One problem with a formula-style bead seat is there really isn't a "pan" as such to hold in the foam. You'd have to build something to cover the shift linkage on the right.
Another problem would be the possibility of altering the balance of the car, which goes against the "spec" premise - there is a driver on the west coast who has mounted the front of his Butler way forward, claiming it is a safety thing because it lowers his head. Except he isn't very tall and has already been caught skirting the rules in a couple other areas.
One thing I do like about the seat in the earlier pictures is that the top continues above the frame rail and the seat belt slots are at an appropriate height. The original seat belt mounts are way too low for anyone over 5' tall. As are the slots in the original seat. Some people use the original mount points and pull the belts through the top of the seat, which in a crash is going to cause the to rotate forward and try to push the front down through the little frame rail and the floor - which someone might have mentioned earlier and I saw happen in a crash when I first started racing. definitely something that would cause compressed vertebrae.
Seems I heard somewhere that the only person really seriously hurt in a crash (ie spinal cord injury) had moved his seat and not his headrest forward. I saw a crash where the driver was knocked out and had several inches of padding behind his back (which also should have made him fail the broomstick test).
Another area that could use attention is the standardizing the mount points for the crotch belts 6 point harnesses with Butler seats. I have seen several different arrangements, a couple of which seem a little sketchy.
And Bruce, with all due respect, I highly doubt that the "problem drivers" are going to change the way they drive no matter how fast the cars go or G's they pull.
Dave