There's a whole 'nother layer of discussion about harnesses with harness bars vs. roll bars ... and then what constitutes an acceptable roll bar ... that comes into play when one goes competitive.
It was that discussion which drove me to go to a full cage and jump into racing (figuring if I had the cage, why not?). I went round and round for months trying to chose between harness bar, roll bar and full cage.
I am part of the group setting up the SCCA Performance Driving Experience in St. Louis. This was a topic of great discussion. Basically they will follow what is laid out above, except the head of tech has the final call on any car/driver setup. In the case of C5 and C6 vettes, we are going to allow 5 and 6 point harnesses with stock seats. The fear of shoulder belts going over the shoulders as the driver slides forward (with a sub belt not through the seat), is not going to happen with properly belted driver of average to tall size within these vettes.
And as of right now, we think the local St. Louis clubs are going to follow suit.
I ran with Redline last weekend with my stock Z06 seats and harnesses. No issues. Also signed up with the Audi club for next month and they also said it is not an issue. Clearly the debate on what is required or not is still going strong.
And until a standard develops, I am not investing in any further modifications in this area.
I ran with Redline last weekend with my stock Z06 seats and harnesses. No issues. Also signed up with the Audi club for next month and they also said it is not an issue. Clearly the debate on what is required or not is still going strong.
And until a standard develops, I am not investing in any further modifications in this area.
I am with ya' on that one, I was thinking about race seats but hey, my modified stock seats were just fine so why spend the $
I decided last year that, to avoid all the questions, I would go roll bar, certified seats, and harnesses.
I put the roll bar in last year.
I can't put the money out for seats and harnesses this year.
However, I did just buy an R3 Rage (the non full CF model) Head and Neck Restraint that is SFI 38.1 certified but does not use the harness straps.
I can use it in any car and can use it with harnesses when the time comes.
I'll be fitting the helmet "D" rings and tether straps, fitting the body straps, and using it for the first time in a couple weeks at Summit-Shenandoah circuit.
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^VIR Turn 3 '08^-MungoZ06-'03 QS/ModRed - NCCC, NASA NCM Member - Z06 Fest IV,V,VI,VII
I've been running my C-5 Z06 with the Brey Kraus harness bar and belt attach brackets. I have the Crow 6 point. At a NASA event I was told that the shoulder belts had to go through the seats.
So I had the pass through inserts installed in my stock Z06 seats, no problem since running in NASA TTA.
Worst case you could wear you 6 point and the stock seat belt over it to comply with individual club rules!
I've heard a lot of this discussion from various people on various occasions; and many racers and tech inspectors have expressed the common opinion that any one of the "three" (roll bar/cage, harness, and seat) by itself or in twos has the potential to be downright dangerous. I don't know how this applies in Corvettes, due to the unique design of the car. However they all suggest doing all three to any car used extensively on the track. And that is precisely what I did almost a year ago. It hasn't really detracted from the drivability of the car: I can't hit the roll bar without the harness, and I too can check the blind spots without it. The seats are "comfortable" for the long haul. There's really no downside, no reason not to have done it, save from the loss of half my trunk.
This is about safety, folks, not driver comfort. I hear all too often, "I installed the harness because it holds me tight when cornering." It should be, "I did everything which I did because I want to come home to my family and friends tomorrow."
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