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Thread: Street Touring proposed rule changes in 2018 April Fasttrack

  1. #1
    Driver 865's Avatar
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    Default Street Touring proposed rule changes in 2018 April Fasttrack

    I'm not a fan of either of these proposals. I'm wondering what you other ST people think?


    #21325 Minimum seat weight, steering wheels, airbags

    The STAC is soliciting member feedback on increasing the minimum weight of allowed
    replacement aftermarket seats. This is to better align the allowances with the weights of
    today’s common seats and mounting hardware.

    Change 14.2.B as follows:

    “B. The driver and front passenger seats may be replaced with the following
    restrictions. The seating surface must be fully upholstered. The top of the seat,
    or an attached headrest, may not be below the center of the driver’s head. The
    seat, including mounting hardware, must weigh at least 25 35 pounds and must be
    attached using the OE body mounting holes/studs. Additional mounting points may
    be added.”
    The current 25 lb minimum weight results in a legal weight reduction when swapping seats in most cars. Even at 35 lbs, some cars will still shed weight. Some, by having to ballast up to the new minimum, could end up with replacement seats that are heavier than OEM (older cars, perhaps). Why is one arbitrary number better than another?

    Weight reduction is not the only reason why people change their seats. It may not even be the main reason. Most people want to limit body movement in order to improve car control, or make the car more suitable and safer for other uses, such as track. Adding ballast, if not done with care, is certainly not going to make the seat safer.

    [WHINE]Besides, it's going to be a hassle to remove my seats and hardware, weigh them, and add ballast. Street Touring is supposed to include the kinds of common performance car modifications that regular people in real life do every day to make their car more fun, better looking, or safer to drive. In real life, nobody weighs their seats and adds ballast. Only dumb autocrossers do that.[/WHINE]

    The STAC is also soliciting member feedback on the following changes to require intact
    SRS/Airbag systems effective January 1, 2020.

    Modify 14.2.B and 14.2.D as follows:

    “B. The driver and front passenger seats may be replaced with the following
    restrictions. The seating surface must be fully upholstered. The top of the seat, or
    an attached headrest, may not be below the center of the driver’s head. The seat,
    including mounting hardware, must weigh at least 25 pounds and must be attached
    using the OE body mounting holes/studs. Additional mounting points may be
    added. Seats with an integral airbag may not be modified or changed.

    “D. Any steering wheel may be used with the following restrictions. An alternate
    steering wheel assembly, including all mounting hardware, which replaces an airbag-
    equipped wheel is not required to have an airbag but must weigh at least as much as
    the standard assembly.
    Steering wheels with an integral airbag may not be modified
    or changed.
    An alternate wheel is not required to have a horn button.”
    This is clearly the work of namby-pamby safety nazis who are afraid to modify their daily driver to be competitive, so they want to force everyone else to compete in cars as hobbled, mundane, and boring as theirs.

    If you keep eliminating things that distinguish Street Touring from Street, you might as well merge the classes.

    This makes it impossible to build a safe and fun dual-purpose autocross and track Street Touring car. You can build one or the other, take your pick.

    Plus, if this becomes effective in 2020, all of us who swapped our our OEM-airbag equipped seats and steering wheels for non-airbag equipped alternatives are going to have to source OEM replacements for our current setup. That is just going to force a lot of cars into premature retirement.
    Last edited by 865; 03-21-2018 at 02:30 PM.

  2. #2

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    I already sent my letter to the SEB about the steering wheel.

    Not keen on adding weight to my seat, but it's not a biggie. I think if I do, it will weigh more than my OEM seat, though.

  3. #3

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    I think both are bullshit.

    The SEB is painting this as being about safety. Yet, they have these:
    CAM - cut up your old car and do -anything- you want to it, including many things you can't do in Street-Mod, aimed at hot-rodded "street cars".
    TINA - come drive your street car straight from work, on street pads, and wing it around the track with no safety equipment or instruction. Oh, and racecars with safe brakes, tires and cages aren't allowed because they are scary.
    Proposed Time Trial - competitive lapping, but some classes do not allow safety mods to brakes and seats, and don't require ANY safety equipment
    Jason McDaniel

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by modernbeat View Post
    I think both are bullshit.

    The SEB is painting this as being about safety. Yet, they have these:
    CAM - cut up your old car and do -anything- you want to it, including many things you can't do in Street-Mod, aimed at hot-rodded "street cars".
    TINA - come drive your street car straight from work, on street pads, and wing it around the track with no safety equipment or instruction. Oh, and racecars with safe brakes, tires and cages aren't allowed because they are scary.
    Proposed Time Trial - competitive lapping, but some classes do not allow safety mods to brakes and seats, and don't require ANY safety equipment
    Even though I have no dog in this hunt I totally agree with Jason. Stupid proposal from all angles. When we converted our STS car we discovered the potential grenade airbag did not even work. Imagine if you will trying to find someone to sell you a used 25 year old airbag wheel to convert back. and if you did would you seriously plug that sucker in??? Having worked tech at the local and national level for almost a decade, I don't recall many ST cars where I would say the aftermarket seat (since the 25# rule) was less safe than OEM. Most likely this all stems from the backroom politics to rid us of older cars. (& then R-Comp tires)

    As far as CAM cars, well I have seen some damn sketchy stuff......

  5. #5

    Default

    All they have to do is allow judgement calls on seat mounting. Not mounted well, then go home and fix it. And before someone says judgement calls are BS, they already do it with battery mounting. If you are scared that you can't build a mount that will pass tech, then keep the stock stuff.
    Jason McDaniel

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