Car setup, whats allowed and whats not?

[Herman Toothrot]

I track an MX5, normally the roofs down, windows down all fine never had comment. Track day last week it was random very heavy showers so I threw the roof up but was told windows up.. this was an issue as the cable for the passengerside mechanism had snapped and so I gutted the door including glass. I had glass in the driver side so put that up and was let out but technically was told I shouldn't be. It was agreed that it is a stupid rule, throw the roof back down and alls fine, but rules are rules, "if its got a roof it needs windows and them up, no roof don't care about windows".

I had no idea loosing the glass would be an issue.

Are there any other things like this I've missed over the years, I'm more interested now as I've been thinking of getting a trailer and taking the car off the road so no more insurance, tax or MOT to bother with as I only have these things to drive the car to tracks. I don't want to go to town removing things to then find I need them.

[T89 Callan]

If you don't have any glass I fail to see how they can stop you from going on track for having no windows. Just sounds like an idiot jobs worth marshall was trying to sound like the big man in front of you.

At Combe last week I was driving with all four windows half open with no complaints from the organisers.

[changingman]

I was at the same day as you, I was in the silver VX, and I had the roof off and every time I went on I was told to put the windows up, the opposite of what they told you!!!

[Herman Toothrot]

Strange..

I think i'll email the organiser and ask what the deals is.

[mike_knott]

IIRC it is to prevent injuries from putting your hands out of the window if your car rolls – if you do it with the roof on, there is a chance that your car will roll on top of your hands, so they make you put your windows up (or have touring car-style nets). If you don’t have a roof, you can’t crush your hands with it, so there is no issue.

You could still crush your hands with the windscreen or roll bar, but it is a natural tendency to put your hands out in the direction of roll to break your fall – this is why you get your hands tied to the steering wheel when driving off-road buggies – so you are significantly more likely to end up with them under the roof.

I don’t remember ever being asked to fully open or close my windows (in an Elise, so slightly different to an MX5), but do remember some organisers requiring windows to be at least half way up. Presumably they think you will only put your hands out horizontally, otherwise you could still get your hands out of the opening.

Mike...

[7 Sevens]

I echo what Mike said. When I raced they always checked our windows were fully closed should you have an accident and a hand/arm came out. If you wanted it open you had to use one of those window nets.

[mr2mk1chick]

When i've been pitlane checking for BaT recently, a lot of the marshalls were getting me to enforce the windows rule. ie you can have the window open a bit, but not a gap large enough to fit your arm through.
I guess generally i've seen the safety standards being enforced more stringently this year, or at least the days when i'm on pitlane i'm pretty strickt where appropriate. I agree with these rules.
Also note the 'no bare arms' rule - some circuits don't enforce this if you are in a closed car rather than open top, others insist in all cars.