Formula car roll cage bracing rule history

[KeithHall]

Does anyone remember when the roll cage bracing rule 9.4.5.C (1) was added to the GCR? What was the history behind that? My 1983 Crossle has the bracing added after original construction so it must have happened after 1983. I have been trying to talk some of my vintage friends in to racing their FFs in our regional CF class but the bracing modification required offends their vintage sensibilities.

We must have an unofficial history of safety improvements person out there somewhere who can put this into perspective.

Just wondering.

[Purple Frog]

The big summit meeting and resulting rules change happened in 1986. Folks like Phil Creighton, Steve Lathrop, were in attendance I believe. That was also the date that the homolagation process went in effect.

There was a horrible crash of a FA at Road Atlanta that moved the process forward...

[stonebridge20]

There was a horrible crash of a FA at Road Atlanta that moved the process forward...

That would be the Scott Liebler crash going under the bridge. The roll bar broke out of the tub of his SV. It didn't end well.

[S Lathrop]

The roll bar rules were published in the late 1970s. I built the Zink Z14 in 1976 to those rules as proposed at that time. That car and the Zink Z16 built in the same time period, years before all cars were required to meet the rules.

All new cars built after Jan 1985 had to meet the new rules. I don't remember when all cars were required to meet those same rules.

The Swift DB1 was exempted because the design started production prior to the starting date. That was the only car for which that exemption was granted.

There were 2 basic requirement; one for the main hoop and braces and a second for the dash or forward hoop and braces.

[Steve Demeter]

Scott's crash was in 1989, after the cage rules went into effect.

Not sure any cage meeting the requirements would have saved him.

A good friend of his that saw it told me he went 30 feet in the air and landed upside down.

YMMV

I will say that my Citation exceeds the requirements by quite a bit particularly the way the hoop is integrated into the frame and not just scabbed on. Credit to Steve and his great safe designs.

[stonebridge20]

[QUOTE]

Scott's crash was in 1989, after the cage rules went into effect.

Your right. That was 89 and not 86. When I think of FA crash at RA, that one stands out in my mind. Yes, it was ugly.

[Phil Creighton]

They were precipitated by a particularly gruesome fatality in the mid west ( a car passed through the cockpit of a FF car while airborne), but had been on the radar for a while as the trend was for lower cockpit sides in the professional series that constructers took styling cues from (F1 etc). I was not on the CRB at the time of the meeting at the Runoffs but we were the VD and Tiga importer and I think all the manufacturers wanted to have rules for the new cars so that people wouldn't play games with roll hoops.
I seem to recall that VD started the forward braces in 82 or 83 and I think after 86 the CRB made it retroactive - as they had done with the dash hoops in the 70's.
Might be a bit off on the time frame though....................................

[Phil Creighton]

Scott Lieblers crash was probably fatal anyway but the hoop ripped out of the tub at the rivets - there was some conjecture that a previous tub repair where the roll cage was removed contributed to the failure.
A grim weekend for those of us who liked and helped the Lieblers - I was asked to look at the wreck post race weekend and its not something you easily forget. As you get older you remember some of these unrecognized talents that died before their careers really blossomed.

[stonebridge20]

there was some conjecture that a previous tub repair where the roll cage was removed contributed to the failure.

Yup!