I have seen so many people running a staging brake in their drag cars and having no problems what so ever. Yet I put one in my car and the local track says its illegal.. I wanted to prove these guys wrong so I have contacted a few NHRA officials and they are all saying that a staging brake is known as a secondary braking system and is illegal in any class.....Here is the email I got from one of the officials....


Rob
You are allowed one braking system. If you used a brake pedal and a hand lever they must activate the brake system as a unit. You can not have one pedal/handle for front or back brakes and another pedal/handle for the complete system, multiple systems are considered secondary brake systems.
Good Luck
Curt LaShure

What the **** is going on here? Am I the only one having this problem???? Maybe im a dumbass and someone can clear this up for me.....

Rob

 

I use the staging brake for the rear brakes and the pedal for the front. You can pre-load the trans and still hold the staging brake to hold the car in place.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thegrinch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I use the staging brake for the rear brakes and the pedal for the front. You can pre-load the trans and still hold the staging brake to hold the car in place.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that doesn't answer his question at all

 

You can not have one pedal/handle for front or back brakes and another pedal/handle for the complete system, multiple systems are considered secondary brake systems.
This not what you have.
You have one for the front and one for the back...not the same thing
You don't have one that handles the whole system, correct?
Pedal for the front...handle for the back...one system only

 

This is also a form of Line-Loc. Which by the rule book (NHRA) is legal.
Rule Reg. 3:1

Like Earl Stated

 

Actually, yeah.....my foot pedal still operates the front and rear. The brake is plumbed inline to the rear and will lock up rear only if I want to. I know they would have a **** fit if I had the two systems seperated. Thats what started this whole problem. They thought I had two master cylinders. Here is a picture of the brake I am using......



The funny thing is...they found a sentence in the NHRA Sport Compact Series rule book that states..."Automated and/or secondary braking systems prohibited." They don't even hold Sport Compact events at my track. Why the hell would they tech my car according to this rulebook and everyone elses according to another.....WTF!?!?!?! This is aggrivating....

Rob

 

you answered your own question then, what you have is illegal according to rules. You can legally have a brake for the front, and one for the back. This way there is no secondary brake, just 2 primary set ups!

 

I cant understand why his setup is illegal. What are brakes for......ehh stopping? If you can use a staging brake then why cant you have the same or other system to slow the vehicle?

 

Haha, I wish I could just fix it that way and get away with it. But they already told me two master cylinders was deff. illegal..... Is there some high authority on tech inspections that I can contact about this and maybe get them to clear it with my local track??? I will hook it up to just rear brakes if I have to. You don't understand how difficult this is going to be tho.....these local guys are all hillbillies who have never seen a fast import, even as fast as my slow pos. They don't like change and they will do anything to keep me from racing there.....The idiots even tried to tell me I needed halfshaft loops(kinda like a driveshaft loop) to tech 11s....LOL..

Thanks for everyones replies.....

Rob

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LS_REX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Haha, I wish I could just fix it that way and get away with it. But they already told me two master cylinders was deff. illegal..... Is there some high authority on tech inspections that I can contact about this and maybe get them to clear it with my local track??? I will hook it up to just rear brakes if I have to. You don't understand how difficult this is going to be tho.....these local guys are all hillbillies who have never seen a fast import, even as fast as my slow pos. They don't like change and they will do anything to keep me from racing there.....The idiots even tried to tell me I needed halfshaft loops(kinda like a driveshaft loop) to tech 11s....LOL..

Thanks for everyones replies....

Rob</TD></TR></TABLE>


Half shaft loops, Thats great, they sound like a bunch of haters.

 

cant you just use the e brake?

 

you do have a half shaft loop already, its called a shock fork

 

I can vouch for rob, I go to the same track as him. They dont like imports that much. They call us a bunch of little bumble bees. Hey rob just let me know if you need a hand fabing up some half shaft loops before this weekend dude. LOL

 

they did not let you test and tune because of a staging brake? or was it a bracket class you were running. Explain to the tech official, that the staging brake does exactly what a factory ebrake does.......if not just use your ebrake intead if they are to simple to get it , it is the same thing just a little more akward ....

 

Cut and weld the handle so it's like a e-brake and put the plastic and boot over it. I know a guy that did this, you couldn't tell the difference if you did not know what you were looking for.

 

It was test and tune, and they let me run this weekend...but I have to remove it before brackets start. I don't even want to bracket race, I just want to run my car a couple times a week. I guess I'll have to give in and use the e-brake. Although I shouldn't have to.....the staging brake is soo much nicer.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TREVER &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Cut and weld the handle so it's like a e-brake and put the plastic and boot over it. I know a guy that did this, you couldn't tell the difference if you did not know what you were looking for.</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL, I would but I shouldn't have to go through the trouble. I'll just make it so I can hook the brake back up quickly for the real events out of town...

Rob

 

Well, I think I may have started a problem......

Here is an email I got today...

Hi Rob,

Well, this has certainly turned into a can of worms. I've spent my whole day on this subject!

Per NHRA rules, the only "staging brake" setup that is legal would be a foot pedal and handle hooked up in tandem, so that each one operates all four brakes. In other words, you step on the pedal, the handle moves. You pull the handle, the pedal moves. (That's oversimplified, but you get the idea.)

I assumed for the last 3 or 4 years that all the staging brakes I saw in cars were set up that way. I had no idea that most fast FWD cars only activate the front brakes with the pedal, and the rear brakes with the stage brake handle. The rules clearly state that 4 wheel brakes are mandatory. This means they all work together. I've been on the phone all morning with some of our Pro FWD and Hot Rod competitors and they've all explained to me that a FWD car stops more safely without the rear brakes, and that they've been doing it for years.

Bottom line is this. Your tech inspector interpreted the rules correctly. The words are the same in both the Sport Compact and Domestic rule books. At the same time, you're correct that FWD cars have been using the stage brake set up for years, and it works. I just have to write a rules revision to cover it. That may take some time to get approved. In the mean time, your track tech inspectors are correct in their interpretations.

I'll get it fixed as quickly as possible. Until then, the only place I can promise you won't have a problem pertaining to this is at one of our NHRA Sport Compact Series events.

Sorry for the confusion and inconvenience.

Jim Skelly,
Racing Competition Director

I sure hope this doesn't cause any problems or I may have to change my identity.... Sorry guys I didn't know this was gonna cause such controversy.

Rob


Modified by LS_REX at 6:31 PM 3/3/2004

 

My sources tell me.................

A rules revision will be issued that permits the separate front and rear systems on Front Wheel Drive cars. As the email indicates, this may take a little time. Until then, I'm told no one will have a problem with such a set up at NHRA Sport Compact Series events.

 

controversy causes change, nothing wrong with that as long as its for the overall good and safety of the sport.

 

Sometimes the system works
See..NHRA does have a heart

 

Print out the copy of the e-mail from Jim Skelly(NHRA official) and go to the track and speak with the tech inspectors to see if they will allow you to run with your current setup. They need to be aware that the "staging brake" that you are currently running functions exactly like the emergency brake, which only functions on the rear two wheels...so essentially you've modified the emergency brake handle.

Hope that helps,

Austin