T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

I purchased the Ed-mobile Gremlin for fun, and to introduce my 16 year old daughter into the fun and its not as easy as it looks world of class racing.....the 14 year old will be old enough soon too....

Do you have to run pants and a coat in all classes in stock? Internet connection to the NHRA site is giving me drama this morning.

Still going to order her lightweight pant and coat, once I get a size and the oh so important color request.

Where is the best place to buy helmets now a days?

Thanks

Eric

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Eric,with the bar/cage in the car I believe at least the jacket is necessary.If you need the jacket might as well have the pants also.
Helmets are a personal prefference.I myself liked the Snell approved open face type.I
wore a full face once when I drove a friends open body altered and it was kind of
wierd.
I used Zamp helmets (Snell 95 and 2000) bought off the internet.They served me well.
Best of luck with the car and I'd like to be there when the young lady starts mowing down
a bunch of the players.Image losing to a girl,driving a gremlin no less. Oh the humanity.:>):>):>)

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

As noted before, NHRA requires a Snell 2005 or 2010 helmet now. Good luck to your young one! We need more young blood in the sport. Jim

.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

You can get a G-Force SA2005 on eBay for $135. Realize it's not US made but a good place to start safely.

And Sparco from Biondo, only way to go.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

You can NEVER have too much safety gear in my opinion...especially when you are putting your baby girl behind the wheel.

Also remember SA 2005 helmets expire in 2017......the 2010 helmets expire in 2022. Get the max. for your money!!

-Karen

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Eric - SFI jacket and pants are required in "AAA" through "M" classes. Long pants required in all classes.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

I'm not going to say anything about the helmet,lol. Ed your right, Watching the little lady kick butt in the gremlin will be a blast. Good luck out there.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Eric: No Jacket or Pants required for NHRA for N up..........We have been running the Wagon and Truck for years and both have Roll bars and Belts. Tech has told my Belts do not need recert either. However, We replace them anyway just not to have problem with tech somewhere since they are in car and the vehicles still run 11's so it can not hurt to have the extra stuff anyway.

Good Luck!

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

For me this is the best post of the year because it represents the best that Sportsman racing has to offer. Nice plan Eric.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

man, that's a relief!
thought I was gonna have to buy it...

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?-Dragpak update
 

9/25/2013 My just turned 18 Daughter asked when she could run something faster..I thought about it, and came to the if not now when? conclusion...So after Physics class, I let her run the Dragpak at Epping yesterday at track rental......I deemed the Mike Roth Built masterpiece to be the safest fast car I have with its long wheelbase, cage, great brakes, etc. Like the Driller,the Carp car, Les Norton's his purpose built dragpaks, and other cars and trucks are just special...I have run it with bald tires(didn't know), spun through its own water(didn't know), and never gotten out of shape.....In a word safe.

She did two low RPM launch runs and One all out out run which saw her get out of the groove to the left, spin a bit I think, then correct, a 129 mph 10.40 something run.....she was running 90 over the weekend in the Gremlin at the valley.....With the Gremlin there is no spinning, no keeping a close eye on that 7500 rpm shift point(lowered for the kid), no getting into clean nuetral after the stripe and braking, no worrying about the turnaround spot, no drama....

Her quotes from the afternoon....wow 40MPH is a lot more at the stripe, and how do you race a stick? Here we go............

Eric

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?-Dragpak update
 

Absolutely great post Eric!

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

for your helmet cal Kyle at Helmet City - http://www.helmetcity.com/

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Eric, GTX John is correct! I run in O, P, And Q/SA. I have a roll bar in the car, but I run out of date harness. Never had a tech guy in division 3,4, and 5 take issue with this. You can also run the stock belt. Fire jacket and pants not required.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Very cool Eric.

Already asking about a stick car......uh oh!! :)

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

FYI - Jacket required in stock in IHRA, all classes.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?-Dragpak update
 

Way to Go Kara!
U looked good driving the "Missile" yesterday!

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Very cool story. I hope my little girl will want to when she's old enough but Igot plenty of time to think about it, she will be 3 in December. If the way she likes to backseat drive from her car seat is any indication she will be ready. She loves to tell me "faster daddy, faster" when riding down the road.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Yep at least sfi 3. 2A/1jacket

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

This thread reminds me of the time I was teaching my daughter how to drive the Monza at VMP in Dinwiddie. We attended a test n' tune night and after her first full pass I was standing atop my pick-up watching her drive back through the pits. All I could see was this sh!t eatin' grin and all those white teeth showing ! She was .017 on the tree and within .03 of my checkout run ! Great memories !

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Eric,

A great opportunity for family fun! I'd get the jacket and pants with a full face helmet no matter what class requirements are. Didn't think about it long ago but after being to a burn unit, get the best rating you can and the full face helmet will help protect that pretty smile in a worst case event. (Will it be all pink?)

As the guys mentioned, if she is done growing, the latest Snell helmet, maybe from Kyle? My niece said I need a smaller helmet due to "shorter" hair

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

I would also suggest the full face helmet. From a learning curve, if you start with something with limited visibility compared to an open face it could be a benefit to her in the long run. You never know when the open face helmets may no longer be allowed. More protection for her as well.

Cool thread!

Sean

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

X2...having seen Bill Riddle's Demon after the Fontana mishap I don't think I could ever go back to open face...I equate it to seeing motorcyclists without helmets in states that permit that; it makes me cringe every time.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Full face is best, getting use to using quality safety equipment at the early stages of racing and following or exceeding safety rules is most important.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

now thats funny tom !

p.s. if you have a roll bar you need 5 point harness w/updates even though class isnt fast enough for the belts > if you have the bar you need the belts...
dont let anyone tell you different, you WILL go somewhere were they interperet it that way trust me !!!!!!!

captain jack u/sa

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

My .02 on safety gear. In any kind of car deemed quick, let's use the 11 second barrier to determine that. At a minimum. good helmet, certified jacket, maybe even a neck collar, probably consider pants and maybe even shoes. When we first started tinkering with the Achieva, I raced just like we did in the 70's, in a t-shirt. Godawful slow car, what could happen?

A bracket racer changed my mind. This was at an 1/8 track mind you. His comment, your car runs mid 10's, what if the car in the opposing lane is running in the 5's. If he gets out of control and hits you, what happens then? That following Monday, I ordered a new jacket and dug up a helmet, since upgraded to a new helmet. Oh, my wife also bought me a neck collar. I can live with the chuckles. I'm old enough to be past the "manly man" crap.

My thought on the belts, if you are going to the trouble of putting a rollbar in a car. Why wouldn't you put the proper belts in? I can see Jack's point there.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

You got it right.When I sold Eric the car he told me his daughter and down the road maybe his son would be driving him.I made him promise he would put a 6 point in the car.My reason was irregardless of the fact the car ran mid 13s the mustangs at the time were running around 140 mph.How fast are they going now?There weren't many when I ran the car,now they're like flys attracted to you know what.BTW Eric went one better and caged the car,so belts,helmet and clothing are mandatory now.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Ed,
Many years back I was racing a bone stock 13 second car slowed down to 19+ seconds. In the finals at our local track was against a 9 sec small block Vega. When the drivers father came over and told me to "be sure and stay in my lane because he would be coming fast" I guessed they really didn't understand which car was less safe and it made me think maybe I needed way more protection in the event they hit me and I couldn't get out of the car. (Especially at a local track compared to a national event)

I guess when the tech guy told me he didn't think my factory battery with the factory hold down in the factory location was safe while the car next to us started up in gear and took off after passing tech the light had begun to come on about safety. Having always used a full face helmet (from my first bike riding days) except my current open face auto helmet. I always feel exposed in it and will go back to a full face helmet on this next one.

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions etc. As Ed pointed out, the Gremlin is likely the only fully caged T/SA car on the planet....Tom even put on a fitting for a net, when/if the need arises...As Ed envisioned a couple of years back, the Cobra Jet running her down at 140 Plus did happen in round 2 at LV at the divisional.....If the unspeakable happened, she had a chance with that cage......She has always run the suit and pants(I didn't let her know she didn't have too), and Joe Santangelo's old open face helmet. I am going to upgrade her to a full face next year, and have her pass the lucky open face down to her 16 year old brother who will be getting his feet wet next spring......Once the boy puts the old helmet on its "ruined" for her!

Eric

Re: T/SA do you need SFI coat and pants?
 

You have plenty of race cars for the whole family. You need to get Rayna in one too! :)