Steve Church Prepares His Autocross Sonett for Historic Racing |
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Crews
Last Updated: Mar 26, 2006 |
2/5/2003 I want to drive my 1973 Sonett autocross (SCCA Solo II) car in historic racing programs. The car has been very successful in Solo II racing in the mid-Atlantic area and at several of the recent Saab Owners’ Conventions. However, it needs several changes and additions to satisfy road racing’s much stricter safety rules. Its challenging to build a racecar that will satisfy the different rules established by different sanctioning bodies. Some drivers would like to enter their cars in more than one racing series. However, a vehicle that meets the guidelines of one sanctioning body might easily fail when scrutinized by a similar, but different, rule-making group. The reality is that major sanctioning bodies usually don't coordinate their rules language. The solution, then, is to prepare a car to the stricter rules of one sanctioning body and then also run the car with a group that has 'looser' rules. The greatest difference between the rules for autocrossing and road racing is in the language calling for safety devices for both the drivers and the cars. For example, autocrossing clubs usually allow M-rated helmets – with motorcycle safety criteria - to be worn. M-rated helmets have interior materials that ignite at low temperatures, but the materials of helmets rated "SA" ("Special Applications") will ignite only at extreme temperatures. Racecar drivers might be trapped briefly in a burning vehicle, so they need this added burn protection. Autocrossing is considered to be so safe that M-rated helmets are OK to wear. Furthermore, autocrossing rules don’t require fire-retardant clothing, but road racing rules require no less than two layers of Nomex (or equivalent) flame-retardant material be worn. Driver safety is a major concern in road racing today. Recent deaths of famous racing personalities – Dale Earnhart, Bob Akin, and several others – have shocked the racing world. In response, private industry, racetracks, and sanctioning bodies have developed new safety equipment and new rules in hopes of dramatically improving driver safety. The HANS device is one of the products that have come out of these safety initiatives. My Sonett is already well prepared for racing except for deficiencies in its safety-oriented subsystems. It has a 6-point roll cage, racing seat and 5-point harness system, but lacks the following items: First, it lacks an authorized fuel cell and a metal bulkhead (barrier) that separates the fuel cell from the driver’s compartment. My current fuel container is a hard plastic aftermarket fuel bladder strapped down to the rear floor, and the OE bulkheads are removed. Fire is a serious threat to a driver if a crash damages any part of the fuel system. Modern rules demand that a fuel bladder manufactured from advanced, flexible polymers be enclosed in a metal container, and that the container be mounted in the vehicle in a location that’s totally isolated from the driver. The second critical safety item I need is a fire suppression system or hand-held fire extinguisher. The risk of fire exists following a crash no matter how skillfully a car is built to avoid it. An automatic or manually triggered fire suppression system, which sprays fire-fighting dry chemicals into the car’s various compartments, addresses this danger. Alternatively, some sanctioning groups allow cars to carry a hand-held fire extinguisher that the driver will use before, or after, he/she escapes. The third important item is a window net in the driver’s door window. A window net, installed in a "closed" car (sedan), will keep a driver’s left arm constrained within the car during a violent crash. The driver of an "open" car (convertible) must wear arm restraints, which are straps attached to both arms near the elbows that limit the driver’s arm movements to the cockpit. Some racing organizations allow closed-car drivers to wear a left arm restraint only, but most drivers consider arm restraints bothersome, so they install a window net instead. The last safety-oriented item I’ll need to install is an external power cut-off switch. Clearly labeled, and easily accessible from outside of the car, this switch disconnects the battery power from the car’s electrical system. The possibility of fire is greatly reduced when the primary source of sparks - the electrical system - is disabled. Safety workers responding to a crash will run up to the damaged car and immediately disconnect this switch. Sometimes the set-up of an old vehicle violates the "spirit" of originality when it competes in an historic racing event, but the car is allowed to run despite the violation. However, the rules for the required safety items are never relaxed. My car must have the modifications I mentioned here or it won’t be allowed on the track. Steve Church |