Blacktrax Performance S2000 Motorsport Makeover: Part 2 – Cage Fabrication

Blacktrax Performance S2000 Motorsport Makeover: Part 2 – Cage Fabrication

by Edward Hu

In the first part of our coverage on the rebuild of Irene, the Blacktrax Performance S2000, we saw how the car was stripped down and sent to CT Engineering to weld together all the metal to help prevent the car from flexing and twisting under cornering. During this time, the guys at CT Engineering also welded eight pads onto the chassis that their fully custom cage would ultimately be mounted to.

In part two of this Motorsport Makeover, the guys at CT Engineering are working with Blacktrax Performance and TunerPlayground with the goal of building a full cage for Irene.

Our completed cage, keep reading to learn the details that went into its construction.

Of course, the main function of a roll cage is to keep the driver and any passenger safe in the event of any incidents. In this case, the cage also serves to hold the entire chassis together to get the most out of the suspension by including anchoring points right in front of the rear shock mounts and just behind the front strut assembly.

In relation to the legality of this cage in different race series, this cage will be compliant with NASA, SCCA, Global Time Attack, Super Lap Battle, Redline Time Attack, and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

To start, the folks at CT Engineering in Rancho Cordova, CA picked up 51 feet of 1.500 x .095 DOM seamless steel tubing.

Just some of the larger pieces of tubing we started off with

For a cage of this complexity to fit, several measurements are needed for every bar and tube to ensure that they all fit in the cabin and fit together with the other bars and the pads on the chassis. For example, the A-pillar bars must fit perfectly onto both the main hoop and the pad welded in the chassis in the footwells on either side. The bar to which the harnesses mount must be exactly the same width as the main hoop, and so on. Additionally, the cage must provide sufficient clearance for the two seats, the hardtop, the steering system, and the driver with helmet (as well as any passengers). Many measurements must be taken before cutting, bending, or notching the expensive steel tubes.

The first bar that goes into the car is the main hoop, spanning from behind the driver’s left side to behind the passenger’s right side. Every other bar and tube (I use the terms interchangeably) will mount to this hoop.

Once the main hoop is put in, the rest of the cage is built using it as a reference point.

Another view of the main hoop.