I'm going to have to carry 100 lbs of ballast for the first race or two until I get my cage beefed up, cool suit installed, and whatever other things I think of to add weight. Somebody suggested using gym weights from Wal-mart and the one near me had 45 lb plates for $25. So I got two and then got a couple 4" x 16" x 1/4" steel plates to use as mounting brackets. The plan was to put one on top and then one underneath the floor pan, drill through the weights and plates, and use two 1/2" bolts to sandwich the gyms weights between the plates attached to the floorpan.

This was a good plan until I actually looked underneath the car. The passenger side floorpan is split in two by the side rail and the brake lines run next to the side rail. So there's no way a 4" x 16" piece of steel could fit down there. My modified plan is to use the 4" x 16" piece on top, but use two, one on each bolt, 2" x 4" x 3/8" pieces (I had a 3/8" bar lying around) underneath the floorpan.

My question is do you guys think using the two 2" x 4" pieces underneath the floorpan are enough support? The floorpan seems pretty flimsy and my concern would be the weights ripping out of the floorpan in a crash, especially in some type of roll. I have plenty of support for normal racing, it's a crash that's making me think. Not that I plan on crashing, but nobody ever does.

What do you guys think? Thanks.

David