roll bar question

[Matt7084]

My 86 911 Carrera Coupe (sunroof) is in its stock form right now. I've never driven on a track but one day, perhaps this summer, I'd like to start.

I don't plan on officially racing or anything, and I know my local tracks don't require roll bars to drive around, so should installing a roll bar be in my near future? What is the realistic danger in not having one as I cruise around a track? If you've ever seen a p-car flip off of a track, describe exactly what happened and why, please.

Thanks

-Matt

[Dantilla]

In our region, you are required to go out with an instructor, and be signed off as competent before driving the track solo. Risk of rolling is small. Possible, but small. You are far more likely to slide off the track, rear bumper first.

[tmctguer]

i've seen Pcars with and without safety equipment. but in my opinion, if you plan to track your car on a regular basis (not auto-cross, but race track driving), it makes sense to install a roll bar, at a minimum.

i ran with the Porsche Owner's Club for 2 years on the Streets of Willow -- a 1.5 mile track with many turns and a pretty low top speed for most cars. while i saw many off-road incidents (including some of my own), i never saw a Pcar flip.

in my first year with this club, i don't believe a roll bar was a requirement for cabriolets in the beginner's class. however, the 2nd year i ran with them, no more cabriolets were allowed unless a roll bar was installed, even in the beginner's class. even on the small track, they saw enough things happen to make a more stringent safety change.

as my lap times began to improve, and i was beginning to push the edge a little more, i became more aware of the need for safety equipment. i kept being reminded of the the fact that race driving can get very dangerous, very quickly. so i decided to play it safe and install a roll bar and a 5 point harness.

a few months later, i participated in a few events at the big track next door -- 2.5 mile with a .5 mile straight -- where top speeds are often 140+ MPH. i saw several spectacular off-road incidents like an alfa romeo that was rolled at high speed without a roll bar. i believe the driver survived, but the car was flattened like a pancake. later, i heard of a P-car that blew a tire at high speed on a fast turn and flipped, and was totalled.

in my opinion, if you plan to do more than auto-cross, and you plan to track your car more than once or twice per year, you should consider installing a roll bar. you could even install a race seat & 5 point harness that you remove when you're not racing.

this is equipment that could save your life if you have an accident. the time to wish you had installed it is NOT in the back of an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

[TRE Cup]

Roll bars are a mixed bag of liability and safety. Personally I would risk the liability issue so I could have the extra margin of safety in case of roll over. Roll bars must be padded on the impact areas, so if your helmeted head smacks it, there is energy absorption and less transferred to your noggin. That said, you don't drive with a helmet on the street, so that liability issue comes up again. DAS Sport sells a unit that is fairly easy to install and remove, so you have the option to run it on track only. good luck