The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) will become the first to permit the 2018 Gen-6 style Five Star Bodies even before the Approved Body Configuration (ABC) Committee has officially approved them.

The decision was made public on Wednesday when PASS released an update to its 2018 Super Late Model rules package that stated the NASCAR Cup style shells will be approved for competition.

“After additional investigations and communications, PASS will allow the 2018 Five Star Gen 6 Greenhouse ABC body for competition in 2018 with no weight penalty. Body must be mounted to Gen 6 Greenhouse ABC specifications with allowances same as Traditional Roof ABC Bodies PASS Rules. No trimming of front nose. Must remain full length as manufactured.”

Despite this decision from PASS, the ABC Committee has not approved the body for competition. This doesn’t mean that a tour like PASS can’t run them, it just means that it’s choosing to do so without the blessing of the eight-member group that routinely debates the issue on behalf of the industry at large.

The body was first introduced by Five Star Bodies in 2014 but has not been approved due to concerns over competitive balance and price-to-purchase. Also, AR Bodies has stated that it would not produce a Gen-6 body, making Five Star the sole supplier of the shell until further notice.

In a statement released to Short Track Scene, PASS says cost would not be an issue relative to the 14-year-old body styles currently used by tracks and divisions across the county.

“The new body is the exact same price as the old body and won’t be an extra cost to racers looking to switch to the Gen 6,” said PASS officials.

The ABC Committee released an open letter on November 17, stating that it was still debating a proper roll out for the platform. It declared three key questions that needed to be answered before the body could be approved.

1. Will this new body have a positive impact on the racers, fans and our sport as a whole?
2. Does the new body have equitable aero performance with the current ABC approved bodies?
3. Pricing for the new body is of the utmost importance. The committee is working with Five Star to secure the pricing for the new body.

For it’s part, Five Star believes recent communication with the Committee has produced progress.

Five Star released the following statement to STS:

“As a leader in providing race car bodies to short track racing across North America. Five Star Bodies has and will continue to provide a progressive stance and innovative design with one goal of keeping short track racing alive and well. The new Gen 6 project has approached its fourth year since the idea of creating a new look after 14 years of the current model. With great support from various sanctioning body partners such as the PASS Series along with several other race tracks and race teams, we have decided to push forward with the release of the new body.

“The progression of positive talks with the ABC Committee has resumed and we are confident that after all of the facts are presented and aerodynamic parity testing is complete, short track racing will see a new look in 2018 with ABC Approval. We encourage everyone that may have questions about the new body to visit us at the PRI show to get a firsthand look at the first body on display. Pricing and additional technical data will be released at that time.”

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