Thanks for the memories, Tom

Loved the Photographer`s Profile - Tom Schiltz. Volume X11, Issue 1. Very cool story. Cool pictures from the past. I'm familiar with all of the local dragstrips he mentioned when he was growing up. I grew up in the same town as he did. Thanks for providing the story. It took me back forty years, and gave me a smile.
         
Pudge Hammen

Dragstrip petition

Your site is great. I liked reading about George Ray. Good work.

We are trying to organize a petition to create a drag strip at Foxwoods Casino. Not easy. Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts are the highest in the nation with street racing deaths. If you want to see the No. 1 anti-street racing site in USA, go to www.streettostrip.org.   

The National Drag School is a real program that works. It's not like the NHRA "Street Legal" deal which is in name only. This is hands-on drag school. I met the promoter and have seen the school (class) in action. The things they talk and teach would make any young person a champion at anything! I do believe they have the program for all communities.

Now to convince communities that drag strips are a public service too!

Mick Bond
Massachusetts

Have you been riding without a helmet?

I have a huge question about racing helmets and football helmets.

My question is can a racing helmet be shaped into a football helmet shape? If so has any research been done on racing helmets to see if they would be more protective than that of a football helmet? If so, can this be done? I know the cost of the helmet would be more but you cannot put a price on protection.

Big question: If I had a wreck on my motorcycle and was wearing a football helmet or racing helmet which one would protect me the best?

Question #2:  If I were to be hit very hard in a football game, which helmet would protect me the best: football or racing?  Very interested in your opinion.

John Osborne

John, John, John. There is a reason that racing helmets and football helmets look different. They are designed to protect the head and neck in two different sports. It’s apples and oranges. While a football helmet would be better than not wearing any helmet in a motorcycle or car crash, a racing helmet is made to withstand the high-speed impact that a football helmet is not. And a HANS device further protects a racecar driver’s neck and head. If you look at photos of racers back in the early days, they helmets were rounded like football helmets, but the design has changed over the years. Trust us, a lot of research went into helmet design by the automotive safety companies. But maybe an article is worth looking into – now where are those crash test dummies?