reidry

I've just re-read the story about the young lady who died at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala. The story, and many others, resonate with me for a number of reasons. I have always been interested in cars and driving, from a young age I lobbied my parents for a go kart, for whatever reason the kart never materialized and my interest in motorsports had to wait.

More recently I have found my way back to the track. At this stage I can afford the cars and all the safety gear to enjoy the sport and have a high probability of surviving an incident. Today I have a race prepared Spec Miata and participate in HPDE with plans for a competition license in the near future. I wear a head and neck restraint everytime I go on track in a car with harnesses.

The recent incident in Ocala highlights the fact that car selection has little influence on the risk a driver is taking behind the wheel. The caged Sentra, without all of the proper driver safety equipment was just as dangerous as jumping into a bus for the figure 8 track, a demolition derby car, or a 500hp cup car. Any race car has deadly potential without the essential driver safety equipment.

What can we do to ensure young drivers have the gear to keep them safe?

I think we all realize requiring a H&N restraint as well as the other essential driver gear would have saved this young driver.

1. Where should we draw the line for requiring a head and neck restraint system on the track?

I would like to hear some good discussion here.

Driver's Education (DE) events are designed to provide a venue for an inexperienced person to have a safe introduction to driving on the track. The rules governing DEs vary by organization, however they are structured to create a controlled environment where a driver with just the addition of a helmet and the manufacturer's safety equipment can be introduced to the track environment. Let's take a moment to examine progression through the run groups. As a driver progresses from the novice group up to the advanced groups their skill level, speed and often car preparation are increased. At some point driver's seat is exchanged for one with holes for harnesses and harnesses are fitted to be used in place of the three point belts. Airbag or not, the manufactuer's safety equipment is no longer working as a system to provide driver safety.

Even the NHRA hasn't completely mandated the use of head and neck restraints.

Extract from the January 2014 NHRA rules update.
SECTION 4A: SUPER PRO, PRO, SPORTSMAN, DRIVER:10, NECK COLLAR (Page 9)
Neck collar meeting SFI Spec 3.3 mandatory in all cars running 9.99 (*6.39) or quicker or cars exceeding 135 mph. A head and neck restraint device/system may be used in lieu of a neck collar.

Super Pro is a heavily modified class and most cars in this class are leaning toward trailer queens and yet for cars running 10.00 or slower the NHRA does not require a head and neck restraint. Before anyone jumps in and says it's just drag racing, these guys are running all out between two concrete walls, there are a number of mechanical failures that can result in a high speed left or right turn and a head on impact with the concrete walls surrounding the drag strip.

2. What can we do to enure young drivers have access to essential driver safety equipment when they are starting out?

Do any of the HNR companies, for that matter any of the driver safety equipment companies (sparco, gforce, etc) have a discount program for new junior drivers?

3. Could an organization geared at getting young people into racing work something to ensure these young drivers have access to the equipment they need?

Had I been part of the crew supporting the young driver in Ocala, I personally would have provided a new head and neck restraint before the first on track event.

Is there any organization, perhaps through folks like Grassroots Motorsports, that are working to ensure young drivers that come to our sport understand what safety equipment they should have for their personal protection and get the safety equipment they need?

Ryan

sbelles

There are several organizations that provide support (including safety gear) to junior racers. Here's one. http://www.youngracersofamerica.org/...sion-statement Interesting that they don't specifically mention H&N devices.

Racerrob

Tough to mandate H&N for DE's but they should certainly be encouraged. I guess there are a few out there that will work with a 3 point but not Hans.

About the only thing of value in the other thread was the suggestion that we all "pay it forward" in some way to help the new folks in the sport. When the belts time out in my racecar I try to give them to young, broke autocrossers or DE's folks. Have also done the same with seats, suit, gloves, etc...I'm sure most of us here can afford it and it helps the sport.

J richard

For DEs and track events with stock restraint systems you are about as good as you can get with safety inspections, helmets and supervision. The problem is with mixed systems; ie 4,5,6point belts without H&N, stock seats with harnesses etc... Stock systems are designed to allow for crush zones airbags an belt stretch to do their work. Aftermarket safety needs to be put together carefully and with an idea how the interact. Bolting yourself in tight and letting your neck take the hit is a bad recipe for disaster....

TXE36

This really is a thorny problem that is getting worse due to the speeds stock cars can reach on a racetrack. Street cars that can hit 160+ when not driven well with 3pt belts and airbags. The stock setup also does not conceive of the helmet, which has to make the problem worse. The stock setup does have extensive engineering and testing to back it up.

It really does make sense that you either stay completely stock or go roll bar/cage, belts, harnesses, and hans for DE.

If you look at that poor girl's car, there doesn't appear to be a lot of damage, but the same is true for Dale Earnhardt's car. IIRC, the impact on Earnhardt's car was actually quite severe from the accident report. Speed, the concrete wall, and the angle all contributed.

Racing and DE are different animals. Cage (not rollbar), seat, harnesses and hans seem like a no-brainer requirement for racing. For beginning DE, stock is likely okay but I don't think an "all the way requirement" is out of line which is what a lot of DE events do anyways.

With all the data available today, it is just amazing to me that anybody lets someone out on any racetrack during competition without a hans.

-Mike