Thanks for your inquiry.
By "they", I assume you mean the SCTA. I don't think they require approval of metal or composite seats as long as they comply to rule 3.D.1, which states "All vehicles shall use a seat designed for racing. The seat shall be made of a metal, alloy or composite material, no "plastic" seats will be allowed. The seat shall be securely fastened...". If the SCTA had to approve every metal or composite seat being built and used today, it would open a can of worms of biblical proportions. That being said, I can assure this carbon fiber seat is stronger, safer, and offers more protection then any production seat out there today, period.
In designing and building an LSR car, if more common sense was used, the rule book could be a lot thinner. Let's keep in mind, a lot of the SCTA rules or requirements are MINIMUMS. Thats not so say you can't EXCEED these rules and make it safer or stronger. For example, under rule 3.B1 Roll Cage, it states "MINIMUM requirements for the roll cage structure are 1-5/8 " round steel tubing with a MINIMUM .120" nominal wall thickness or E4130 chromoly tubing with a MINIMUM .095" nominal wall thickness...". I exceeded these requirements on my gas roadster. I used 1-3/4" DOM tubing with a wall thickness of .187". My main frame rails are 2" x 6" x .187" in thickness. My bare frame weighs 750 pounds. Is this over kill? Does it make sense to build as strong a frame as possible, with the weight as low as possible, OR, make a light weight frame, then add 400 to 500 pounds of lead, which does absolutely nothing towards the integrity of the car (Besides, have you priced lead lately)? I am a very conservative individual, and have put as much thought and effort into the safety aspect of my car as I have speed and reliability. I exceeded the SCTA requirements in almost every area of my car. For fire suppression, 16 pounds is the minimum. I have a 10 pound Firefox liquid/foam system for the engine bay, which not only extinguishes the fire, but also cools the headers to prevent flare up, AND, a 10 pound Firebottle Halon system for the cockpit. Even though I am running a car with a class record of 229 MPH, I am running two chutes. I am running Wilwood four piston calipers with NASCAR vented rotors. Some people might say it's ridiculous, but if I only have to use them once to get me stopped in a hurry, it's worth the extra cost and effort.
I will however show my seat to Kiwi Steve at the next El Mirage meet for approval.
John