kbrew8991 0 Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 whats this I hear about Barber (the track) mandating 5pt harnesses for verts (in addition to a rollbar) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rossumberger 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 whats this I hear about Barber (the track) mandating 5pt harnesses for verts (in addition to a rollbar) I've been a reader only for the last few months, but I registered to give you an update. As of 1:00 pm today the barber officals starting cracking down. If you have an open top car you are required to have a submarine belt and arm restraints regardless of the group you are in (including hpde 1). I think NASA is letting people transfer their weekend to one in the future if they don't have the required equipment. I think I heard that about 10 people have already done this and gone home. I bought the last two sets of arm restraints from discovery parts, I'm not sure if he is going to try to get more for tomorrow. These rules are ONLY for convertibles, if you have a hardtop, enclosed car, or a coupe you can run factory belts. The arm restraints should make points bys more fun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob O 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 whats this I hear about Barber (the track) mandating 5pt harnesses for verts (in addition to a rollbar) I'm one that was caught up in that mess with my stock Honda S2000. I'm trying to remain calm but some top officers with Barber will get a certified letter from me by Wednesday. NASA handled it the best they could but I could not just screw in a 5 point harness and meet the CCR. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snakebit 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I didn't register for Barber this weekend, but my car is a convertible mustang cobra. I have a 4 pt rollbar with stock seats and belts. Jim announced earlier in the week that 'verts could run top up. Would that satisfy Barber? Glad I didn't make the trip and spend $200 plus in fuel costs alone.... John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob O 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 John, from talking with Jim in the tech sheed Barber had a few last minute surprises but that is me reading between the lines so I won't comment on that, not my place. I was only affected by the harness. However, I already have the name, address and phone of the Top Officials with the companies involved in pulling this stunt. $200 in fuel, your tow truck must get good fuel milage, I spent $180 and I'm only 230 miles north. Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
snakebit 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 $200 in fuel, your tow truck must get good fuel milage, I spent $180 and I'm only 230 miles north. Rob Duramax, about 12 mpg pulling the trailer. 270 miles to Barber, all highway. I'm 2 hours due north of Atlanta, in western NC. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob O 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 $200 in fuel, your tow truck must get good fuel milage, I spent $180 and I'm only 230 miles north. Rob Duramax, about 12 mpg pulling the trailer. 270 miles to Barber, all highway. I'm 2 hours due north of Atlanta, in western NC. I saw NC and thought it was a longer drive than that. I also have a Duramax and got 12 mpg. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dbright007 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I didn't register for Barber this weekend, but my car is a convertible mustang cobra. I have a 4 pt rollbar with stock seats and belts. Jim announced earlier in the week that 'verts could run top up. Would that satisfy Barber? Glad I didn't make the trip and spend $200 plus in fuel costs alone.... John From my understanding, no. I got there Fri about 4 and had had some rumors of it phoned to me on the way there. (Miata, 4pt bar, soft top) =No good. I opted for the refund instead of trying to rig up a 5 pt belt and find arm restraints and hook them up to stock seats. Thought DE1/2 was a place you could drive you stock car without having to upgrade to seats and belts etc. I don't blame NASA obviously - so far has been handled as well as possible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kbrew8991 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 and yet I bet when some vintage group goes there they let them run "vintage" (no or just plain scarily old) safety equipment for their race groups I guess the only good thing at Barber anymore is the facility (and track isn't included in that) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lucid Moments 1 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 Holy crap. So in essence then Barber is prohibiting the use of convertibles in HPDE? Because in practice that is the effect that Barber's rule will have. And they sprung this on NASA at the last minute too? Sounds like NASA is doing the right thing but they should seriously consider if they are going to go back to Barber if that the way track management is going to be. I can't even imagine how furious I would be if I had been involved. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dbright007 0 Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 NASA was doing the best they could in a rough situation this weekend. There were some upset folks. I talked to one guy who lived in Seattle and had planned a business trip in Huntsville around being able to drive Barber with NASA. He drove his miata from Seattle. Plus the guys that had trailered in from the Carolinas. Lots of gas $$ wasted. I never did ask if running a hard top negated needing a harness. In any case, there has obviously been a lot going on with rules relating to convertibles in the past week or so. I just hate to start looking at hard-tops vs seats/harnesses vs different cars without having a solid idea of where this will all end up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rodh 0 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I'm at Barber too this weekend, though not driving this time. Since I drive a Miata in DE, I asked Jim this morning about hardtops (I'm 6'2" & have a custom Kirk Racing rollbar to max out the bar height & still run a hardtop). He said the harnesses & restraints are not needed with a hardtop. Hopefully it will stay this way. I really hate it for all the folks that got caught out by this, especially the s2000 & Z4 drivers who were okay in stock form at noon on Friday. However, the were lots of topdown Miatas on track Saturday...seems like much more than when I did DE1 in the fall. Quite a bit of midnight oil was burned Friday as folks put in harnesses and also cooperation today as the restraints that could be found were shared. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
briankeithsmith 0 Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I think the approach I would've taken is "there are more of us here, than there are Barber officials - so we can take them..." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCR Elise 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I had a group with me that dealt with the "surprise". Slightly challenging but in the end it worked out for us. First, I have to compliment the NASA folks. My perception is that Barber dealt a low blow but I am just a lowly track addict so all I can factually state is that when I asked Jim about the rule change he could not have been kinder or more considerate. We were able to source two sets of harnesses and applicable hardware around 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon and proceeded to disassemble two Miata interiors in the parking lot of our motel. It would have made a great Speed Channel episode for those of us that view on the Sunday mornings that we are not at some track. Anyway, we drew a crowd and promoted NASA. Jobs were complete around 9:00 p.m. Then Saturday morning we get to the track and are informed that the arm restraints rule has been invoked. All restraints had been sold. At this point we are thinking divine intervention is telling us to go home. Totally deflated I turn to see Jim heading towards the all hands meeting. I walked up and asked him if he had any suggestions to which he replied he would announce in the meeting. When the meeting was over, two sets of arm restraints were easily obtained from two different NASA members. All I can say is we had a great weekend and every NASA official, worker, and member I meet is awesome. This is a family thing for my wife, son, and me and I am so glad I found you guys. See you all at CMP! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sperkins 1 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 See you all at CMP! Macon huh? I'm going to CMP as well. It will be my first visit there. Maybe I could follow you?... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2k2s2k 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Sorry about the problems Rob, Barber definitely didn't handle this situation well. I spoke to a guy who drove Friday, in his stock S2000, only to wake up Saturday to the new rules. Evidently because he went through tech early on Friday, he wasn't informed of the change for the weekend. Is it just me, or does Barber seem to have worse customer service than Roebling(which almost everybody complains about). All I can add is that if I had been in your shoes, with my tow to Barber(10hrs-600mi each way), it would be my last time spending any of my money too use their facility. I guess motorcycle racing is safer than HPDE with a convertible now? What am I missing here? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob O 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Sorry about the problems Rob, Barber definitely didn't handle this situation well. I spoke to a guy who drove Friday, in his stock S2000, only to wake up Saturday to the new rules. Evidently because he went through tech early on Friday, he wasn't informed of the change for the weekend. Is it just me, or does Barber seem to have worse customer service than Roebling(which almost everybody complains about). All I can add is that if I had been in your shoes, with my tow to Barber(10hrs-600mi each way), it would be my last time spending any of my money too use their facility. I guess motorcycle racing is safer than HPDE with a convertible now? What am I missing here? Jim and Julie did handle it well as did I but I could not stay and watch so I packed up and went home. Oh I'm still pissed at Barber becasue that was the track I was looking forward to running the most this year. I couldn't see myself trying to modify my stock seat to bolt in a harness when my next step is seats, harness, hardtop and full cage. I did not feel jerry riging a harness was safe. I still want to run that dang track! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dbright007 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 That was my question friday night. I had plenty of help around offering to help put harness's in a stock miata, but most of the advice was it is not safe with the stock seats. It is one of those decisions you beat yourself up about, but in the end I heard "not safe" enough times to decide against it. The word I want to hope to hear from NASA is if hard tops with stock seats /belts on convertibles will be good for a while. Need to look at my options to keep the car runable at events. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCR Elise 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I will agree that six points with stock Miata seats is not the greatest idea in the world but we were there to enjoy the track so we did what it took to do so. The problem is the stock seats allow the shoulder harnesses to slide off of a person's shoulders. The arm restraint rule also had interesting results because the people that bought them had never used them before and didn't know how they should be adjusted. In the final analysis, a hardtop is the easiest way to solve the problem. We were also some of the ones that ran Friday with no problems before the rule change was directed. Thankfully, we had some super talented young men with us that jumped on the challenge and solved our problems. Props to Ryan, Brett, and Tommy for their willingness to endure the heat and get our cars "Barber" legal. We invented a new term for the weekend which we will submit to the Urban Dictionary : "Barber Tarded" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jason 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I but I could not stay and watch so I packed up and went home. We were wondering where you were Saturday then as we heard more about the vert rules we kinda figured that's what happened. Damn I hate that you didn't get to run, I know you were really looking forward to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob O 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I but I could not stay and watch so I packed up and went home. We were wondering where you were Saturday then as we heard more about the vert rules we kinda figured that's what happened. Damn I hate that you didn't get to run, I know you were really looking forward to it. That's life but I will be back someday. I drove by your tent Friday evening as I was leaving but your tent seemed to have a tazmanian trapped inside trying to get out, so I drove on . Just kidding, you guys weren't there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2k2s2k 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We kept looking for you, but didn't figure it out until we heard about the rule change. If this happens again, try to find me before you hit the road, I probably would've let you drive my car. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jason 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Just kidding, you guys weren't there. We were taken in off the street by Team England. We'd never have made it if we'd have attempted our original "sleep in a tent at the track" plan. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
1LapSRT 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Just kidding, you guys weren't there. We were taken in off the street by Team England. We'd never have made it if we'd have attempted our original "sleep in a tent at the track" plan. And to return the favor, you took the track record in TTA? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jason 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 And to return the favor, you took the track record in TTA? For 2 hours, I was famous! Then Jake made another run. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.