The NHRA Technical Department has received several questions pertaining to the new rule in Pro Modified requiring a panel in the roof area of the roll cage. For those of you who do not know about this rule, it is highlighted below:

SECTION 5: NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES, FRAME: 4, ROLL CAGE Chassis must meet SFI Spec 25.1. Chassis must be recertified yearly by NHRA and have serialized sticker affixed to roll cage before participation. See General Regulations 4:4,

4:11, 10:6.

A panel of .032-inch aluminum, .024-inch steel, or carbon fiber must be installed on the inside portion of the roll cage anywhere the driver’s legs can come into contact with the cage. Panels must be installed in the front and lower portion of the driver’s-side X brace. Panels must attach to the interior side of the tubing, or no farther than the middle of the tubing, with “impact-type” padding attached to the panels. Padding must extend to be flush with X brace. Minimum padding thickness is 1/4-inch.

An additional panel(s) of .032-inch aluminum, .024-inch steel, or carbon fiber must be installed in the roll cage roof area. The panel(s) must, at a minimum, extend from the driver’s side roof bar to the centerline of the vehicle. The panel(s) in the Funny Car cage area must be removable for proper chassis certification inspection.

To better clarify this rule, we have developed the following general guidelines:

•     The panel(s) may be mounted via brackets or clamps around the roll cage bars;you do not need to weld tabs to the roll cage.

•     Clearance can be made around switches, buttons, handles, etc. so that the driver can still operate the vehicle.

•     The panel(s) can be mounted above, below, or near the centerline of the roll cage bars.