Hey guys,

I was reading a HPDE's application requiring a roll bar in convertibles. Does the factory safety hoops generally suffice for his requirement?

Does adding the hardtop negate the car's convertible status?

Thanks

 

I believe SCCA sanctioned HPDE events require roll bars in convertable automobiles. If I am correct, a hard top will suffice.

 

What organization is the application for? I know for NASA that the factory roll hoops are suffice.

 

The roll bar requirment is dependent on the group that you're running with and the track.

For example, Chin Motorsports does not require a roll bar in open cars, but does require you to sign a "roll bar waiver". However, when we run at VIR, open cars must have roll bars meeting SCCA specifications because that is the track's policy.

Also, please keep in mind that although hardtops offer more protection than nothing, they are not nearly as structurally sound as a roll bar.

If you're going to track the car regularly, do something like this:


or this:

 

I dont want to steal this thread, but is it safe/legal to drive the s2000 pictured above on the street with the roll bar? I remember reading elsewhere that using a rollbar w/o a helmet is very dangerous.

 

Legal, yes. Safe? Not in my opinion (unless you wear a helmet). YMMV.

 

Mike is correct, it is legal. However, I don't think there is a universal answer to your safety question. It depends on your seating position and how close the roll bar is to your head. In my car the Bitterman bar was several inches behind and above my head. I felt that I was safe driving the car on the street with no helmet as the top of the seat would prevent my head from getting near the roll bar.

However, it is not safe for me to drive my Miata with no helmet since the side bars of the cage are very close to my head.

 

S2000 rollbars tend to have their main bar very close to the back to the head for the average person due to needing the soft top to operate and generally less safe due to this especially if your head is higher than the seatback and if you have the seat far back on the track. For shorter people it's not so bad and probably safer. If you are taller than 5' 8" I wouldn't recommend it.

The hardtop offers no rollover protection at all and is only capable of supporting it's own weight. In a rollover without a bar or cage under it would crush like a tin can.

Rollbar requirements depend on the track and the event organizer. You'll need to call them and ask specifically.

 

This claim as far as I know has never been supported.

 

No wonder S2000 hardtops are so expensive, they're magic!