The key advantage of the R3 is that it is less dependent on harness arrangement than the HANS, I think. Should I ever become an instructor and need to jump from car to car at an event, the R3 would really appeal.

 

I think one of the key questions about the R3 is whether or not it will preload the straps in a crash like the HANS does.

 

That is a good question, and I hope to never be able to answer it personally. OTOH, could a HANS cause whiplash if you get too much belt stretch, or the wings slip out from under the harnesses and the tethers tighten prematurely? Hopefully, all of the testing data that the manufacturers have provided is accurate, and these devices work as promised. These debates could continue ad infinitum, but I think that the general idea is that any of the top devices (HANS, Issac, R3) are way better than nothing. And you need to pick a device that you will wear 100% of the time, because you can never choose when you will have an incedent.

 

This is an interesting thread. Unfortunately it has come up as the result of the tragedy that occured at WG. My heart goes out the family of Mr. Wilholm.

Personally, if I ever hop into a car with a student who has a H&N restraint, and I don't, that will not cause me to worry about getting in the car with them. I will most likely purchase a HANS before I race again (after I pay for my engine rebuild, what's another $900?)

 

outlook on safety. Above we read, "If they have enough money to buy a Cobra, then they have enought money to buy a "learners car" to properly develop their skills on, and then get into the Cobra when they have enough training to do so on their own."

I instruced once at Sears Point (Infineon) with a guy in a 2002 cab, no roll bar other than the factory hoops that pop up when you get the car at a certain angle or G Load (Don't know, nor care to know the specifics). Within minutes in our first session, we were off the track and cam real close to a wall...what a wake up call that was. No more cabs for me...no more Sears Point as an instructor for that matter.

I have seen lots of folks lately that refuse to come up through the ranks...they just go out abd but a GT3 car, or a new TT car. My God...think about the possibilities for a disaster with a Green driver. I just wonder why someone would not want to scale up their learning curve by starting with a slower more forgiving car. A 944 Spec Series car is a great place to start...a fully set up car with a roll cage can be obtained for about $15,000.

In conclusion, I have really cut back on my instructing with the exception of tracks with lots of run off and minimal walls...and even then, I am not so certain I will do it anymore.

I did a SOLO 1 event with SCCA a few years back. They won't put an instructor in a car...they observe you from the sidelines. This may be a practice that may become more commonplace as we see the entry level cars get faster and the drivers more green and less prepared...if in fact this is a trend.

I am asking Santa for a HANs device and a new helmet for the 2006 season and I am replacing my belts...they will be five years old. Engage brain fully before releasing clutch, drink plenty of fluids, use a Cool Shirt on hot days...don't drive 10/10ths at DE events...think ahead, way ahead and always have an escape route. don't watch the car in front of you...unless he is a great driver. That's about all I know...keep the shiny side up!

 

I resemble that remark!

Last year I got a GT3, mostly for the street I thought but also for DEs, and of course I started in green. Had I been planning on doing just DEs I probably would have started with a less capable car. When I started to ride motorcycles about ten years ago I bought a learner bike before moving to a Ducati, and I scorned squids starting out with liter bikes.

That said, I am in blue now with 6-point belts, DAS Sport bar and GT3 seats, but street tires. My HANS arrives in today's UPS. I am very respectful of the throttle on this car, and delight in the suspension and brakes. I've been fortunate to have been instructed by excellent GT3 drivers at PCA DEs. I have driven five tracks this year, only one of which I had ridden on the bikes, so I still have a lot to learn, but on my last instructed ride this past weekend one comment was to start picking up exit speeds. (Did I say I have a lot of respect for the throttle on this car?)

Other instructors I have spoken with suggest that all green students start in less capable cars, such as spec miatas. Maybe a school that provides cars would be a good thing, but it wouldn't be PCA DE as I've enjoyed it. There are yahoos in any activity, and they can be unsafe. For me, I know my learning curve in the car was much quicker than on the bikes, largely because I could get real time oral comments from my instructor who was sitting right there. On the bikes you have instructors riding behind or in front, and other than hand signals comments come after a session.

I hope there will be no substantial changes in the PCA DE program, which I think is a very good one.