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The FIA now has a new race seat specification that was released this year. Currently I know of only 2 approved seats (RaceTech and Sparco). I would assume that SCCA will pick up this spec in a year or so.
Anyone else see this yet?
http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/87DE058E9D824DD9C125755500546904/$FILE/8862-2009_Advanced_Racing_Seat.pdf
(not sure why the link is not active)
Doubt it Dave--too many newly purchased seats out there on the older standard.
The Club is conscious of that...
Ahhh, a real seat spec. The 1999 spec was a joke. Much less loading than production seats are tested to.
Any links to the Sparco and RaceTech certifications? I suspect the Viper seat is the one for Racetech. I was unaware of a Sparco seat anywhere near the Racetech, there must be one now? Does it have rear mounts like the Viper?
Off to the Sparco website....
... Google says. $2900 new Sparco is the only Sparco seat approved. Makes the $1600 Viper seat sound like a deal.
ouch... bolt my seat to my cage and give me an ISSACS!! and a spellcheck...
My thought behind the SCCA picking this up pretty quickly, with a grandfather clause for FIA 8855-1999 certified seats , is that they have been pushing the seat back braces for some time. Now that the FIA has a spec where an integrated seat back brace is the preferred method (not explicitly stated, but implicitly stated via the new load requirements). RaceTech worked with the FIA Institute on this new spec and I would lean towards most seat manufacturers using the back brace design.
Regardless of the method I think that in todays litigious society the SCCA would be anxious to incorporate the latest safety standards.
Only one of the RaceTech seats has the new FIA cert.