two gas tanks popped in accident

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Jake you only Quoted some parts of my statement and by what you quoted it looks like i have no grounds for my statement.

But in fact in my post I clearly give a reason for what I stated or what I believe as an interpetation of the rules.

Besides I really cant see why in this particular case. That someone would be questioned on the reinforment of a stock fuel tank. It does add saftey and does not give the person a competitive advantage.

Perhaps the rules should be alterd to include this senario and by what means of reinforcement would be allowable. Such as 1/4 flat bar and not tube steel.

Toodles,
Stacey_B

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Toodles,
Stacey_B AOL IM: SCCAStaceyIB 1990PGL SCCA STSL "Girls Do It Better" Cal Club T&S, BWRP,WS,Lag,Hallett www.scpoc.com : www.probetalk.com Racing is my life. Winner One Lap of America 2003- SSGT2 class 1996 Ford Probe GT.
 
I agree with Jake.

In reading the ITCS it is clear that the additional reinforcement is allowed only if a fuel cell is installed.

Nowhere does it allow additional structure around the stock tank.
 
Well, while I agree that it might be a good idea in certain cars to add reinforcement, it is opening a can of worms....
When is the bunch of bars reinforcement for the tank, but adding some chassis stiffening? At the very least it is a grey area.

I re-read your scenario, but in a protest situation, I don't think the official will care if there is a cel going in, or has been taken out. If the car is being raced in an illegal condition it is going to be considered illegal. The officials will always boil it down to black and white.

That said, it would be interesting to write a proposal detailing the issue, and a suggested solution. But it will be a bit of a balancing act to write a rule that effectively allows gas tank protection without allowing chassis reinforcement. As a racer, I can assure you that if they allowed me to add structure to protect the tank, I will search high and low to find a way to have that same structure stiffen as much as possible and add weight where I want it, and I'm sure most others will as well. Perhaps the rule would be most effective if it were applied on a car by car basis, but historically, the rulesmakers are loath to handle things in that manner, and for good reason.

I would like to see such a proposal, but I expect the response would be that we currently have the opportunity to reinforce if we run a cel, so there is no onus on the CB to add such a rule. (all IMHO, of course!)

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
I see where you guys are coming from...

I guess they (officials) are a little more strict than I imagined concerning this. Oh well

So if you were to run a fuel cell there must be rules concerning what you can and cannot do to reinforce it. Other wise you could do the same thing, stiffen the underside, and add that structural rigidity.

There’s bending the rules to cheat and there’s using the rules to make for safer racing. Like you said, people will take advantage. So I cant compete with that. The only way I can see us getting anywhere on this issue is if someone presents it to the board for review. Then a official ruling can be made and that will be that. But if nothing else this did offer up some good debate..

Take care,
Stacey_B


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Toodles,
Stacey_B AOL IM: SCCAStaceyIB 1990PGL SCCA STSL "Girls Do It Better" Cal Club T&S, BWRP,WS,Lag,Hallett www.scpoc.com : www.probetalk.com Racing is my life. Winner One Lap of America 2003- SSGT2 class 1996 Ford Probe GT.
 
Originally posted by Racy-Stacey:
So if you were to run a fuel cell there must be rules concerning what you can and cannot do to reinforce it. Other wise you could do the same thing, stiffen the underside, and add that structural rigidity.

There’s bending the rules to cheat and there’s using the rules to make for safer racing.
Click to expand...

Right there, Stacey. I suspect that when the guys write the rules, they occassionally allow a little latitude when the result is a safer car. An added tempation to installing a cel would be the possible additional chassis strengthening that would come with the cel "structure" wink wink....

And they're ok with that.

(just like the NASCAR door bar rule where you get to gut the whole door. Whoo hoo! 30 pounds of crap gone! I'll take that deal!)



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
Since you mentioned the NASCAR bar.

SCCA rules allow one to install a NASCAR style bar(s) and gut the door and make the car less safe.

The reason for this is the SCCA definition of NASCAR style door bars. Look it up, last time I looked it was one bar curved into the door cavity.

Sorry to hijack the thread
37 ITB
 
A protective cage around the fuel tank/cell should be added to the rulebook. Manditory for cells, recommended for stock tanks. I've seen a few cells that were awfully vulnerable under braking. I'm sure that some cars would benifit more than others with a little extra bracing around the cell, but so be it.

<font face=\"Verdana, Arial\" size=\"2\">(just like the NASCAR door bar rule where you get to gut the whole door. Whoo hoo! 30 pounds of crap gone! I'll take that deal!)</font>
Click to expand...

Doesn't it also say that the inner door structural panel may be modified, but not removed? Hmmm.. how many door panels have we all seen with that were non-existant.

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Scott
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it

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Originally posted by Speed Raycer:
Doesn't it also say that the inner door structural panel may be modified, but not removed? Hmmm.. how many door panels have we all seen with that were non-existant.
Click to expand...

Yup...but I think that is the "carrot" for going that route. I bet they intentionally left the wording loose and are fine with folks being a bit aggresive in taking out more than they might absolutely have to. Still, if you cut half of an already swiss cheesed inner door panel to fit the 'NASCAR" bars in, you'll be left with a jagged mess hanging in space. No need for that...much safer without it.



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
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