Ugly sheet metal on sprints

[Lucky161]

I love sprint cars and I loved the old supers, but did anyone else notice several cars the other night with sheet metal on the roll cages. It didn't look good to me. I am sure there is a reason for it and probably not for looks.

[$noopy]

Re: Ugly sheet metal on sprints

Originally posted by Lucky161
I love sprint cars and I loved the old supers, but did anyone else notice several cars the other night with sheet metal on the roll cages. It didn't look good to me. I am sure there is a reason for it and probably not for looks.

I'm in agreement with you 100%. Take the crap off the cars. They look more like enclosed cars than sprint cars. Super ugly!

[roach]

Re: Ugly sheet metal on sprints

Originally posted by Lucky161
...I am sure there is a reason for it and probably not for looks.

Yeah, it's to get the drivers used to being in an enclosed cockpit for when they move up the ladder to the next rung!

jcr

[calinoff]

Did the additional "tin" have any sponsor's names on them ...???

[Lucky161]

"Did the additional "tin" have any sponsor's names on them ...???"

I didn't notice any, but I might have missed some.

[happyscrappy]

lose the side panels, the armguards, the wings.....

I think some sheet medal to polish off the area around the axels and headers can be pretty nice looking, but I just don't like the hiding the drivers. Sure it may be a bit safer, but it looks horrible and is getting worse all the time. WoO's answer of cutting it at the centerline of the rear axle is just stupid, makes it look even worse because they run it right up to the line. Just take that crap off!:mad:

[Professor Joe]

I think the point is to add as much flat sideboard as possible to sort of straighten them out in the turns and keep the wheel force pushing the cars forward - it is sort of the non-wing version of the big wing end plates that they run in WoO. I think they are ugly, too.

They ran a "cheater's" race at THAT a couple of years ago where nonwinged sprint cars wouldn't have to pass USAC specs. The biggest thing everyone did for that race was put big sideboards on the cars. (I didn't see it - just read about it - does anyone have any pictures from that night?)

[richie]

Originally posted by Professor Joe
They ran a "cheater's" race at THAT a couple of years ago where nonwinged sprint cars wouldn't have to pass USAC specs. The biggest thing everyone did for that race was put big sideboards on the cars. (I didn't see it - just read about it - does anyone have any pictures from that night?)

The funny thing about that race was that the winner that night was Jon Stanbrough in just a regular sprint car. Nothing special added to it at all. I guess it's not that necessary.

[PHJIndy]

Originally posted by happyscrappy
lose the side panels, the armguards, the wings.....

I think some sheet medal to polish off the area around the axels and headers can be pretty nice looking, but I just don't like the hiding the drivers. Sure it may be a bit safer, but it looks horrible and is getting worse all the time. WoO's answer of cutting it at the centerline of the rear axle is just stupid, makes it look even worse because they run it right up to the line. Just take that crap off!:mad:

It MAY be a bit safer????

[happyscrappy]

Originally posted by PHJIndy
It MAY be a bit safer????

this is what I'm talking about: tjslideways

it MAY be a bit safer if JJ could see where the h**l he's going as he backs it into turn one.

I just want my sprints cars to look like sprintcars, and not some rejected modified. Not that theres anything wrong with modifieds.

[Professor Joe]

Is that a feature of the new TWISTER chassis? I think that Boston Reid drove a car like that last year.

[DonnieB]

They have those on both sides or just the right side? Dunno about safer; sprinters land on their heads a lot and exiting from an upside-down race car might be kind of sporty with one o' them things in the way, and the cross-bars in back and the debris screen in front.

[FishBurger]

Originally posted by DonnieB
Dunno about safer; sprinters land on their heads a lot and exiting from an upside-down race car might be kind of sporty with one o' them things in the way, and the cross-bars in back and the debris screen in front.

Good food for thought Donnie. A point some of us have debated at times. A few years ago a tangle at Terre Haute resulted in one of the Gardner cars from SCRA putting a wheel in the cockpit with Derek Davidson badly busting up his arm. Don't know if this deal would have helped or not. I do know that I hate the looks of them.

[17tobyracing74]

Safety

I can't speak for the others, but we use the sheet metal to make the side openings as small as possible, without hampering visibility. We hope to keep stuff from entering the cockpit and hitting the driver. It may not be strong enough to keep the nose or tire of another car out, but it is quite capable of stopping a stray shock, torsion bar stop, rock, mud clod, etc.

I'll sacrifice appearance if it means the driver is safer.

Just my two cents...

[$noopy]

Re: Safety

Originally posted by 17tobyracing74
I can't speak for the others, but we use the sheet metal to make the side openings as small as possible, without hampering visibility. We hope to keep stuff from entering the cockpit and hitting the driver. It may not be strong enough to keep the nose or tire of another car out, but it is quite capable of stopping a stray shock, torsion bar stop, rock, mud clod, etc.

I'll sacrifice appearance if it means the driver is safer.

Just my two cents...

There's always stock cars.