Proposal: passenger seats

[Knestis]

I don't know what popular opinion might be but I for one understand the situation... It might be best to think about being specific:

Front passenger seat, seat belts and their attaching hardware and bracketry may be removed or substituted. Rear seat back, rear seat bottom cushion(s), sun visors, rear seat belts and their attaching hardware and bracketry may be removed.

...making distinct what can be substituted and what can only be taken out...?

K

[vtluu]

I don't know what popular opinion might be but I for one understand the situation... It might be best to think about being specific

Yep, hence my second suggested wording.

At the same time I understand the desire to keep things (rules) as simple as possible. What competitive advantage could be gained by substituting back seat/mounting hardware? My first thought would be maybe someone removing a back seat, then attaching a carbon fiber panel over it to cover the hole instead of the required metal bulkhead, and calling the panel a "substitute seat back". But would that already be considered a "tortured" interpretation of the rules?

[gran racing]

What's your goal with this? Is it to allow a race seat or just an OEM seat with racing belts? If a race seat and the way you have it worded...I'd have a nice large steel box slider built and ensure the seat could be moved as far back as possible with my cage (for safety sake of course). There should also be some steel reenforcement below the seat cushon as well.

I'm sure the first respnose is it would be considered a "tortured" interpretation of the rules, but it's up to someone's judgement, then someone elses after an appeal is filed. The current wording or Kirks is more clear cut.


Ps - I too instruct and just up until this year ran with a passenger seat in my car.

[StephenB]

I have been out of instructing for a while since my schedule makes it almost impossible so I apologize in advance if this makes no sence!!

Don't most instructing schools now require that the passenger belts are "of the same type" and meet the same safety requirements as the drivers belts are? Does this also apply to the seats in those schools?

Stephen

[vtluu]

Don't most instructing schools now require that the passenger belts are "of the same type" and meet the same safety requirements as the drivers belts are? Does this also apply to the seats in those schools?

Requirements/recommendations vary, and I'm not interested in making IT rules to enforce any such requirements.

In my particular case, the passenger seat is a Sparco Roadster "street" seat with a Schroth Profi-II ASM 4-point belt, because (a) the Roadster seat has no anti-sub belt holes, and (b) the (passenger-side) anti-sub belt anchor points coincide with where the fuel and brake hard lines run under the car.

Dave: I agree Kirk's wording (which again I'll point out is exactly the same as my second wording) is preferable, since even a highly tortured interpretation of a "front seat" would yield fairly little useful structural reinforcement. (Keep in mind one could similarly make "ballast" out of metal bars and bolt it to the floor pan with an arbitrary number of attachment points.)

I could also add something like, "Substituted components may serve no other purpose than that of the original components."

[gran racing]

My bad. I read it wrong on Kirk's post - I thought the front passenger seat was moved to the "may be removed" but not substituted.

[EV]

I agree. I just became an instructor and am working towards a competition license. I want to use my IT prep car on track days, and have a passenger seat for ride alongs.

I would have to have to pull it every event/school/race. It would be nice of the rules could be rewritten since SCCA now has a PDX program.

[raceita]

Could you call the passenger seat ballast?

Steve
ITB MR2

[Ron Earp]

I would have to have to pull it every event/school/race. It would be nice of the rules could be rewritten since SCCA now has a PDX program.

Just run the seat. I bought a second seat along the same lines as you did. I'm sure my fellow competitors are not going to care if I have an extra race seat and harness in the car - just so long as I meet the minimum weight requirements. I'm sure some clever fabricators could find a way to use the second seat to an advantage - but I'm not one of them. If you have it bolted in so it's safe, no other mods, I'm sure you'll be just fine.