im backing up in the paddock, but not on the track at all. My opinion on safety equipment is, hopefully you'll never need it, but if you do you want it to work as intended. I'd rather run 3pt and airbag over harness, rollbar and no HANS from a safety standpoint.

 

what about a rollbar mandates HANS? thats two unrelated safety items

 

Rollbar dictates harnesses (most of the time), and harnesses have less "give" in them than a three-point belt. They are therefore more likely to result in a neck injury in a direct frontal crash.

 

Rollbar dictates harnesses (most of the time), and harnesses have less "give" in them than a three-point belt. They are therefore more likely to result in a neck injury in a direct frontal crash.
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I have a rollbar with padding and 3 point belts. I'm assuming this is your "most of the time" but then its not always the case that rollbar=HANs

 

Interesting.. fortunately for me I think there are enough events between NASA and other organizations for me to get my fill of track events. So I take it SCCA, PCA, etc. allow 3 point belts for cars with OEM hardtops, harnesses are only required if you have an aftermarket rollbar?

 

Good question.

For those organizations, no additional safety equipment is mandated for cars with a structure that provides significant rollover protection. The "roadster bars" on Loti, Vipers, Vettes, etc fall into this category. Most removable hardtops do not, especially the s2k's. Unfortunately, in a rollover it's only there to fold itself neatly around what's left of your skull

Sorry to be gruesome, but the crashworthiness of the OEM top is a persistent myth that needs dispelling.

 

Ha I hear you. Looking at how the hardtop mounts it doesn't take a genius to figure out it'd probably do more harm than good in a real rollover (without a rollbar, heck, even with one I don't know how safe it'd be). I guess I should've said non-convertibles..

 

NASA will allow it, but SCCA, PCA, BMWCCA, and THSCC all require harnesses.
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This is region specific. Of the three different regions I've ran with in PCA, they didn't require that you have a harness and a race seat, if using a rollbar.

Rollbar dictates harnesses (most of the time), and harnesses have less "give" in them than a three-point belt. They are therefore more likely to result in a neck injury in a direct frontal crash.
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Not to confuse anyone, you CAN run a harness without a HNRS system... it's just not advisable.

 

Regardless of what you want it to look like when you're done, you will have to remove the trim to install the bar in the first place, and they never go back in the same...

You'll also have to trim parts of the plastics as well in order to have the bars pass through them.

If you get a harness bar at a later date, you'll also have to remove the bar in its entirety to have it re-powdercoated as well. Your best bet is to just get the bar with all of the options (lower harness, single or double diagonal - your choice!), and just remove and store your interior plastics for if you ever want to sell the bar and reinstall them.