ZSA Motorsport

i've been to many a open track day, private tracks like Monticello, where many guys wear very little, the short sleeve shirts, no hans, no halos on their seats, sweatshirts, or jeans, or whatever....
ill hang, i'll bullsh it with dudes, but when the sessions goes green, i mount up full. if guys look at me as a 'flatout' dude, or 'racer dude' , and they somehow feel threatened or whatever else they think they feel, ...well then so be it. they're not going to take care of my wife and kids if i perish, they arent going to change my diapers if im paralyzed.

i love when guys say "well, i just dont go that hard . im kind of slow out there." i have rarely seen a guy not give full throttle when ripping down a long straight away whatever your car might be, a race car, a gt3 street car or some honda. you come out of the downhill at limerock, no matter what pace you carried through the turn, by end of exit curbing you're pushing full pedal to the floor.

you coul dbe going 40mph nice and easy and someon eelse going 40 center punches your rear and busts open your gas tank, busts an oil line or otherwise. flame-on.

i dont understand these DE groups that allow guys to wear anything but a firesuit, gloves, shoes, socks. is the thought process that these guys dont have the monies to afford 1000 in safety gear, while spending 400 to register, 500 in fuel, tires, brakes, rotors pads. ? arent these DE event sold out like 9 weeks in advance ? are we afraid it comes off feeling too "racey" or "uptight" because we want guys to be as safe as possible.?

i have no idea. i cant figure it out for the life of me. sometimes i watch that pinks show on TV where guys on a drag strip hvae like ZERO sfaety gear. insane. such is life. to me, if im stoopid enough to make a decison to not wear all safety gear thats available, then i deserve the pain and suffering or worse that comes. but those who do not deserve it are your wife, kids, mom, dad, co-employees who will have to live with you in your wrecked state for years, or deal with your death. my wife doesnt deserve to have to blow my nose and change my diapers because i was out having fun with my car buddies and i opted to not wear my hans.

we should all wear full gear all the time, end of story.

Veloce Raptor

I wear all of my full race gear whenever I get into a client's car, either to drive or ride, no matter what the car. Full nomex, balaclava, hans, shoes, etc.

zip465

Beginning DE and TT driver here, I have no problem "suiting up" really don't give a $**** what other's think when it comes to DE track vanity. Like Mr. Veloce Raptor stated "Full nomex, balaclava, hans, shoes, etc.." Sure I'm hot as hell in the suit, look like a giant penguin (6'5" in a black and white suit...), but I feel safer, and it sure keeps my better half happy when all the safety gear is worn.

gomez1

This weekend more than any other has reminded me how dangerous our sport is. It's been a bad weekend for deaths and cars totaled. It's really crazy.

There is no question that we all need to be fully suited up and safe every time we get in the car. Sadly even then... it's still dangerous. Le Mans/Nurburgring reminds us of this.

hf1

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”
Ernest Hemingway

jakermc

I always dress as well, but not just for safety. I also believe that if you are going to race in the heat (and I do) then you should practice in the heat. Helps get the mind and body acclimated to the conditions so you are better able to perform when it counts.

Glen

Good point Rob!

mrbill_fl

yep, Even in the summer, all the gear, all the time.

Coochas

When coaches ride with me they always double or triple up on safety gear. Should I be concerned?

dgmark

This is the reason I will not instruct, I am asked many time to help out instructing, but it scares the **** out of me to get in a car at the track without proper harnesses and roll cage. It amazes me that people are alowed at a track like Road America without a proper seat and harnesses.

insite

i never understood the long sleeve thing unless it was nomex for fire safety. i found another reason a few weeks ago at road atlanta: side air bags. superficial, but MAN that thing shredded me up.

hf1

Is cotton underwear under a 3 layer Nomex suit a big no-no, safety wise?

gomez1

Nothing is on my body that is not Nomex. Socks and underwear included.

hf1

Have there been examples of burns due to cotton under Nomex? Could cotton even theoretically catch fire under a Nomex suit? Serious questions.

In the other safety thread there was a link to an interesting article about racing deaths and safety. It claimed that deaths by fire have been all but eliminated by advances in car design, especially in modern street cars. Two of the racing deaths last week were by heart-attack. I raised the question about whether the high heat in a poorly ventillated Nomex-clad body could increase heart-attack risk.

GuyIncognito

I've wondered the same thing, but haven't found any clarification either way.