Why you do need a rollbar

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:50 pm

every else gonna watch, go to about 1:10 and start watching.

wasabi · Postby **wasabi** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 12:26 pm

Damn!

Glad I've got a half cage in mine already!

gslender · Postby **gslender** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 2:55 pm

Some posts from the person who was driving.... stolen from CR

bedheadben wrote:I had been tracking all day with a passenger and as some of you may know Miatas understeer a bit more with that weight in the passenger seat. This session I booted my passenger for some practice time alone. I was coming out of riverside flat in 4th like I always do and after reviewing the the in-car I just BARELY clipped that curbing in the left kink and it spun me. I went off the track backwards and the second my rear passenger wheel went off the spokes ripped out of the barrel and it catapulted me. I came to a rest right side up after 3 rolls in a puddle, I'm happy I landed on my wheels and not upside down in the water seeing as it took 5 minutes for anyone to get to my car. Big ups to Hard Dog with their new X braced roll bar, Schroth 5 point harnesses, Sparco Sprint 5's, NRG quick release and I/O Port tow strap, all of which performed absolutely flawlessly throughout the entire endeavor. Time to build a real race car

bedheadben wrote:Hard top was only latched on, not even with side latches just the front and it got ripped in half the first time it hit the ground. There were holes in the mud made by my helmet, I guess I should floor mount my seat next time.

mattyredlocks · Postby **mattyredlocks** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 3:02 pm

Ohhhffff. Ouch.

Did he have a hard top or soft top? Whatever it was, it seems to disappear after the first roll.

Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 4:45 pm

mattyredlocks wrote:Ohhhffff. Ouch.

Did he have a hard top or soft top? Whatever it was, it seems to disappear after the first roll.

Hardtop. Split in half on impact. Offers no rollover support, despite what a small minority claim. He's lucky he spent all the money he did on safety gear, although a HANS would've been one more thing to help out a lot.

mattyredlocks · Postby **mattyredlocks** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 5:15 pm

I'm surprised he didn't have a HANS, had everything else.

The hard top is held on by four flimsy brackets and two kinda-bolts-clip-things - not surprised it just popped off.

Pretty sure the only real benefit of a hard top at the track is that you can see out the back of it easier than the soft top. But that's just me.

Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 6:49 pm

mattyredlocks wrote:Pretty sure the only real benefit of a hard top at the track is that you can see out the back of it easier than the soft top. But that's just me.

Better visibility than soft top, worse visibility than no top. On the other hand, better aero than both I reckon. I know that the difference between soft top and no top at Lakeside is 5kmh at the end of the straight, but couldn't say how different soft top is to hard top for slipperiness.

mattyredlocks · Postby **mattyredlocks** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:08 pm

Trackphotos wrote:Better visibility than soft top, worse visibility than no top. On the other hand, better aero than both I reckon. I know that the difference between soft top and no top at Lakeside is 5kmh at the end of the straight, but couldn't say how different soft top is to hard top for slipperiness.

The hard top definitely changes the wind noise, if that's any indication. Way less annoying than the soft top gets past 100Km/h.

mazmad · Postby **mazmad** » Fri Oct 17, 2014 7:35 pm

Keeps the rain out too. Looking forward to getting mine soon!

Rocky · Postby **Rocky** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 12:24 pm

Surprising, when you think about it, that with all the "save them from themselves" thinking these days, that you can still buy convertibles without the makers having to design integral roll-bars.
(I mean proper roll-bars, not the plastic things behind the seats in some cars)