2020-03-20 - Passenger seat rule clarification

Q1.
We installed a passenger seat in our car for HPDEs and to take advantage of practice days where passengers are allowed (like Watkins Glen.) It is of equal specs to the driver's seat/harness. We recognize the BCCR allows no passengers during a race, however, it does not state any rule for having a passenger seat installed during the race. We were told by several officials @VIR that passenger seats weren't allowed, yet I could not find a reference to any rule that stated this.

Q2.
We are building a Mazda Miata for the first time with ChampCar.  I wanted to put a passenger seat in the car to use during test sessions for use during coaching. it would be a race-style seat with 5 point harness, that would be removed before the race.
Is this allowed?
If so, any other safety requirements?

A.
Our policy is no passengers during the race.

I recommend people remove the seats for the race as corners can sometimes mistake them for a person, but we do not require their removal.

When ChampCar hosts a test day, we allow passengers for instructing purposes.

Mike Chisek