UnderPressure

iTrader: (4)

I'd like to address a point that was made previously.

Please buy a HANS type device. This piece of equipment is probably the most important and underrated piece of safety gear you can buy. I really hope SCCA, NASA, etc.. make these restraint devices manditory very soon. Esp. since you are planning to enter the full contact spec miata class.

PDX_Racer

iTrader: (2)

Yes, please get one!

I'm tired of seeing drivers hurt when they aren't wearing one. I do F&C at some race weekends up here (when I'm not autocrossing) and I'd rather deal with the challenges of getting a driver out with a HANS than supporting their head while we're trying to carefully extract the driver. (Two incidents in the past six months is two incidents too many!)

amolaver

iTrader: (1)

the SM discount at saferacer is 10% also, so you're good to go there. as far as how long the races are, generally the nasa races are 25 minutes, although they do have 2/3/6/12 hour enduros as well.

per some of the later comments regarding hans-type devices i'd concur 100%. it is unfortunate just how expensive they are, but like i said, i feel impacts are much more likely than fire. the gforce helmets offer connectivity to their own device, although it does not meet the fia spec (like the hans). they claim testing is 'in progress' i believe, but if it met the spec, they'd be marketing the hell out of it since its about 1/5 the price of the hans. still, its almost definately better than nothing. i haven't bought it, and am still up in the air on it. next year i'll buy something, and i'll probably pony up for the hans. just be aware that the helmet has to have the drings or whatever on it to integrate with a hans if you plan on adding that piece of gear (or else you'll have to replace your helmet as well).

ahm

zillinois

iTrader: (6)

Yup, the Hans is on the list.

UnderPressure

iTrader: (4)

Glad to hear that.

Good luck in the SM class. Try to qualify well. Staying up front is much easier than getting up to the front. Also, bump-drafting is your friend.

racin

iTrader: (1)

HANS is the ONLY acceptable head restraint device. All others are not going to protect correctly. And, you can add the attachment points to your existing helmet.

amolaver

iTrader: (1)

i disagree. the hutchens is a very good system, and while perhaps not quite as effective as the hans, for $300, its a lot more attainable. and yes, you can send your helmet to HANS to be modified, but my understanding is that it is not an inexpensive thing to do.

ahm

edit: i had forgetten about the r3 as well, which HAS passed the SFI 38.1 tests. it is also significantly cheaper than the hans, although still expensive at ~$1000.

ALong

iTrader: (12)

Zillinois, although most of your races are going to be 25-30 minutes in length, if you are racing in the middle of the summer in a nice hot and humid mid-west day, in a small closed cockpit car with little airflow into the car (ie: Miata) you will wish you spent the extra money on a lightweight breathable suit. Also when you are on the pre-grid and the schedule is behind or your race is delayed for 25 extra minutes for the track to be cleaned up and crashed cars to be removed (believe me this happens all the time...) and you are cooking inside your car waiting for the race to start, this is where that expensive lightweight suit comes in handy. I have been in Las Vegas in 100deg heat and didnt feel too uncomfortable in my suit (keep in mind I wear a white suit).

Another piece of advise, get a light colored suit (white, silver, gray) for the above reasons. Also this will make you get in the habit of taking your suit off before working on your car (which you need to do).

One thing to consider, most of the sparco 2 layer suits are, because of their construction and materials, are classified as 3 layer suits so you dont have to buy the underwear (saving you another $150?).

racin

iTrader: (1)

If you look at the decel tests that have been done, the HANS is the only one that can be relied upon to be routinely and significantly below the threshold of possibly leathal forces. It is at this time still the only one to consider, as far as I'm concerned. Check out the graph here:
http://hansdevice.com/ Click on the 'SFI Performance Comparison Graph' text.
Also, the hardware can be installed by the owner of the helmet, as I did mine. It includes the instructions, and takes about 20 minutes.

Of course the down side is the cost, but they do turn up used sometimes, and they can be sent back to HANS to insure they are still within spec. The fiberglass version is not as costly as it used to be, and I think it is every bit as necessary as a fire suit.

I had a conversation with a SM racing friend of mine a while back, who put it very bluntly: "Anyone who is getting into a car to drive at speed on the track with other drivers is just an idiot if they do not have a HANS device on". While I'm not of that strong an opinion, I think we should all strive to have one. Your loved ones probably won't understand it if something happens to you, if it was within your power to prevent it. My wife made sure that I absolutely was wearing a HANS device before I started racing, and I respected that.
I'm comfortable knowing that I've taken every precaution I can to minimize the chance of serious injury or death. The HANS gives me the best chance at survival.

amolaver

iTrader: (1)

i was just poking around, and indeed the HANS (brand) has come down in price quite a bit. the 'economy' version i think can be had for ~$900 - much cheaper than i thought. i agree the opinion expressed by your friend is a little extreme, but i think i understand the sentiment. a method that has been proven to significantly reduce risk of injury exists, at a semi-reasonable cost, which is a fairly compelling statement.

otoh, relying on the info provided by the manufacturer isn't really the best idea IMO. all of those i mentioned (r3 and hutchens) offer stats (lies, damn lies, and statistics come to mind) that portray their product in a very positive light. while the hutchens clearly doesn't provide the same level of protection, i think the r3 is, in some cases better (lateral impact), and others worse (direct frontal impact). and it has also passed the sfi test (the only one other than HANS AFAIK). i did read a 'Hutches II' was just tested (as in, this week) and has passed the SFI test as well. we'll see.

regardless, i think the point has been made. this is an important piece of safety gear that i'll be adding to my gear checklist, and there is consensus in the racing community of its importance.

ahm

zillinois

iTrader: (6)

Well, I ended up finding a great deal on a Sparco suit. I found a closeout S-Stretch 3 layer stretch Nomex suit which normally retails for $999 for $589.

I just got back from a HPDE yesterday and I loved it. The suit was terrific. We had 90 degree weather and I did not take it off once the whole day. I just droped the shoulders off and tied the arms around my waist. I wore a short sleeve shirt and shorts underneath and it was awesome. Its like wearing your pajamas around all day!! It was not like wearing a snowmobile suit at all. I don't think it qualifies as a ultra light suit, but it was not stifling at all like the one I wore at driving school. The fitment and cut of the suit is awesome. I was a little worried about that, but it is made mostly of stretch nomex with a few spots in the waist and shoulders to give it support. I give the suit a 10 out of 10.

I can also recommend the Alpinestars shoes. They helped make heel-toe easier because I could feel the pedal through the rubber on the side of the boot. Very nice and good fitting shoe. I wanted a mid, but speedware didn't have that in my size so I ended up with a high top boot. My salesman said that if I didn't like them he would swap them out for free. He said he had a pair and loved them. After driving them for a day, I give the Alpinestars a 10 out 10 as well.

ALong

iTrader: (12)

Zillinois, did you get all your stuff at Speedware? Who did you deal with?

You will continue to be happy with the Sparco suit, they are very durable, I am just now going to get a new Suit after 9 years!!

zillinois

iTrader: (6)

I got my shoes, gloves and balaclava from speedware. I found the suit at upracing. I got the Alpinestars R1, the Sparco Blizzard gloves and Sparco balaclava. I believe the guys name was Sean. He was great to deal with. I certainly hope my suit lasts 9 years!!

amolaver

iTrader: (1)

one more thing. i had a double weekend (hyperfest) two weeks ago, and used my simpson carbonx socks for the first time. i'm very impressed with them. they are thick, but surprisingly, seemed to breathe really well, and have enough elastic so they don't stretch around my calves, then fall down. it was like a million degrees all weekend, and i was stunned they didn't seem to make my feet feel like the center of the sun. highly recommended over std. nomex. i still use nomex balaclava, but the socks are worth the higher price (~$15 for nomex pair, $30 for carbonx). i can't justify that delta for any of the other underclothes, but the socks are worth it to me.

ahm

ALong

iTrader: (12)

Zillinois, glad to hear you had a good experience. Sean is actually the owner there. Was there on Monday to get a new suit ordered.