Safety Bars required in USAC National Sprint Car Series for 2024
Beginning with the 2024 season, all chassis in USAC’s AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship division will be required to have additional bars installed to support and decrease the span between the front and rear uprights in the drivers area.
The new support bars must be in addition to the front and rear. Any attempts to manipulate the front and rear uprights to conform to these measurements will not be allowed at the discretion of USAC officials.
The support bar may be designed similar to what was known as a “safety bar.” It must be attached to the top rail at a point 15-20 inches from the rear of the front. It must attach to the hip rail and have a gusset attached to the rear upright near a point opposite of the rear brace/shock mount bar. The curve must be between 4-7 inches measured from outside of the rear upright tube to the outside of the support bar. See Diagram #16.12.1.
An existing chassis with a left side support bar installed that does not meet the option of the specification above may add a gusset that attaches to the top rail 15-20 inches from the rear of the front upright and angle to the support bar. The existing support bar tubing must meet the minimum as described above (1.375 X .083 ASTM4130) normalized steel or equivalent material). See Diagram #16.12.2.
A support bar may be added to the top rail at a point 15-20 inches from the rear of the front upright and to the rear upright near a point of the rear brace/shock mount bar but no higher than 7 inches above the hip. This bar may have a slight curve near the rear upright to accommodate elbow room and ease of fitment. See Diagram #16.12.3.
“Driver safety is of utmost importance to us all at USAC,” USAC Competition Director Tommie Estes stated. “I feel it’s time that we have safety bars on these cars moving forward as we begin the 2024 season.”
The new safety bar rule will be in place in time for the start of the 2024 USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship season in February at Ocala, Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park on February 9-10, followed by two dates at Barberville, Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park on February 12-13 before returning to Bubba Raceway Park for three more nights on February 15-16-17.
