Formula
Drift Competition FAQ
What is Formula
Drift?
Formula Drift or Formula D has been created
to provide the highest level of drifting
competition in the United States. This
inaugural season will consist of 4 rounds
cumulating in the crowning of the first-ever
U.S. Champion.
Created by Slipstream Global Marketing, the
company that brought the first-ever D1 Grand
Prix USA event. Known for setting the
precedent and progressive ideas, Slipstream
with the partnership of SCCA (Sports Car
Club of America) will create a competition
rulebook, first of its kind in the World.
With a rulebook providing safety standards
and competition formats that will lay the
foundation of this series.
2004 FD
Schedule
Round One
April 24 and
25, 2004
Road Atlanta
5300 Winder Highway
Braselton, Georgia 30517
800-849-RACE
www.driftatlanta.com
Round Two
June 12, 2004
Reliant Arena
One Reliant Park
Houston, TX. 77054
832-667-1400
www.reliantcenter.com
Round Three
July 11, 2004
Infineon Raceway
Highways 37 & 121
Sonoma, California 95476
800-870-RACE
www.infineonraceway.com
Finals
Irwindale Speedway
500 Speedway Drive
Irwindale, California 91706
626-358-1100
www.irwindalespeedway.com
Competition Format:
Practice Sessions:
Two 45 minute open practice sessions before
qualifying sessions will be scheduled. Time
of practice will vary depending upon the
size of the course and the number of
vehicles that are allotted on the course at
a given time. The Competition Director will
make that decision the day following close
of Entry registration.
Qualifying:
The entire entry field will be divided into
groups. During the qualifying session each
group will have one “run” of
practice/warm-up followed by one “judged
run”. Each driver in each Championship round
will receive a minimum of two attempts at a
“judged run” only if they are on-time for
the assigned sessions.
The judges will take only the best of the
two or more “judged run” scores to determine
if the driver has qualified for the Best 16
Elimination Round.
Competition based on Pro Drift ladder
charts. Qualifying judging points will
determine ladder positions. The 16 car field
pairings will as such 1 vs. 16; 2 vs. 15; 3
vs. 14; 4 vs. 13; 5 vs. 12; 6 vs. 11; 7 vs.
10; 8 vs. 11; 9 vs. 10.
Best 16/Offical Elimination Round:
Based on the ladder positions, each pair
will be competing against each other for
entry into the next round of elimination. In
tandem drift, run one will be led by the
lower qualifier then in run two be led by
the higher qualifier. If the competition
director does not allow for tandem drift,
then each driver will be allowed two solo
judged runs. The driver with the best
combined score in the two runs will move on
to the next round.
It will be the judgment call of the
competition director to allow for tandem or
twin drift
competition based on the director’s
assessment of each competition pair. This is
so we can insure safety for both competitors
based of their various driving skills.
Elimination round will start with a field of
sixteen, then narrowed down to eight, then
four,
then the final two.
Judging and Scoring
Each Formula Drift judge will base each run
on a scale of 0 to 10. The average of the
scores
from the judging panel will determine the
competitor’s official score.
SAMPLE JUDGE
SCORING SHEET
Competition Round: Competition Round: Best
16
| |
|
|
|
|
| Car #: |
Entry
Speed & Drift
Angle |
Transition,
Smoothness
& Line |
Style
&
Excitement |
Average of
Points |
| 100 |
8.0 |
9.0 |
8.0 |
19.67 |
| 103 |
9.0 |
8.0 |
9.0 |
20.00* |
*Win
Decals
Competition Vehicle:
Formula D windshield banner will be provided
at the beginning of the season or upon
registration. Windshield must be left open
for that purpose.
SCCA Pro Racing issued decals must be place
on door panels of the competition vehicle,
one on the left door and one on the right
door.
Competition Numbers must be placed on the
top left (when looking at the car) of the
front windshield. For competitors committed
to competing in the entire Series can be
selected by the driver/teams themselves.
Numbers must be between 2 and 99. It will be
a first-comefirst-
serve basis. Competitors that do not commit
to the entire Series will be issued their
competition number during registration.
These numbers will range from 100 to 200.
Driver’s Suits:
A minimum of one Formula Drift and one SCCA
Pro Racing logo via patch or direct
embroidery must be on the competitor’s
driving suit. Call Slipstream office for
patches.
Points
First Place = 100
Second Place = 80
Third Place = 60
Fourth Place = 50
Best 8 (4) = 40
Best 16 (8) = 20
#1 Qualifier = 8
#2 Qualifier = 7
#3 Qualifier = 6
#4 Qualifier = 5
#5 & #6 Qualifier = 4
#7 & #8 Qualifier = 3
#9 to #12 Qualifier = 2
#13 to #16 Qualifier = 1
13. Prize Money:
Each Round
First Place = $2,000
Second Place = $1,000
Third Place = $500
Championship
First Place = $7,000
Second Place = $2,000
Third Place = $1,000
Code of Conduct:
A) Driver Apparel: Drivers
Uniform
(Specifications in Section1)
B) Driver Appearance: Uniform must be clean
and series required patches must be
installed in specified location
C) Team Appearance: Clean and professional
The Driver is responsible for his and his
crews conduct all times during a Formula
Drift event. Drivers, crews and officials
are to act in a professional manor.
SCCA MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPANT LICENSE
All drivers and crewmembers, working in the
pits, or other designated high-risk area,
must be 18-years, or older, be a current
SCCA and SCCA Pro member, and hold a current
SCCA Pro Participant I.D. License.
Participants 16-18 years old may be admitted
upon issuance of a SCCA Pro Minor
Participant I.D. License. Minor Participant
I.D.’s must be issued from the SCCA Pro
office, and will not be issued at event
registration. The SCCA Pro Participant I. D.
will remain the property of SCCA Pro.
Privileges may be revoked at any time for
noncompliance with this rule book.
All persons must sign the SCCA Pro Release
and Waiver Agreement (waiver) prior to
receipt of credentials (passes).
ALCOHOL, NARCOTICS, PERFORMANCE-ENHANCEMENT
DRUGS, and/or
RECREATIONAL DRUGS
The use of any narcotic,
performance-enhancement drugs, and/or
recreational drugs, as
defined by federal and/or state law, by any
participant, is expressly prohibited, even
if
prescribed by a licensed physician.
Consumption of alcoholic beverages shall not
commence until all official functions of a
specific series has been completed.
SCCA Pro reserves the right, at any time, to
require any participant to successfully
complete, at participant’s expense, such
tests as may be designated by SCCA Pro,
including, but not limited to, breath,
blood, or urine. The Medical Director of
SCCA Pro,
or his designee, may perform such tests.
Refusal to submit to, and/or failure by
participant of, such testing shall result in
penalties or removal from the event and/or
series.
ARTICLE 1.1: ADMINISTRATOR and SANCTIONING
AUTHORITY
1.1.1: SCCA Pro Racing, Ltd. (“SCCA Pro”) a
wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club
of America, Inc. (SCCA) administers and
sanctions all Formula Drift Championship
events.
1.1.2: An SCCA Pro representative shall be
present at any official meeting, or hearing,
involving interpretation, or implementation,
of this rule book.
1.1.3: At race events, the SCCA Pro Chief
Event Director has authority for the conduct
of all aspects of the event; with all other
race Officials reporting to him.
Race Series Officials have authority for the
management, administration, and sanctioning
of the Series, with ultimate authority
retained by the President of SCCA Pro
Racing.
1.1.4: KNOWLEDGE of, and SUBMISSION to RULES
Every person, entity, group of persons,
region of the SCCA, or organizer who applies
for, and is granted an SCCA Pro-sanction to
conduct an event, and any person who
receives an SCCA Pro license, warrants that:
1.1.4.1: He is acquainted with the series
rules.
1.1.4.2: He agrees without reservation to
abide by the series rules.
1.1.4.3: He renounces the right to have
legal recourse, except with the written
consent of
SCCA Pro, to any arbitrator, or tribunal,
not provided for in the rules.
1.1.5: FINALITY of INTERPRETATION and
APPLICATION
SCCA Pro officials shall make the
interpretation, and application, of the
rules. Their
decisions shall be final and binding. In
order to promote the sport of automotive
competition, to achieve prompt finality in
competition results, and in consideration of
the numerous benefits to them, all
participants and entrants, (including
competitors and officials) expressly agree
that:
• Determinations by SCCA Pro officials are
non-litigable;
• They will not initiate or maintain
litigation of any kind against SCCA, SCCA
Pro, or
anyone acting on behalf of SCCA, or SCCA
Pro, to reverse, or modify, such
determinations, or to seek to recover
damages, or other relief allegedly incurred,
or
required, as a result of such determination
and;
• If a participant, entrant, competitor, or
official initiates, or maintains, litigation
in
violation of this provision, that individual
or entity agrees to reimburse SCCA, and/or
SCCA Pro, for all costs of such litigation,
including travel expenses, and attorneys’
fees. Competitors, or officials, involved in
such litigation will have all SCCA Pro
privileges suspended until litigation is
complete.
1.1.5.1: SCCA Pro reserves the right to
amend, or modify, the rules at any time
(including individual series regulations and
event supplementary regulations) via
Supplementary Regulations, Tech Bulletins,
Competitor Bulletins, or Pro Racing Memos.
1.1.5.2 The English text of these
regulations will be used should any dispute
arise
regarding their interpretation. The final
authority shall be the printed version of
this text,
plus bulletins, memos and supplementary
regulations.
1.1.5.3: All Supplementary Regulations must
be pre-approved by SCCA Pro.
Technical Inspection:
SAFETY INSPECTION – At the beginning of each
event the TECHNICAL
ADMINISTRATOR will conduct an annual
inspection of each entered car. An annual
tech sticker will be placed on the main roll
bar hoop at drivers left. At the beginning
of each event, the Technical Administrator,
or his assigned representative, will conduct
a safety inspection of entered vehicles that
are new to the Series and have not had an
annual inspection. Upon verification of conformance, an annual tech sticker will be
issued. The annual tech sticker will be
withheld from any vehicle that does not
comply with the Required Safety
Specifications. If the tech sticker is
withheld, it is the team’s
responsibility to meet with the TECHNICAL
ADMINISTRATOR to determine what action
is required to achieve compliance. The
TECHNICAL ADMINISTRATOR shall maintain
inspection records of each entered car.
Issuance of the tech sticker is not an
endorsement of the performance of the
vehicle, nor
an indication that the vehicle meets all of
the required Technical Specifications. The
tech
sticker signifies that the vehicle has
passed the initial Safety Inspection and
will be
permitted to go on course during scheduled
Formula Drift practice, qualifying and race
sessions.
Any car which after being passed by the
TECHNICAL INSPECTOR is dismantled, or
modified, in any way which might affect its
safety, or call into question its
eligibility, or
which is involved in an accident with
similar consequences, must be re-presented
by the
team for scrutineering approval.
If there is damage to the chassis of the
vehicle, the tech sticker shall be removed
from
the vehicle. A new tech sticker may be
issued after the vehicle is repaired and
reinspected.
Eligible Vehicles:
A) Any 2 or 4 door coupe, sedan or sports
car.
B) Must be a production car with a minimum
build run of 250 units
C) Must maintain original unibody or frame
D) Vehicles that do not meet the above
criteria must be approved by the series.
Body Work:
A) Must be clean and presentable
B) Aftermarket body panels, front and rear
fascias and wings are permitted;
make and model must remain recognizable. The
driver’s side door must
maintain the O.E.M side impact protection.
C) All body work must be securely latched or
fasten.
D) Windshield must be O.E.M or clear Lexan
with a minimum thickness of
6mm and maintain the shape of the O.E.M
windshield
E) Door, quarter and rear glass must be O.E.M or clear Lexan with a minimum
thickness of 3mm and securely bolted in
place
F) Unibody/chassis my be seam welded
G) All required Formula Drift decals must be
present in there specified
location. Windshield Banner required for
competition. Formula Drift will
provide the materials.
Engine/Transmission:
A) Engine and transmission modifications are
free.
B) Engine and radiator catch tanks with a
minimum capacity of one (1) quart
each are required and securely fastened.
C) Engine, transmission and cooling system
must free of leaks, fluid leaks will
not be tolerated
D) All vehicles must be rear-wheel drive.
Drive train may be modified, but
must push power from the rear wheels.
Fuel System:
A) Is free, fuel lines and fittings must be
high pressure type and routed in such
a way that do not interfere with moving
parts and be securely insulated and
attached to the Unibody/chassis.
B) Fuel cells are recommended.
Electrical System:
A) Master electrical cut-off switch is
recommended and should be mounted
outside the vehicle and clearly marked.
B) Battery must be securely mounted and the
positive terminal insulated.
Battery may be relocated, if in the cockpit
it must in a sealed box bolted to
the unibody/chassis with the battery
securely fastened inside the box.
C) Headlights, tail lights and brake lights
must be in working order.
Exhaust System:
A) Exhaust system is free
B) Must exit outside of the body work
C) Must not exceed 100db at 50 feet
Brake System:
A) Brake system must operate all 4 wheels
B) Brake calipers, lines, rotors, pedals
must in good working order.
C) Dual master cylinders pedal assemblies
are allowed.
D) Brake bias may be driver adjustable.
Interior:
A) All non essential items may be removed.
B) Gages are free; dash board must be O.E.M
or O.E.M replacement.
C) Must be clean and professional in
appearance.
D) Drivers seat, safety harness mounting see
section 1
Section 1: Safety Equipment
Required Safety Equipment
1.1 DRIVER SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Each driver must wear the following
equipment in all on-track sessions:
1.1.2: A safety helmet shall be worn by all
drivers. Helmets certified to the following
standards are permitted;
Snell Memorial Foundation – SA95, SA2000
SFI Foundation – Spec 31.2, Spec 31.2A
British Helmet Standard – BS 6658:1958
1.1.3: Accident-damaged helmets shall be
given, or sent, by the driver, or his
representative, to SCCA Pro Racing, LLC,
P.O. Box 19400, Topeka, KS 66619-0400. It
will be forwarded to the certifying
organization. Details of the accident should
be
included.
1.1.4: Drivers must wear a helmet during all
on-track sessions.
1.1.5: Hair protruding from beneath a
driver’s helmet must be completely covered
by fireresistant material. Drivers with
facial hair must wear face shields of
fire-resistant material (i.e. balaclava or
helmet skirt).
1.1.6: Only one-piece driving suits made of
fire-resistant material and certified to SFI
spec 3/2A-1, or homologated by the FIA,
which effectively covers the body, including
neck, ankles and wrists, will be accepted.
Multi-layer driving suits are recommended.
1.1.7: Fire-resistant underwear is required
with single and double layer suits, but is
not
required with three, or more, layer driving
suits unless the suit manufacturer so
specifies.
1.1.8: Socks must be made of fire-resistant
material, and shoes and gloves must be
made of leather, or any approved
fire-resistant material containing no holes,
except those made by the manufacturer of the
equipment.
1.1.9: Driver restraint system see Appendix
J.
1.1.10: Any corrective eye glass material
used shall be of safety glass-type, and meet
U.
S. Government standards.
Appendix J
J.2: All drivers in SCCA Pro events must
utilize either a five-point, or six-point,
restraint
harness meeting the following specifications
at all times during practice, qualifying,
and the race.
J.3: A five-point system is required for use
in automobiles where the driver is seated in
an upright position, and consists of a
three-inch seat belt, three-inch shoulder
straps, or two-inch shoulder straps with
three-inch wide professional padding, and a
two-inch anti-submarine strap. The single
anti-submarine strap shall be attached to
the floor structure of the car similar to
the shoulder harness mounting and have a
metal-to-metal connection with the single
release common to the seat belt and shoulder
harness. A six-point system may also be
used, and is recommended.
J.4: A six-point system is required for use
in automobiles where the driver is seated in
a
semi-reclining position and consists of
either a three-inch seat belt, three-inch
shoulder
straps, or two-inch shoulder straps with
three-inch wide professional padding, and
two,
approximately two-inch, leg straps. The
double leg straps of the six-point system
may be
attached to the floor, or be attached to the
seat belt so that the driver sits on them,
passing them up between his legs and
attaching them either to the single release
common to the seat belt and shoulder
harness, or attaching them to the shoulder
harness straps. It is also permissible for
the leg straps to be secured at a point
common to the seat belt attachment to the
structure, passing under the driver and up
between his legs to the seat belt release,
or shoulder harness straps.
J.5: The material of all straps shall be
nylon, or Dacron polyester, and in new or
perfect
condition. The buckles must be of
metal-to-metal quick-release type, except in
the case of leg straps of the six-point
system, where they attach to the seat belt,
or shoulder harness straps.
J.6: The shoulder harness shall be the
over-the-shoulder type. There must be a
single
release common to the seat belt and shoulder
harness. Only separate shoulder straps are
permitted. (Y-type shoulder straps are not
allowed.) “H”-type configuration is allowed.
J.7: In cases where the driver is in a
semi-reclining position, the shoulder
harness shall be attached so that the angle
between a line drawn through the driver’s
spine and the shoulder harness is 70-degrees
or greater.
J.8: All straps must be free to run through
intermediate loops, or clamps/buckles. If
3-bar
adjusters are used, they shall be placed as
close to the mounting points as possible.
Straps utilizing a hook with a spring-loaded
clip, which attaches to an eyebolt, must use
a cotter pin, or safety wire, through the
small hole that prevents the clip from
opening.
J.9: Drivers of open cockpit cars must use
arm restraints.
J.10: The minimum acceptable bolts used in
the mounting of all belts end harnesses are
SAE Grade 5. Where possible, seat belt,
shoulder harness, and anti-submarine strap(s)
should be mounted to the roll structure, or
frame of the car. Where this is not
possible, large diameter mounting washers or
equivalent should be used to spread the
load. Bolting through aluminum floor panels,
etc., is not acceptable.
J.11: SFI Certification - Harness systems
may be certified to SFI spec 16.1, and shall
bearthe appropriate label(s). This
certification shall expire on December 31st
of the 2nd year, after the year of
manufacture. The harness system may be sent
to the manufacturer for re-webbing and
recertification.
FIA Certification - Harness systems may be
homologated by the FIA to specification
8853/98, and shall bear the appropriate
label(s). It is recommended that the harness
system be replaced every three (3) years,
but the mandatory replacement date is the
5th
year after production. The expiration date,
instead of the date of manufacture, is
printed
on the FIA label(s).
J.12: Regardless of the date of manufacture,
the safety harness shall be replaced if the
webbing is cut/frayed, if any of the buckles
are bent/cracked, or if the car has been in
a
severe impact. If any of these conditions
exist, the TECHNICAL ADMINISTRATOR shall cut
the certification labels off of the harness.
The team will then have to return the
harness to the manufacturer for
recertification.
J.13: The shoulder harness shall be mounted
as closely behind the seat back as possible,
not to exceed twelve-inches (12”). The
shoulder harness shall be above a line drawn
downward from the shoulder point at an angle
of 20-degrees with the horizontal. The
shoulder straps shall pass through the seat,
without interference, to the attachment
points.
J.14: The lap belts shall be mounted
rearward of the pelvis, between two lines
drawn at 45-degrees, and 65-degrees, below
the horizontal. The lap belts shall pass
through the seat, without interference, to
the attachment points.
J.15: Two anti-submarine straps/leg straps
as are found in a 6-point harness system,
are highly recommended. If used, they shall
be mounted behind the point where they wrap
around the driver’s legs, and shall pass
through the seat, without interference, to
the attachment points. If a single
anti-submarine strap is used, it shall be
mounted
approximately 20-degrees behind the vertical
point where it passes through the seat, and
shall pass through the seat, without
interference, to the attachment points.
Attach Drawing
For 2004 SCCA Pro Racing Sanctioned Drifting
events a Roll Bars will be accepted
Roll Cages will be required for 2005 SCCA
Pro Racing sanctioned Drifting events.
2.1 ; Roll Bars
Roll Bars are required for all SCCA
Sanctioned Professional Drifting events,
these
specifications apply to all vehicles unless
specified differently in series specific
rules.
The basic purpose of the roll bar is to
protect the driver. It must be designed to
withstand
compression forces from the weight of the
car coming down on the roll bar structure
and
to take fore/aft, and lateral, loads
resulting from the car skidding along on its
roll bar
structure.
A. The Top of the roll bar must be a minimum
of 2 inches over the drivers helmet when
the driver is sitting in a normal driving
position (as near the roof as possible in
closed
sedans) and shall not be more than six
inches.
B. The two vertical members forming the
sides of the hoop must extend the full width
of
the cockpit to provide maximum bearing area.
C. A system of head restraint to prevent
whiplash and prevent the driver’s head from
striking the underside of the main hoop is
required. The head restraint must be
padded with a non-resilient material and
must be capable of withstanding a force of
200 lbs. in a rearward direction. Closed
cars with full cockpit-width main hoops must
have two (2) braces extending to the rear,
and attaching to the frame, or chassis.
Braces must be attached as near as possible
to the top of the main hoop (not more
than 6” below the top), and at an included
angle of at least 30-degrees. Main hoop
rear bracing shall not extend rearward past
the shock towers and must be of the
same dimensions as least equal to that of
the main hoop. One diagonal from the top
of the main hoop not more than 24” from the
drivers side vertical down to the
passengers side vertical. A Horizontal bar
between the main hoop and diagonal no
higher than shoulder high is required for
shoulder harness mounting,
Vehicle Material
|
Weight |
Mild Steel |
Alloy Steel |
| Up to 1500 Ibs. |
1.375x.095 |
1.375x.080 |
| 1501 to 2499 Ibs. |
1.500x.095 |
1.500x.095 |
| 2500
lbs. & Up |
1.750x.095 |
1.750x.095 |
2.2 ROLL CAGES
These general specifications are for all
automobiles. Roll cages will be required in
all
automobiles in 2005.
2.2.1 BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
1. The basic purpose of the roll cage is to
protect the driver if the car turns
over, runs into an obstacle such as a
guardrail or catch fence, or is struck
by another car. It shall be designed to
withstand compression forces from
the weight of the car coming down on the
rollover structure and to take
fore/aft and lateral loads resulting from
the car skidding along on its
rollover structure.
2. A system of head restraint to prevent
whiplash and rebound and also to
prevent the driver’s head from striking the
underside of the main hoop
shall be installed on all vehicles. Racing
seats with integral headrests
shall also meet this requirement and have a
support to the main hoop.
Seats homologated to, and mounted in
accordance with FIA standard
8855-1999 or higher need not have the seat
back attached to the roll
structure. The head restraint on
non-integral seats shall have a minimum
area of thirty-six (36) square inches and be
padded with a non-resilient
material such as Ethafoam® Ensolite®, or
other similar material with a
minimum thickness of one (1) inch. Padding
meeting SFI spec 45.1 is
recommended. The head restraint shall be
capable of withstanding a
force of two-hundred (200) lbs., in a
rearward direction. The head restraint
support shall be such that it continues
rearward or upward from the top
edge in a way that the driver’s helmet can
not hook over the pad. The
padded surface shall touch the helmet; it
shall not be under fiberglass or
other hard material.
3. Forward braces and portions of the main
hoop subject to contact by the
driver’s helmet (as seated normally and
restrained by seatbelt/shoulder
harness) shall be padded with non-resilient
material such as Ethafoam® or
Ensolite®, or other similar material with a
minimum thickness of one-half
(1/2) inch. Padding meeting SFI spec 45.1 is
recommended.
Material: Alloy Steel or DOM
Vehicle
Material
|
Weight |
Mild Steel |
Alloy Steel |
| Up to 1500 Ibs. |
1.375x.095 |
1.375x.080 |
| 1501 to 2499 Ibs. |
1.500x.095 |
1.500x.095 |
| 2500
lbs. & Up |
1.750x.095 |
1.750x.095 |
Note: ERW tubing is not permitted in any car
registered with SCCA
after of 01/01/2003.
Main hoop:
4 bends maximum, totaling 180 degrees ± 10
degrees.
Front hoop:
4 bends maximum or Front downtubes: 2 bends
maximum.
Rear hoop supports:
No bends.
If any of the above bend requirements cannot
be met, all
components of the roll cage shall be
fabricated from the tubing
size(s) listed for the next heavier category
of automobiles.
D. For purposes of determining tubing sizes,
the vehicle weight is as
raced without fuel and driver. The minus
tolerance for wall thickness should not be
less than .010" below the nominal thickness.
E. An inspection hole at least 3/16 inch
diameter, but no greater than
1/4 inch diameter shall be drilled in a
non-critical area of all tubes
with a specified size to facilitate
verification of wall thickness.
7. General Construction
A. One (1) continuous length of tubing shall
be used for the main hoop
member with smooth continuous bends and no
evidence of crimping
or wall failure. The radius of bends in the
roll cage hoop (measured
at centerline of tubing) shall not be less
than three (3) times the
diameter of the tubing. Whenever possible,
the roll cage hoop should
start from the floor of the car, and, in the
case of tube frame
construction, be attached to the chassis
tubes by means of gussets
or sheet metal webs with support tubes
beneath the joints to
distribute the loads. It is recommended that
gussets be used
B. Welding shall conform to American Welding
Society D1.1:2002,
Structural Welding Code, Steel Chapter 10,
Tubular Structures.
Whenever D1.1 refers to “the Engineer” this
shall be interpreted to
be the owner of the vehicle. Welds shall be
continuous around the
entire tubular structure.
All welds shall be visually inspected and
shall be acceptable if the
following conditions are satisfied:
1. The weld shall have no cracks.
2. Thorough fusion shall exist between weld
metal and base
metal.
3. All craters shall be filled to the cross
section of the weld.
4. Undercut shall be no more than 0.01 inch
deep.
C. Aluminum bronze or silicon bronze welding
technique is permitted,
but extreme care shall be used in
preparation of parts before bronze
welding and in the design of the attaching
joints.
18.2. BOLT IN ROLL CAGE
1. Full width roll cages are recommended in
all Drifting automobiles. Roll
cages installed in Drifting automobiles are
for driver safety and shall be
contained entirely within the
driver/passenger compartment. The
carpet/padding may be cut around the
mounting base plates.
A. The cage need not be removable. It shall
be bolted and/or welded to
the car.
B. It shall attach to the car in at least
than six (6) points, consisting of
the basic cage with six (6) points and two
optional braces.
C. The forward part of the cage shall be
mounted to the floor of the
vehicle. In addition, if the two optional
braces referred to in 18.2.1.B
are utilized they shall be mounted, one on
either side, from the
forward section of the cage to the firewall
or front fender wells (see
GCR Section 18.2., Figure 1). No braces
shall pass through the front
firewall.
2. Removable roll cages and braces shall be
very carefully designed and
constructed to be at least as strong as a
permanent installation. If one
tube fits inside another tube to facilitate
removal, the removable portion
shall fit tightly and shall bottom by design
and at least two (2) bolts shall
be used to secure each such joint. The
telescope section shall be at least
eight (8) inches in length. Minimum bolt
diameter is 3/8 inches.
3. For tubing sizes for front and main hoop
and all required bracing, see
18.1.6.C.
4. Main Roll Hoop:
A. Main roll hoop (behind the driver) shall
extend the full width of the
driver/passenger compartment and shall be as
near the roof as
possible. It shall incorporate a diagonal
lateral brace to prevent
lateral distortion of the hoop (See Figure
1). Any number of
additional reinforcing bars are permitted
within the structure of the
cage. It is required that the horizontal
brace behind the driver’s seat
(described in Section 18.2.10) continue from
the diagonal to the
passenger side main hoop upright or that a
second diagonal be
installed in the main hoop.
5. Front Roll Hoops:
A. The front or side hoops shall follow the
line of the front pillars to the
top of the windshield (as close to the roof
as possible) then
horizontally to the rear attaching to the
main hoop. These two side
hoops are to be connected together by a tube
over the top of the
windshield, or
B. A front hoop following the line of the
front pillars and connected by
horizontal bars to the main hoop on each
side at the top may be
used, or
C. A top “halo” hoop following the roof line
from the main hoop to the
windshield with forward down tubes following
the line of the front
pillars to the floor.
D. The front or side hoops may extend
through the dash pad. This
includes the forward part of the door panel
if it is an extension of the
dash panel.
E. One (1) bar is recommended in a
horizontal plane between forward
cage braces in the dash area.
6. Bracing:
The main roll hoop shall have two braces
extending to the rear attaching
to the frame or chassis. Braces shall be
attached as near as possible to
the top of the main hoop not more than six
(6) inches below the top and at
an included angle of at least thirty (30)
degrees. On cars where the rear
window/bulkhead prohibits the installation
of rear braces (e.g., Honda del
Sol), the main hoop shall be attached to the
body by plates welded to the
cage and bolted to the stock shoulder
harness mounting points.
7. Side Protection:
A side tube connecting the front and rear
hoops across the driver’s door
opening is mandatory and across the
passenger’s door opening is allowed
(recommended). The telescope section should
be at least four (4) inches
in length. Minimum bolt diameter 3/8 inches.
The driver’s window safety
net may be mounted to this side tube and the
top cage tube. Driver’s door
side tubes may extend into the door.
NASCAR-style side protection is
permitted. The driver’s door window glass,
window operating mechanism,
inner door trim panel, armrest, map pockets,
and inside door latch/lock
operating mechanism may be removed and the
inner door structural panel
may be modified, but not removed to
facilitate this type of side protection.
The stock side impact beam and the outside
door latch/lock operating
mechanism shall not be removed or modified.
8. Mounting Plates:
A. Each mounting plate shall be at least
.080 thick if welded and 3/16”
thick (with appropriate backing plates) if
bolted. There shall be a
minimum of three (3) bolts per mounting
plate if bolted.
B. Each mounting plate shall not be greater
than 100 square inches and
shall be no greater than twelve (12) inches
or less than two (2)
inches on a side.
C. Whenever possible, mounting plates shall
extend onto a vertical
section of the structure (such as a rocker
box).
D. The mounting plate may be multi-angled
but must not exceed these
dimensions in a flat plane.
E. Any number of tubes may attach to the
plate or each other.
9. Hardware: (Bolts)
All hardware shall be Grade 5 or better.
5/16" minimum diameter.
10. In order to provide a secure seat back
support a section of tubing equal to
the roll bar shall be installed horizontally
from the main hoop upright to the
diagonal brace. This tube shall be no higher
than shoulder height. The
driver’s seat shall be firmly mounted to the
structure of the car. In cars
where the seat is upright, the back of the
seat shall be firmly attached to
the main roll hoop, or it’s cross bracing.
Seats homologated to and mounted in
accordance with FIA standard 8855-1999 or higher need not have the seat back
attached to the roll structure. The
homologation labels must be visible. Seat
supports shall be of the type listed
on FIA technical list No.12 (lateral,
bottom, etc).
Fig. 18.2.10.A
FIA Standard 8855 -1999
ABC Seats Ltd.
Model: Super Champion 1996
Homologation N° CS.OO1.96
Date of Manufacture: June 1996
Letters must be at least 8mm high
Sample FIA seat homologation label
REMOVABLE ROLL CAGE
Tubing Joints - See Figures 2, 3, and 4
Insert figures from page 141
18.4.4. Mounting Plates:
The thickness of mounting plates bolted to
the structure of the car shall
not be less than the thickness of the roll
hoop or brace that they attach
and shall be backed-up with a plate of equal
dimensions on the
opposite side of the panel, with the plate’s
through-bolted together. A
minimum of three (3) bolts per mounting
plate is required for bolted
mounting plates. All hardware (bolts) shall
be Grade 5 or better with
5/16" diameter minimum. Mounting plates welded to the structure of
the car shall not be less than .080" thick.
Whenever possible the
mounting plates should extend onto a
vertical section of the structure
(such as door pillar).
18.4.5. Driver’s Seat
The driver’s seat shall be firmly mounted to
the structure of the car. In
cars where the seat is upright, the back of
the seat shall be firmly
attached to the main roll hoop, or it’s
cross bracing. Bulkheads,
firewalls, rear decks, or similar structures
of suitable strength may be
used as a substitute for the main roll hoop
or cross bracing to provide
the required seat back support.
Seats homologated to and mounted in
accordance with FIA standard
8855-1999 or higher need not have the seat
back attached to the roll
structure. The homologation labels must be
visible. Seat supports
shall be of the type listed on FIA technical
list No.12 (lateral, bottom,
etc).
Fig. 18.4.5.A
FIA Standard 8855 -1999
ABC Seats Ltd.
Model: Super Champion 1996
Homologation N° CS.OO1.96
Date of Manufacture: June 1996
Letters must be at least 8mm high
Sample FIA seat homologation label
Figure 6: RECOMMENDED ROLL CAGE
HIGH FRONT HOOP OPEN AND CLOSED, GT

Figure 7: RECOMMENDED ROLL CAGE
OPEN-TOP CARS
NOTE: A low front hoop may only be used in
open-top cars without a
windshield.

Figure 8
REMOVABLE ROLL BAR BRACES
ATTACHMENT DETAILS

M.4: ROLL CAGE STRUCTURE MINIMUM TUBING
SIZES
Section 3: Tires
A) Tires must be DOT approved and available
in the Untied States
B) Tires must have a minimum tread wear
rating of 140
APPENDIX N: CONVERSION CHART
1 inch = 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm
1 foot = 304.8 mm = 30.48 cm
1 yard = 914.4 mm = 91.44 cm
1 mile = 5280 ft. = 1.60934 km
1 cubic inch (c.i.) = 16.387 cubic
centimeters (cc)
1 cubic centimeter = 0.061 cubic inch
1 liter = 1000 cc = 61.0255 cubic inch
1 liter = 0.264 US gallons = 1.0568 qt
1 US gal = 4 US qts = 231.18 cubic inches =
3.785 liters
1 ounce (oz) = 28.35 grams
1 pound (lb) = 16 ounces = 453.592 grams
1 kilogram (kg) = 1000 grams = 2.2046 pounds
1 mile per hour = 1.467 feet per second
miles per hour = 0.62137 x kilometers per
hour
kilometers per hour = 1.60934 x miles per
hour
degrees Fahrenheit - 32 x .555 = degrees
Celsius
degrees Celsius x 1.8 + 32 = degrees
Fahrenheit
psi x .069 = bars
bars x 14.5 = psi
foot pounds x 1.355 = Newton meters (Nm)
water = 8.34 pounds per US gallon
gasoline = 6.2 pounds per US gallon
methanol = 6.75 pounds per US gallon
1 millimeter = 0.03937 in
1 centimeter = 0.3937 in
1 meter = 39.37 in
1 kilometer = 0.62137 mi
Engine displacement = bore x bore x stroke x
.7854 x no. of cylinders
Brake horsepower (BHP) =
RPM x torque (in
lbs-ft)
5250
MPH =
RPM x tire diameter (in inches)
gear ratio x 336
Lap Speed =
track length (miles) x 3600 =
MPH
lap time (seconds)
Avg. Speed =
track length (miles) x 3600 x
no. of laps = MPH
total time (seconds) |