I noticed a couple questions did not get answers.
Here is the complete Tech inspection sheet that should eventually be followed to race.
(as others said Lou is letting you race just wants you to work on and improve your safety to get to you this level of safety for racing)
TECH SHEET “UTV & MINI BUGGIES”
Vehicle number:_____________ Class entering:______________
[ ] Helmet is in good shape. Goggles are required if helmet is open face. Correct chin strap.
[ ] Fire suit must be a full length 1 piece suit. It must be in good shape. No tears rips etc.
[ ] Window Nets. Window nets cover the entire side of occupants body and arms.
[ ] ABC 2.5 pound fire extinguisher. 1 per occupant. In an area that they can reach when seat belted in.
[ ] Drinking water. Enough for each occupant.
[ ] First aid kit.
[ ] Rear amber. Must come on when the ignition/key is turned on & light must stay on at all time.
[ ] Rear brake lights. Must work with the pushing of the brake pedal.
[ ] Night race only. Tail lights/headlights
[ ] Warning triangles. Highly recommended in case you become broke down on course.
[ ] 5 point 2”wide safety harness’s. In good shape, no tears, cuts & Double D rings & cotter pins on clips.
[ ] Mirrors. Make sure vehicle has at least 1 if not more rear facing mirrors.
[ ] Correct seats. With head rests. Or head rest padding built into the area behind the seat.
[ ] Battery not located in cab area.. If so must be sealed & or dry cell style battery.
[ ] Fire wall.. Covers from the floor to 2” above the height of the fuel cell. located between occupants & fuel cell.
[ ] Fuel cell. Must have a metal outer shell, bladder inside, 1 way check valve & at least 2 straps holding it.
[ ] Fuel cap, vent and lines must not be inside the driver compartment. Air breather line must vent above the filler and then cross from one side of the vehicle to the other then dump out in a safe location.. Not onto a heat source.
[ ] Protective body panels. Front, side and back. To include floor and roof. Doors to have double latches
[ ] Brakes. Vehicle must be able to lock up all four wheels.
[ ] Roll cage. Roll cage is the builders responsibility. Driver is held solely responsible should it fail. Cage must have a roof, side, diagonal & rear bracing plus all corners gusseted to race. Welds must be of good quality and work must be of a good caliber. See either BITD or SCORES rules for safety cages. Same rules apply.
[ ] A loud and good working horn/siren must be on the vehicle and tested to work.
[ ] General Safety & assembly. Fuel lines, radiator lines, clamps, zip ties, parts, pieces.
Now to answer a couple specific questions.
Even with doors you need wrist restraints or window nets.. this is so your arm does not go outside your UTV in a rollover crushing or breaking it.
Also Nets are better to stop bushes and rocks from coming in during a roll over as your going to roll into the desert and into bushes and have sticks possibly sticking into you etc. So nets are safer.
Double D rings.. On the back shoulder harness that goes usually around your tube located just behind your seats you wrap your seat belt around then weave it through a D style ring.. You need to now use two of those D rings per each shoulder harness. So you will have 4 total.. 2 per each shoulder belt. So after you go around the bar double up the D rings and run the belt through both back to back in line.
Springs for you seat belts can be purchased seperatley. You can buy them from most buggy shops..
D rings same thing.
Also the 5 point belt can be bought seperately and keeps your seat belts from riding up on you and you from sliding down under your belt. hince why it is usually called an anti submarine belt.
Lou and AVE does not just follow WORCS as AVE is setting his rules up to except all entries from all organizations.. what is legal for one is not at another for example.. 4 point belts will not pass BITD or SNORE etc.
So these rules are the safest rules that will not make you have to change your rules to race at other organizations but makes your UTV or mini buggy the safest and still fit into all organizations rules.
The things he is asking for is for your own safety and a few dollars here and there to upgrade and improve your safety is priceless.
So a couple bucks for double D rings or a 5 point harness by just buying only the added belt which then just adds to your safety isn't to much. In my opinion of course.. and no you don't have to buy all new stuff. That is not what AVE or Lou is asking you to do.
They are inspecting and asking you to improve on what you currently have should you not meet the rules above.
If you fail to never improve then that is up to Lou and you.. but for now I helped do some tech inspections and Lou just wanted to know what was missing.
Out of 10 UTVs only 3 didn't have 5 point harness's.
Half didn't have the double D rings. and a couple like the same 3 didn't have the springs to keep the shoulder adjustment tight.
Just about everyone had a rear amber.. the cars I checked all did.
So anyways I think everyone is pretty good.. and everyone raced. No vehicle was held back to being to unsafe.
If you have any questions or want help/info please feel free to contact me about specific rules etc. and I can photo or get you more information regarding any of the rules listed above.
Thanks,
Tut Cote.
tutcote@yahoo.com
P.S. The race was awesome and although I was helping pit for a buddy of mine on his quad the UTV class was fast and talk about on top of one another.. seriously close racing all night! And Fast.. very fast.. wow.
I can't wait to meet up and see everyone at the next race.. Lou just posted it is going to be Oct. 28th and 29th