A New View on Windows

Two weeks ago, the NHRA Heritage Series made another rule regarding side windows in the AA Funny Cars. Some of the competitors were pushing the gray area of the rules when it came to how much the teams were trying to close off the side widows, to help gain an aerodynamic advantage.

A new amendment to the rules were quickly put together and were implemented at the second stop on the Heritage Series at Firebird Raceway.

Some racers got the memo, some did not, which put tech officials in a position to make rulings on the different bodies, and how those bodies are constructed. So there was some wrangling that went on with that. In addition, consideration had to be made because many of the Heritage Series cars also run in the DRO AA/FC Challenge. So a good part of Thursday and Friday for many of the teams were dedicated to figuring out the new rules and fabricating new pieces of Lexan to make the window meet the new specification.

One of those specifications is that there cannot be any kickouts on the side windows. (Where the rear one-inch edge of the Lexan is bent outward to help deflect air out of the car.) It appears that not having that “lip” or bent edge is creating another unintended circumstance, which is there is no rigidity to the edge and it begins to bow out and the front windshield starts to cave in. This was seen on a couple of cars at speed.

It might behoove NHRA to rethink that slight portion of the rules, and either allow the kickouts or allow a reinforcement to help keep the side windows from pushing out.

Some of the teams might want to rethink the windshield brace inside the car as well to keep the front windshield from caving in and taking some of the pressure off those side windows. It might help keep the roof hatch more secure, making for a cleaner aerodynamic profile.