SCCA time trial and hillclimb rules Q?

So those who hillclimb, can you give me a quick primer on safety regs? The Empire Hillclimb in Michigan has swapped from NASA Rally Sport to SCCA as the organizing body. When I looked into it under NASA that meant a full rally spec cage even for a street car. What are the SCCA’s rules in simple English? Do closed street cars need a roll bar/cage? Can open cars rely on OEM roll structure, do they need a proper roll bar or would it be a full cage?

I recently did some reading into the SCCA rules for rally sprint requirements (like Waste Management).

Pretty sure they required an improved touring spec cage, but I don't have the links to back that up.

Not sure if that translates to the Empire event or not.

SCCA Hillclimb usually uses a combination of road racing and autoX classing- last time I checked, the road racing classes required IT type cages, and the autocross classes required a roll bar, seat, and harness.

IT"s not a rally sprint, it's a hillclimb which is time trial rules. A quick look at the regs suggests a cage is needed, but i know people run the PA Hillclimbs which are SCCA without cages.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: SCCA Hillclimb usually uses a combination of road racing and autoX classing- last time I checked, the road racing classes required IT type cages, and the autocross classes required a roll bar, seat, and harness.

IS that open and closed cars or just open cars that need a bar?

I'm not sure I've ever seen a car without at least a bar, but that may be the drivers doing more than the minimum since a bolt-in autopower piece is cheap and easy. I would ask the tech guys for your particular event.

This are pics from New England and PA hillclimbs which are also SCCA. I dont' see bars or cages. These are taken by our own Dave Estey

Note that although the Miata has a hard top I don't see a roll bar or diagonal. I'm wondering about either my Volvo C30 or preferably the Boxster.

Looks to be Pennsylvania Hillclimb specific, but see pg 41 of this PDF for bar/cage rules.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

Thanks, but I'm still confused. From the link: 10.4. PHA EVENTS (Level 3 and Level 4)
Roll cages (as specified in the GCR) are required for the following classes: GT1, Specials, Super Production, all Formula classes, all Sports Racer classes, open GT, Rally, SMX, and open Production vehicles

So that says for level 3 and 4 (what is that?) that you need a cage for open production vehicles, but it doesn't say that you need it for closed production vehicles. So to me, using examples I don't own, that says a Miata would need a cage for a Miata, but nothing for say a Focus ST. Count me more confused as this pic suggests that a Miata, which I would call an open production car, doens't have a roll cage.

Yes the first image is at an autocross but it's the same car and I don't see a roll cage, only a bar.

Another PA pic by Dave Etsey. Not a convertible, but I see no roll bar at all.

...keep reading...

that thing I linked said: All other classes at PHA events are required to have a minimum of a roll bar that meets the description in this section of the SUPPS.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: ...keep reading...

that thing I linked said: All other classes at PHA events are required to have a minimum of a roll bar that meets the description in this section of the SUPPS.

Doh, now to talk to the Empire people and see what they say.

So, I reached out to the organizers through faceballs and got a link to the sups. This is at the bottom:

4.2 Cages: All closed wheel cars must have at least a 6-point roll cage. Single hoop roll bars will not be accepted. Material and dimension of tubing can be found on Page 3 of the SCCA® TIME TRIAL RULES, Track Trials & Hill Climb, Driver Information (link is found on the first page of these Supplemental Regulations).

So basically IT style cages for closed cars. It still doesn't mention open cars, but I assume the same.

Those aren't PA pics fyi, those are from Ascutney, which is a NEHA hillclimb event. Cars with an X designation run without a cage. Each NEHA hill has a break out time. An X car must go slower than the break out time. They are allowed one warning if they are faster than the breakout time(by no more than 10 seconds). If you break out twice in one weekend, you are not eligible to drive that car at the same hill again until you have caged it. Hill workers can see if the car sandbags in a particular section and call it in...as that is a safety issue. NEHA cage rules can be found here. hillclimb rules