New NHRA rule for 09

Noreaster

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Jun 13, 2007
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No more bars out the back of the cab or window.
Steel-bodied pickup trucks (7.50 seconds and slower), roll cages are permitted with no back braces if the roll cage satisfies SFI 25.1E, 25.2, 25.4, or the roll cage consists of a four-point (door car) cage with a complete SFI 2.4B, 2.5B, 2.6, 2.7A dragster, SFI 10.2, 10.3 altered, or SFI 10.4 street roadster roll cage/driver's compartment incorporated into and attached to the four-point roll cage. An upper windshield bar is mandatory.

Non-steel-bodied pickup trucks (7.50 seconds and slower), roll cages are permitted with no back braces if the roll cage satisfies SFI 25.1E, 25.2, 25.4, or the roll cage satisfies the requirements for SFI 2.4B, 2.5B, 2.6, 2.7A dragster, SFI 10.2, 10.3 altered, or SFI 10.4 street roadster roll cage/driver's compartment. No four-point (door car) cage is required and no upper windshield bar is required.

All joints indicated as tube-to-tube joints/intersections must be fabricated by properly notching the components to fit with minimum clearance unless otherwise noted. Crushing the end of a tube to oval in lieu of properly notching/fitting the tube is not acceptable. Welding a plate to the side of one tube and butt welding the other tube to the plate surface in lieu of properly notching/fitting the tube is not acceptable.
 

UNBROKEN

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Mar 30, 2008
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Those no rear bar rules only apply if a "funny car" type cage is in the truck....unless I'm reading the specs that must be met wrong. Those all apply to pro-stock, dragsters, altereds, etc.
 

McRat

Diesel Hotrodder
Aug 2, 2006
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Those no rear bar rules only apply if a "funny car" type cage is in the truck....unless I'm reading the specs that must be met wrong. Those all apply to pro-stock, dragsters, altereds, etc.

I'm pretty sure it's going to cover cages that have two door bars, a front hoop, and some cross braces. The back bars really don't do anything if the rest of the cage is constructed right.

It shouldn't cover roll bars, since it would probably fold forward if struck in the rear.
 

UNBROKEN

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Mar 30, 2008
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I'm hoping to figure out exactly what it means somehow...I'm planning a roll bar of some sort....but refuse to go out the back glass or have down bars in my crew cab....that would suck for my kid to crawl in and out of.

I'd go as far as a front, mid and rear hoop with a complete halo around the cab with removable front door bars....but I want something that functions as a daily driver without havnig to be a contortionist to get in and out.
 

McRat

Diesel Hotrodder
Aug 2, 2006
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I'm hoping to figure out exactly what it means somehow...I'm planning a roll bar of some sort....but refuse to go out the back glass or have down bars in my crew cab....that would suck for my kid to crawl in and out of.

I'd go as far as a front, mid and rear hoop with a complete halo around the cab with removable front door bars....but I want something that functions as a daily driver without havnig to be a contortionist to get in and out.

That's a toughy. If it's easy to get out of, well, it's easy to get throw out of. :D

My cage is fairly extensive, so I will get the NHRA hdqr guy to take a look at the truck and indicate if it would "OK" for the back bar removal clause. I can't do it since the SCTA is different rules, but that will get a firm decision.

Yes, I can get in and out easy, but visibility in traffic is impaired.
 

UNBROKEN

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Mar 30, 2008
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If it's not fully, easily functioning as a street truck...I can't do it. My fiance, my kid and her kids don't think this stuff is nearly as fun as I do. LOL
I'll just have to leave it on street tires and run slow ET's with crazy MPH. LOL
 

Subman

Old Geezer
Jun 27, 2008
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Pat please correct me if I'm wrong, but the new specs require some pretty significant structure around the driver's head to the point you could bang your hand pretty good if not wearing a helmet right? Also the specs the way their are written may well be more expensive to build that putting in the back bars. Am I missing something?:confused:
 

Kat

Wicked Witch of the West
Aug 2, 2006
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Pat please correct me if I'm wrong, but the new specs require some pretty significant structure around the driver's head to the point you could bang your hand pretty good if not wearing a helmet right?

I know for land speed it has to have the structure around for the drivers head. But, I don't think it applies to NHRA. The ones in Casper are removable and I want them the heck out of there before I drag race.
 

UNBROKEN

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Mar 30, 2008
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Pat please correct me if I'm wrong, but the new specs require some pretty significant structure around the driver's head to the point you could bang your hand pretty good if not wearing a helmet right? Also the specs the way their are written may well be more expensive to build that putting in the back bars. Am I missing something?:confused:

That's what I'm reading too. I'd love to be wrong.
 

McRat

Diesel Hotrodder
Aug 2, 2006
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Norco CA
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Pat please correct me if I'm wrong, but the new specs require some pretty significant structure around the driver's head to the point you could bang your hand pretty good if not wearing a helmet right? Also the specs the way their are written may well be more expensive to build that putting in the back bars. Am I missing something?:confused:

I'm not so sure, that's why I need to ask. If you have a fully triangulated cage, the back bars don't really do anything. A "minimum" cage doesn't necessarily have to be fully triangulated like ours.