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Rally cages commonly use A pillar support bars that go from the top of the windshield down to the foot well along the side of both the driver and passenger doors. These bars help prevent the cage from compressing during a rollover. The cage was built to NASA spec and not built to be a rally car. Additional tubes would only add more weight and slow them down. This is a definite tradeoff you have to consider for events like this. We love safety; of course, we also love to “go fast or suck.”
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| NASCAR ladder style bars are not required to run at Pike's Peak. You can see that they sustained some significant impacts and kept the passenger compartment from being penetrated even further. A diagonal X rally bar may provide even more strength. |
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| Look for this Evo in the used car lot at Lewisville Mitsubishi soon… “Slight impact damage.” |
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| The spot welds connecting the floor boards to the frame rail were no match for the somersaulting Evo. We suspect the seat mount failure is due to this impact. In the next version of the cage the Recaro's mounting points will be incorporated in to the roll cage. |
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| The main roll hoop distorted but the triangulation kept it from totally collapsing. The passenger side brace connecting to the rear driver's side strut tower was optional but probably an important element in keeping the passenger compartment intact. |
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| The fuel cell below was also completely unscathed. |
Pike's Peak rules do require additional gusseting between the “halo” pipes above the passengers' heads. The A pillar was also gusseted to the frame. The car weighs in at 3100 pounds wet with both the driver and navigator in place.
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The leading edge of the roofline deflected laterally about 7.5 inches. It compressed downward only 2-3 inches. We call this the “cuddle seat” option. The replacement vehicle will most likely have halo seats for both the driver and navigator. |
