Class is in Session
If you opened this tech article you are probably one of three types of people: a racer, a crew-person or family member of a racer. Even if you are a spectator and opened this article to see what is new in the world of safety equipment you will not be disappointed. I will be dividing these Racer Safety 101 articles between our four magazines: www.DragRacingOnline.com, www.MoparMax.com, www.MaxChevy.com and www.OvalTracking.com. All of the articles will be linked, so you won’t miss any of the segments. Some equipment will pertain more to the oval track racer while other things we cover will be geared towards sportsman drag racing. We will also go over equipment for street legal cars as well as what tracks can do to improve safety. I hope you enjoy the “Racer Safety 101” series.
CHAPTER ONE: DRIVER’S FIRST
[Note: I really thought this would be a pretty simple article to write, however I have found it extremely difficult to be thorough and not miss something important. If you race, like I do, I am sure you feel pretty safe in your race car. What I found out was an eye-opening experience for me. I hope I can write it as well as the manufacturers explained it.]
Most of us have heard about Head and Neck Restraints and how important they are in offering the best protection against a devastating injury. The HANS Device is the most talked about because it is the most recognized at this time. There are other manufacturers with products that offer as good a product and we will show them to you. Driver restraint systems (safety harnesses) have not really changed over the last few years but there have been significant improvements we will cover. Helmets may still look the same but design and construction materials have gotten much better. Fire protection for the driver has made big strides lately and with the lighter weights and increased protection, every driver can reduce his chance of burn injuries with these new driving suits. Proper mounting and design ideas for mounting a restraint system is very important for them to work correctly. Before you just jump in your car, take a close look at the restraints to make sure they aren’t bunched up against an adjuster or rubbing on some interior metal panels that could cut them.
Head and Neck Restraints: What is available. What are the differences. Why aren’t we all using one?
I have met a lot of interesting people getting this article sorted out. These people are also very passionate about RACER SAFETY. There is one thing that the Safety Solutions Rep Rich Carroll told me that pretty much says it all: There is a long list of things that will get
you killed, starting with “that’s the way we have always done it.”
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Ever heard someone say that before or used it yourself? I know I have, but from this day on I have decided to make RACER SAFETY the primary objective for my son Andy and myself. We will purchase and use a head and neck restraint system for 2007; no excuses this year. For the cost of a torque converter you can race more assured that if you have a racing accident you will have a better chance at both surviving and being less injured with these devices. Think about it, if your injury causes you to miss a month’s worth of work, what does that cost? If you are permanently disabled, what are those costs? A thousand bucks for a piece of equipment that really never wears out and can save your life. What else in racing can you say that about? Nothing! Should this article be scaring you a little bit? I hope so. It also seems to always take a disaster to make us realize how fragile the human body is. What I am trying to accomplish here is to open your minds to not only the risks you are aware of but how to protect yourself and your family from those risks.
