The National Auto Sport Association recently published an important update to its Club Codes and Regulations pertaining to vehicles that currently utilize or want to install a fuel cell, underscoring the organization’s focus on participant safety. These changes may affect existing NASA members, and NASA aims to ensure members are informed of the changes before you get to the track and of equal importance, the reasons behind these changes.
The changes are the direct result of a thorough safety review of a single-car incident that took place at a National Auto Sport Association (NASA) event last year. During the incident, a vehicle spun and impacted Armco. The nature of the incident prompted a detailed safety review by NASA officials.
“Participant safety is our highest priority and always will be,” said Jeremy Croiset, NASA Chief Executive Officer. “This update reflects our ongoing commitment to evolving our safety standards based on real-world experience to better protect our competitors.”
Analysis of the on-track incident directly contributed to the updated regulations now outlined in the CCR. A video demonstrating aspects of the incident relevant to the CCR updates accompanies this article below.
Key highlights of the recent changes to CCR Section 15.4 include:
- Section 15.4.1.1 mandates that the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel cell, filler neck hoses, and vent lines, must be separated from the driver’s compartment by a solid bulkhead, securely affixed (welded or bolted) to the vehicle structure. The bulkhead material and attachment method must be chosen with an emphasis on remaining intact and functional during a crash.
- Section 15.4.1.3 now allows the bladder to be contained within a carbon fiber enclosure in addition to the previously permitted aluminum and Marlex enclosures.
- Section 15.4.1.10 now recommends owners of vehicles with a fuel cell installed retain the receipt and/or copy of the manufacturer’s certificate of the bladder’s certification with their vehicle log book.
- From Section 15.4.2, effective Jan. 1, 2026, fuel cells may not be installed laterally (side-to-side) with the driver. The fuel cell must be positioned entirely forward of the driver’s seat’s front mounting points or entirely rearward of the driver’s seat’s rear mounting points. Installations significantly close to the ground or mounted close to the vehicle’s perimeter may be deemed unsafe and disallowed, even if meeting other requirements.
These changes align with NASA’s established commitment to providing participants with the highest attainable safety standards, and we will continue to regularly review and update our regulations as needed.
The specific technical language and complete details of the updated rules are available in the latest version of the National Auto Sport Association Club Codes and Regulations available at: https://members.drivenasa.com/rules/ccr.pdf.
NASA Members with technical questions regarding the implementation of these CCR changes should contact NASA Rules/Tech Support via email at [email protected].
