• From: central ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 324

Topic: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

is the head clearance for the drivers helmet 2 inches from the TOP of the main hoop or from the BOTTOM ?       the tube is 1.75  so the difference may determine wether we have to lower the seat or not

spectator "Lamest Day 09",DNF "American Irony" 2010,DNS "Capitol Offense"2010,DNF "Gingervitis"2011,DNF"ShowroomShlock"2011 maybe someday....                                                                                     
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"luckily I didnt go into the mountain,.......I went over the cliff. I was doin 300 MPH sideways and 100 ft. down at the same time............"

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  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
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  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
  • Posts: 5,864

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

For safety's sake, I would suggest the bottom of the main hoop, but split-haired rule-reading may allow otherwise.

As others have said, belts stretch in a rollover and I would think that the more room you have between the top of your head and the limits of the cage the better.

Spank's Website

  • From: Portland
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 568

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

It's the bottom

Matt
Free Range Racing
  • From: Santa Cruz, CA
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 51

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

Lower your seat if you can. always easier for short team members to pad their seats up then realize your one 6'0+ driver is screwed. most of our team is 6'0 or above, so our seat is mounted as low as possible.

  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

I know from painful experience that even if you think your belts are tight, you'll stretch 3 inches at least in a good rollover...the more room the better. The TR-7 team at Reno had a great setup (Scions of Lucas?)....main hoop well over the driver's head. If you have to earn a new middle name you might as well walk away smiling...

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....
  • From: Portland
  • Registered: 2009-05-02
  • Posts: 568

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

jimeditorial wrote:

I know from painful experience that even if you think your belts are tight, you'll stretch 3 inches at least in a good rollover...the more room the better. The TR-7 team at Reno had a great setup (Scions of Lucas?)....main hoop well over the driver's head. If you have to earn a new middle name you might as well walk away smiling...

Exactly why our main hoop is ABOVE the roof

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4276945141_1a2929a75e.jpg

Matt
Free Range Racing
  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

That's what I'm talking about....wanna avoid a 3-day migraine? Do this.

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....

8 Reply by sac02 (edited by sac02 2010-01-27 09:54 AM)

  • sac02
  • Paddock Rat
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-04
  • Posts: 68

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

prime suspect wrote:

is the head clearance for the drivers helmet 2 inches from the TOP of the main hoop or from the BOTTOM ?       the tube is 1.75  so the difference may determine wether we have to lower the seat or not

Is the 2-inch clearance you refer to a RULE rule, or a rule of thumb?  I do not see anything about helmet clearance in the Lemons rules.

Our tallest driver (6'4" -ish) is within 2" of the bottom of the main hoop, I don't want him to find out he can't drive at the tech inspection shed.

  • From: central ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 324

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

sac02 wrote:
prime suspect wrote:

is the head clearance for the drivers helmet 2 inches from the TOP of the main hoop or from the BOTTOM ?       the tube is 1.75  so the difference may determine wether we have to lower the seat or not

Is the 2-inch clearance you refer to a RULE rule, or a rule of thumb?  I do not see anything about helmet clearance in the Lemons rules.

Our tallest driver (6'4" -ish) is within 2" of the bottom of the main hoop, I don't want him to find out he can't drive at the tech inspection shed.

Im not sure if its specifically in the Lemons rules or not but I know the drivers helmet needs to be below main hoop in the C car rules and from watching the I got screwed recipients try to retech the replacement car @ the Lamest Day

spectator "Lamest Day 09",DNF "American Irony" 2010,DNS "Capitol Offense"2010,DNF "Gingervitis"2011,DNF"ShowroomShlock"2011 maybe someday....                                                                                     
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"luckily I didnt go into the mountain,.......I went over the cliff. I was doin 300 MPH sideways and 100 ft. down at the same time............"

prime suspect's Website

  • From: Atlanta, GA
  • Registered: 2009-09-01
  • Posts: 561

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

The only 2 inch reference I've seen is this one from the SCCA rules.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_bTX2MCbyz4c/S2Dq-tLTpaI/AAAAAAAACdY/mzPBnNWXJRE/s800/SCCA.jpg

I think the 2 in measurement in this case is outside the tube. 

I'm certainly no expert, so don't take my word on it!

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http://www.perpetualdownforce.com/

st_rage's Website

  • From: Emeryville CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 572

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

Due to our wide range of drivers/cars/cage designs, we don't have a specific clearance rule, although we WILL fail cars where the bar is too close to the driver's head. Our official rule is there must be "enough" clearance to be safe.

The SCCA rule is a good basic one to follow, and it seems pretty obvious to me that the two-inch clearance is measured between the top of the helmet and the BOTTOM of the bar.

I mean, where on earth would a guy show up with a two-inch main hoop and his helmet TOUCHING the bottom of the bar, and try to say that there was two inches of clearance between the helmet and the TOP of the bar?! Oh yeah--LeMons!

Nick_LemonsHQ's Website

  • RichVS
  • RichVS
  • Lemons 9th Circuit Justice
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  • From: Arvada CO
  • Registered: 2009-05-10
  • Posts: 628

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

Nick_LeMonsHQ wrote:

I mean, where on earth would a guy show up with a two-inch main hoop and his helmet TOUCHING the bottom of the bar, and try to say that there was two inches of clearance between the helmet and the TOP of the bar?! Oh yeah--LeMons!

Well there's these guys:
http://www.samspiresdragsters.com/images/560_chris_s_cage_top_view.jpg

Which I'm not conviced is a bad thing.  Now might be a good time to clarify that a drag style cage is good/bad, since I might go this route.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

RichVS's Website

  • stu3
  • Paddock Rat
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  • Registered: 2010-01-28
  • Posts: 24

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

I think the 2" helmet clearance rule is for open top cars.
In Spec miata you can run without a top but the top of the cage must be 2" over the drivers helmet. with the top on a Miata there is almost no way for an average size driver to get that space.
That is all that leads me to believe it would apply to others as well.

I am not against being proven wrong, and usually am so I do have my nomex underwear on.

Looking forward to T-hill again

STU3

14 Reply by st_rage (edited by st_rage 2010-01-28 06:39 PM)

  • From: Atlanta, GA
  • Registered: 2009-09-01
  • Posts: 561

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

Nick_LeMonsHQ wrote:

The SCCA rule is a good basic one to follow, and it seems pretty obvious to me that the two-inch clearance is measured between the top of the helmet and the BOTTOM of the bar.

I'm pretty sure the pic I posted represents the helmet clearance with the potential position of the ground (the line connecting the tops of the bars).  Clearance from the bar itself is not specified so far as I could tell.

Our Lady of Perpetual Downforce
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  • sac02
  • Paddock Rat
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-11-04
  • Posts: 68

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

st_rage wrote:
Nick_LeMonsHQ wrote:

The SCCA rule is a good basic one to follow, and it seems pretty obvious to me that the two-inch clearance is measured between the top of the helmet and the BOTTOM of the bar.

I'm pretty sure the pic I posted represents the helmet clearance with the potential position of the ground (the line connecting the tops of the bars).  Clearance from the bar itself is not specified so far as I could tell.

FWIW, that's the way helmet clearance is measured in FSAE, the only organization whose cage rules I am intimately familiar with. 

Which means in relation to Lemons... absolutely zip.  Hence my question.  smile

  • From: Emeryville CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 572

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

sac02 wrote:
st_rage wrote:
Nick_LeMonsHQ wrote:

The SCCA rule is a good basic one to follow, and it seems pretty obvious to me that the two-inch clearance is measured between the top of the helmet and the BOTTOM of the bar.

I'm pretty sure the pic I posted represents the helmet clearance with the potential position of the ground (the line connecting the tops of the bars).  Clearance from the bar itself is not specified so far as I could tell.

FWIW, that's the way helmet clearance is measured in FSAE, the only organization whose cage rules I am intimately familiar with. 

Which means in relation to Lemons... absolutely zip.  Hence my question.  smile

I suppose it's just the way it's worded--when I hear "Clearance" I think of dead air space. So, to be clear, while Lemons does not have a specific minimum of dead air space between the helmet and roll bar, the SCCA rule of two inches is a good baseline.

Nick_LemonsHQ's Website

  • From: central ohio
  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 324

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

thanks Nick and all other contributors  i think we got it    we are just finishing up the cage and need to start on the seat mounting   i will try to get some pics of the cage  and the seat mocked up ( with our tallest driver in it ) and get opinions    i dont want to fail tech at our first race

spectator "Lamest Day 09",DNF "American Irony" 2010,DNS "Capitol Offense"2010,DNF "Gingervitis"2011,DNF"ShowroomShlock"2011 maybe someday....                                                                                     
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"luckily I didnt go into the mountain,.......I went over the cliff. I was doin 300 MPH sideways and 100 ft. down at the same time............"

prime suspect's Website

  • From: Santa Rosa, CA
  • Registered: 2010-01-08
  • Posts: 538

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

We have a Miata with a bolt in  cage & 2 driver's over 6 ft,  Can we add a bar over our top bar to raise the height???

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19 Reply by gsmith2424 (edited by gsmith2424 2010-02-02 11:31 AM)

  • From: Maiden, NC
  • Registered: 2009-08-21
  • Posts: 250

Re: NICK !!!!!helmet clearance ?

MikeZilla wrote:

We have a Miata with a bolt in  cage & 2 driver's over 6 ft,  Can we add a bar over our top bar to raise the height???

I am 6'3 and raced a Miata at the last CMP race in September. The car did have  a bolt in cage and my helmet was just below the bar. A lot of if it come down to how and what type of seat you have if your helmets are going to be above or below the cage bars.

Added: Also this comes down to if your driver have longer legs or not.