Hillclimb questions

[dpspeed]

I am hoping to get my 94 Miata ready for hillclimbs next year.

What do I need to do to qualify for a hillclimb license?

What safety equipment do I need? Hopefully nothing more than a four point bar...

What are the different hillclimb classes? Do they mirror the SOLOII classes?

Thanks for the help!

Dave

[7thson]

rivergate5speed.com/scca/timetrials/index.html

[markt]

To qualify for a hillclimb license(Full Time Trial license) you must complete at least 3 flat track events, that is those run on a regular roadcourse. Or, you can attend a Time Trials School like was held at Talledega Grand Prix Raceway this year. And then be signed off by the Divisional Time Trials Steward.

Minimum safety equipment: Time Trial(Solo1) Roll bar such as the Hard Dog Hard Core Dual Diagonal. Your helmeted head must be below the bar. Depending on how tall you are this may mean modifying your current seat. If you can't meet the height requirement by pulling the padding out from the seat bottom, a new race seat may be needed. In my case I got a Kirkey Intermediate seat and bolted it(with high strength bolts and backing plates) to the floor. If you use a non-factory seat it must have a seatback brace that bolts to the seat and then to the bulkhead or rollbar.

NO airbag steering wheels are permitted. This protects workers who may need to lean into your car after its offcourse excursion.

You need a 5-point harness no more than 3 years old and arm restraints. If you have a bolted on hardtop and window net you do not need arm restraints.

You will need a racing suit that is either 3-layer nomex or single layer with nomex underwear, including nomex sox. You will need certified fireproof shoes. You will need nomex gloves. If you have a beard you will need a nomex balaclava. You need a current SA helmet(this is the last year for SA95).

A fire extinguisher must be securely mounted in the interior on a metal bracket, NO plastic.

As far a classing you have all Solo2 classes and Road Racing classes. However, since your car came with a factory airbag you need that to run stock class in Solo2 but, since you cannot have an airbag in Time Trials it will put you in Street Prepared Class(CSP(dang rafestrackin dirty rotten 1.8 litre homena blaz)).

Also, you will be required to run SCCA Club Racing stickers on both sides and the front of your car along with any other mandated sponsor or sanctioning body stickers.

Come on out, TT is a blast!

Mark
CSP111
'91 Miata 1.6L
(fastest 3 cylinder Miata at this year's hillclimb)

[hbennett]

Just checking out some of the neighboring regions websites but I thought I would clarify/correct a couple of things by markt.

"You need a 5-point harness no more than 3 years old and arm restraints."

Actually, for TT/Hillclimbs in the southeast region, you can use an sfi rated harness not more than 5 years old.

"If you have a bolted on hardtop and window net you do not need arm restraints."

You can only use a window net if you have a full cage in the car. Without a full cage, there is no where to properly mount the window net. You must use arm restraints.

"NO airbag steering wheels are permitted."

I don't remember anything in the rules preventing airbags because several of the classes in TT are Solo2 based. It's probably not a bad idea though.

"You will need a racing suit that is either 3-layer nomex or single layer with nomex underwear, including nomex sox. You will need certified fireproof shoes. You will need nomex gloves. If you have a beard you will need a nomex balaclava. You need a current SA helmet(this is the last year for SA95)."

Pretty much semantics here, but you need either an sfi-3.2a/5 suit (available in single layer to triple layer but more common as a double layer). If sfi-3.2a/1, fire retardent (FR) underwear is required. For shoes, the rule state FR material or leather. FR socks are required either way. Same for gloves except for the socks. If you have facial hair (beard, mustache, goatee, mutton chop sideburns, you get the idea) a balaclava is required. The SA95 helmets expire the end of this year so get a 2005.

"As far a classing you have all Solo2 classes"

Only a few Solo2 classes are offered. However, if there is enough interest, others could be added. By the way, SM (Street Modified) in the southeast TT series is not the same SM in Solo2.

The TT rules follow the club racing rules pretty closely except for harnesses, cages and possibly a couple of other things.

Howard Bennett
Hans Performance

[markt]

Thanks for the corrections and extentions. Only one point of contention, a fellow competitor at tech was told it was the last year for his 3 year old harness...point of clarification? I think 5 years is a good idea.
Mark

[hbennett]

Your fellow competitor may have to enlighten the tech person. Every competitor is suppose to have a copy of the rules at every event. They are downloadable from SCCA's website. According to the new TT rules, an sfi certified harness (in good condition, of course) is good for 5 years from the date punched on the sfi tag (specifically, December 31 of the year punched).

Howard Bennett