Safety.....the neck....helmets.....etc

[SSDiv6]

It boils down to how much your life is worth and the prospects of spending the rest of your life in a wheel chair or bed paralyzed.

With the higher weight of Stock and Super Stock cars and the speeds they are going down the track, you need better protection.

I also believe the current Aluminum seats that are being used as replacements seats, although better than the OEM seat, do not provide enough protection during impact.

Although heavier than the current Aluminum seats in use, for my new car, I am using a FIA approved seat that has been tested for high impact protection.

One of the best ideas Ford did for the CobraJets, was the use of Recaro FIA approved seats.

[ken robinson]

I also put roll bar padding on the steering column to save your necks caps , so hopefully you can talk away. Barrel rolls are terrifying . I think at the nationial events you might want to go over to the simpson trailer and ask them to try on the hans set up , they are very nice people .Before my helmet expired , I must have tried on 20 different helmets on before I found the one that fit just wright , and then I bought my new helmet on the spot . I did the same thing when my jacket and pants got worn out .The women let me try on differant jackets and pants , she said , try on this other one its your size and its a close out special at a marked down price . Ken R.

[novassdude]

After watching a friend tumble his 11 second nova. I have not made a pass without a neck collar.

[jmcarter]

I have to bite my tongue when I see what some people do for safety gear and seats, simply because it "looks" good or is the cheapest route. I've barrel rolled and due to good tight harness, cage, restraints, seat, etc. I was racing the next day in my other car. Wish everyone could see the car that Ken Etter crashed at Fontana (or even the Facebook pic of Paula's car) and recognize that even in a high 10 sec stocker the impact "can" be pretty dramatic (traumatic). Not trying for the moral high ground here, I've made lots of runs with open face, stock seats, etc. but age and experience (are there better tutors?) has taught me that a pound of regret is easily avoided with just an ounce of caution. Ok, Sunday sermon is over...

[Marty Rinehart Jr]

I personally use a HANS devise in my SS/DA Camaro. No, it's not mandated in the rule book. At first I was concerned about driving the finish line with it on. It is not a problem, I never skimp on safety.
In fact, I also have a parachute and a belly pan on our car, which neither are required as well. But, The first year I had it on, I used it at Maple Grove at the 1300 ' mark as our crank broke and every drop of oil was in the retention devise. It stayed there until the car came to a stop. Then it started flowing over the top and on to the track. I really feel it saved me from a top end crash.