2007 XRRA Rules

Props to XRRA for taking a good direction on the safety aspect.

[smartaleck]
At least the CORR truck I wanted to build will pass tech...

No nitrous is lame, IMHO.
Six hood pins? Four across the front and two at the back corners? My hood shape doesn't work with that...
Fines paid to Newport Beach? Isn't XRRA headquartered in Moab?
Is a list of approved race seats available? What makes one a "race seat"?
Seems to be some confusion about roofs... could be 1/8" aluminum based on the "roll cage" rule, but .075" aluminum based on the "hoods and roofs" rule.
My vehicle gets pretty squirrely with only one tire per axle.
Looks like backing up isn't allowed any more--forward gears only?
Only open ended lugnuts? Seriously?

[/smartaleck]

First off…it’s nice to see the rules getting more serious. Nice work. It shows you’ve put some thought and time into this and that’s a big positive. What follows are questions/suggestions only…not rants…not complaints even. If things stay just as they are, we’ll still enjoy our competitions with XRRA just the same. Again, NOT a form of complaining, these are just observations I picked up with a quick scan of the rules tonight.

Under:
DRIVERS WEAR
C. The designated XRRA patch must be attached to the suit on the upper front right breast area, no more than six (6) inches from the top of driver’s shoulder.

This is an issue for those running multiple series events. I've seen velcro used for this in other forms of racing, but velcro is plastic and plastic doesn't belong on a fire suit. Any ideas??? Also, size of this patch is an issue for us. Can you give us some insight into this please?

Next:
EYE PROTECTION
A. It is required that drivers wear eye protection in the form of shields or goggles.

A shield or goggles may not necessarily meet ANSI Z87.1 but some simple safety glasses do and may provide even more protection than a shield or goggles. Will safety glasses be acceptable? Eye protection...This is an area I have TON'S of experience... www.shieldseyewear.com That company belongs to us...talk to me about eye protection and your goals. Maybe I can clarify some myths/questions/facts for you.

SEAT BELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESS
B. Shoulder harnesses are mandatory and must be no less than three (3) inches wide and must come from behind the driver’s seat. When crossing the roll cage the harness must pass through a steel guide welded to the roll cage that will prevent the harness from sliding side to side.

Why not 2" for the shoulders? We're not doing 180MPH.

In that same section, there is no requirement for crotch straps. Will you require them?

ROLL BARS•
Handles are required on the interior portion of the roll-cage or vehicle.

Why is this a rule? I would NEVER reach for a handle. My hands are either on the wheel or across my chest. UROC invented this rule for people that are not thinking and constantly drive with their hand around a tube. Reaching for a handle, if you miss, you could easily get bitten.

HOODS AND ROOFS
A. The hood must be locked down with six (6) positive pin fasteners equipped with clip cables. Four (4) must be evenly spaced across the front of the hood and two (2) placed in the rear corners of the hood.

Now this is interesting…four pins across the front of the hood? I’d rather have two low profile bolts (we use panheads) with large washers. Next, what’s a hood?...as in…What about on a moonbuggy?

TIRES
A. One tire per axle is permitted.

That just doesn’t sound right…what does this mean??? Would it be better to say “vehicle must have exactly two tires on each axle.”?

ELECTRICAL
B. A “Master” kill switch that shuts down every electrical system is required to be mounted on the dash, clearly labeled and in proper working order. This switch must kill the engine when switched to the “off” position.

Just bringing this to everyone’s attention. The words “shuts down EVERY” will change the way many vehicle kills are done. Many still have starter, winch, etc., going straight to the battery. An issue worth looking into is the winches. Even the best master kill switches (800 amps from Moroso) are not capable of handling all of the vehicle electrical if a large winch is operating too. We’ve melted wiring doing this. Now, we run one master kill for everything but the winches…we put that on the dash. Then, we run a second master kill and put the winches exclusively on that. Because it doesn’t make for effective/efficient wiring, we mount the winch kill somewhere accessible to the outside of the rig, but as close to an area where we would run the wiring if we didn’t use the switch. The new RockHer II has the kill inside the left rear fenderwell where it is easily accessible. I suggest being open with the winch kills…putting them on the same switch as everything else is more dangerous than no switch.

Fuel System
G. Ball valves must be installed on all fuel lines including vent lines. Ball valves must be mounted under the vehicle. • Fuel lines must be ran from the fuel tank or cell to the engine in a safe route.

My opinion…This was a UROC rule that became outdated with the addition of the kill lanyard. Once the fuel pump is killed, the fuel doesn’t pass through on a pump. A great example was of the Red Bull Class 1 that burned in the Baja. Had they just shut off the fuel pump, things would have been different (or so the story goes from Red Bull insiders). If a rig is on fire, there’s no way anyone is going to run in and spin a ball valve on a main fuel line or return. If it’s for fluid containment, there are better ways to keep fuel from running out of the vent line (the others are sealed so are not an issue) and you could just require a ball valve on that if it seems necessary. On our fuel systems, we have a rollover valve PLUS we use the three sides and down vent line pattern that keeps spills from happening. All of our fuel delivery / return lines are a mix of steel braid and hardline. This rule is outdated.

Fuel System
K. NO NITROUS OXIDE

Just wondering why no nitrous?

Handles
Handles are required on the roll cage. These are to be mounted so that in the event of a rollover the hand is safe. Holding onto the outside of the cage is not allowed.

Found this again on page 18…

Wow, we've now got a ton of work to do, I thought we were ready for next season.

B. Additions to race vehicle bodies, such as fins, scoops, wings or other extruding additions will not be
permitted in competition.

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Gonna have to build a new hood to get rid of the scoop, not sure why, but OK.

Also going to have to figure out how to fit 4 hood pins across the front of that hood, and 2 across the back. When the hood isn't even actually serving much of a purpose, infact we're the only moonbuggy with one. I guess we're that much farther ahead of all the other ones, that will have to be adding them.

A. A quick release lap belt not less than three (3) inches wide is compulsory. Both ends of the lap belt must
be fastened to the roll bar cage with high quality graded bolts, not less than 3/8" diameter.
B. Shoulder harnesses are mandatory and must be no less than three (3) inches wide and must come from
behind the driver’s seat. When crossing the roll cage the harness must pass through a steel guide welded to
the roll cage that will prevent the harness from sliding side to side.

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The 2" Mastercraft belts like we've been running for the last 5 years aren't good enough anymore.

• Handles are required on the interior portion of the roll-cage or vehicle.

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We're actually good here, our vehicle has a handle in it. The driver holds onto it all the time, it's called a steering wheel. I hope it'll pass.

• Round steel tubing (D.O.M) 1.5” O.D with 0.120” wall is compulsory for the basic roll cage. Aluminum
and/or soft metals are not permitted. Roll bar construction must be welded. An XRRA official must
approve roll cages made of other material or in other wall thickness/diameters.

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Our chassis is 1.5" .095 wall, we need to figure out how to get it approved before the first event.

A. One tire per axle is permitted.

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So we can only run one front tire, and one rear tire? I know what you are saying, but this needs to be reworded.

B. A “Master” kill switch that shuts down every electrical system is required to be mounted on the dash,
clearly labeled and in proper working order. This switch must kill the engine when switched to the “off”
position.

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Our car doesn't have a "dash", but we do have a masterkill that kills everything but the winch. It's mounted just to the drivers right, and has a bungee cord attached to it that runs to the roof, bright red so anyone can see it. Will we have to move this?

A. Window nets must meet SFI Test Specifications. tight mesh or ribbon style window nets are acceptable.
The window nets must be installed in the left side door glass opening. The rib type, made from minimum ¾
inch, maximum one (1) inch wide, nylon material with a minimum one (1) inch square opening between the
ribs. The window screen must fill the entire window opening of the race vehicle no more than three (3)
inches access to the drivers. All window screen mounts must be welded to the roll cage. The window net,
when in the closed position, must fit tight and be secured with a quick release type of safety latch. Velcro is
not permitted.

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We're fine with with the window net rule, however I would like to see something more written about how it is mounted. We watched several vehicles this year just zip tie them in place. That doesn't make for a quick exit should it be needed, it doesn't work well when you drag the side of the car on a rock and it cuts all the zip ties either. Both of those things I saw happen this year.

Thank you all for the input. The updated rules for 2007 are a blend from many different series. XRRA Rock Racing is a unique and Xtreme motorsport simular to many others but different in many ways. 2007 rules were posted on the site yesterday with the intent of Teams disecting them over the weekend and returning feedback for us to take into account.

We are working with many different parties that are requiring additions to the XRRA rules for 2007. From the Teams input on how they have progressed this sport over the past season and the input from the drivers surveys, to the opportunities to take Xtreme Rock Racing to different venues, and lastly the lawyers and insurance folks that have there concerns to address.

Please keep the information coming. This is how you make your voice heard. Look for an updated version of latest rules next week.

Michael Weaver
www.RockRace.com