Hi guys, thanks in advance for the help. I have been doing HPDE and SCCA Time Trials for several years now and feel I really need to get some personal safety equipment. I am going fast enough at a variety of tracks that I no longer feel comfortable showing up and driving in jeans and a t-shirt.

I will be doing about 2 track days a month as well as Time Trial competition.

What type of certification should I be looking for in a suit?
How many layers?
Should I get underwear as well for just track days?
Any suit recommendations? My budget for the suit can be up to $1000
What about fit? I am 6'3" and about 190 lbs.

Any other advice is appreciated.

 

I assume you have a full cage, FIA seats, and harness?

First, talk to the most experienced people at the club(s) you run with. Most are very happy to share their thoughts.

I'd get a nice FIA/SFI appv'd 1-piece used, some gloves, underwear, socks, and shoes for a few hundred. Then spend the rest on a HANS or similar. I'd rather my leg catch fire than break my neck. Actually neither of those sounds too good.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RPM_69 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I assume you have a full cage, FIA seats, and harness? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I currently have a rollbar, but will be getting a full cage soon. FiA seat and harness - yes.

 

I'd skip the underwear. Get the SFI rating that would let you road race without flameproof undies. That means 3.2A/5 minimum.

HANS is good. It takes a couple sessions to get used to, but eventually you'll forget its there. I'd invest in a $19.99 panoramic mirror if doing HPDE's (etc.) with it, with traffic. You can find it at http://www.ioportracing.com

-Chris

NASA CCR:

15.17.1 Driving Suits
A driver is required to wear a suit that covers his or her entire body except for hands,
feet, and head. Driving suits shall be one piece and made of fire restraint material such
as: Nomex, PBI, Fypro, Kevlar, IWS (wool), Fiberglass, Durette, FPT, Kynol, Simpson
Heat Shield, Leston Super Protex, FPT Linea Sport, or Durette X-400. Combinations of
the above listed material are also acceptable as is any one piece suit carrying an SFI
3.2A/1 rating or higher (3.2A/5, 3.2A/10, 3.2A/15, or 3.2A/20) or FIA 8856-2000.

15.17.2 Underwear
Approved underwear made of fire resistant material such as: Nomex, PBI, Fypro, Kevlar,
IWS (wool), Fiberglass, Durette, FPT, Kynol, Simpson Heat Shield, Leston Super Protex,
FPT Linea Sport, or Durette X-400 must be worn with all suits except those made of
three (3) layers or carrying a rating of SFI 3.2A/5, 3.2A/10, 3.2A/15, 3.2A/20 or FIA
8856-2000. Underwear certified to SFI 3.3 or FIA 8856-2000 is strongly recommended
in all cases.

 

I'll second what Chris F said. Just get a 3.2A/5 suit and forget about the underwear. You'll still need socks, shoes, gloves, and a balaclava (optional). If you can spend up to $1k, you can get into a pretty nice suit. The cheaper suits are typically hotter, heavier, and generally less comfortable. Check out the mid-range sparco suits or you may even be able to find an Alpinestars GP Pro suit for under a grand.

I don't know if these guys are still offering this deal, but it's a great deal if you're starting from scratch:

http://www.curpiermotorsport.c...age=1

- Scott

 

Definitely get a H&N device -- especially if you're using a harness + fixed seat.

I'd recommend getting a quality helmet too. My Sparco helmet truly impressed me with construction compared to my entry level Bell helmet.

Those can correct me if wrong, but racing clothes only offers protection from fire.
So I'd recommend on purchasing crash safety first and then worry about fire safety next.

 

I'd definately reccomend a HANS, and make sure you have the compatible belts.

The rest of your gear depends on the amount of cash that you have to spend. 3.2/5 suit is a must, but also even if it's not nomex invest in good wicking underwear, it's very uncomfortable to be sitting in a puddle at the end of a session.

The brand of suit is of course up to your personal comfort, I'm personally an alpine stars fan, but they do cost. If you ever have a chance make freinds with a sales rep, I got a good deal on my first alpinestars suit that was a "defect" with a misstitched logo. like everything else suits tend to be fit to differing body types by different companies so try them all on. Look for a flex panel on the back, precurved arms, and elastic cuffs.

Golves, I reccomend anything that has external seams. Fits again differ by brand. look for precurved fingers and a thin palm. make sure it sticks to your steering wheel. I personally like kangeroo leather, but you can get almost anything. these are your connection to the car, spend what you have to to make it good.

Shoes, look for a rigid sole and a smooth surface on the ball of the foot. I prefer a mid top; high tops really tend to restrict your ankle movement, and I don't like the low tops lack of protection.

Finally, wear your balaclava! It absorbs the sweat that would otherwise be eating away at the foam padding in your helmet! And stay away from large eyeport helmets, they're for lazy people, just move your head.

P.S. Physical condition is very important to your safety, if you need an excuse to hit the gym or start jogging, make racing your excuse.

 

For suits, I really recommends you to get the most expensive you can afford. In this case, the most expensive are often the most comfortable, lightweight and not hot!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sdcivic549 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'd definately reccomend a HANS, and make sure you have the compatible belts.
..
And stay away from large eyeport helmets, they're for lazy people, just move your head.</TD></TR></TABLE>

In my opinoin, these two statements contradict themselves. Which "large eyeport" helmets are you talking about? I just have a Bell Sport 3 (or something like this), not small eyeport for sure, but I wouldn't want a smaller one.

Either way, get a multi-panel mirror or panoramic if you get the Hans.

p.s. buy my car, it has a cage.

-Chris

 

I sometimes wish I would have bought a helmet with a larger eyeport. I wear a Simpson Bandit, mostly because I was used to a motorcycle helmet and wanted something similar in feel. It is fine for watching the track, but doesn't allow much air to flow through with the shield up and makes it harder to see guages and other things in my periphery (like the cam-lock on my harness when looking down with the HANS on). Still though, I liked the feel of it better than the couple Bell helmets I tried on and the G-force and Pyrotect helmets just felt like utter crap in comparison. If I were to get one with a larger eyeport, I probably would have gone with a Simpson Voyager or one of the Sparcos. The Bells are probably fine for most people, but I was used to a motorcycle helmet and wanted something that felt more like what I was used to.

Anyway, the OP may already have a HANS and SA helmet. He didn't specify. In general though, I'd take crash safety over fire safety if I could only have one. As much as it would suck to burn to death, your chances of crashing are probably much higher than your chances of burning. That said, I can't hardly stand the thought of going out on track w/o both my firesuit and HANS on anymore.

 

I'm not quite sure why FlyZlow needs to look at his cam-lock but if it's when hooking up, it's very easy to do it by feel and sound. Most cam-lock's have a definitive click when the end is inserted in the cam-lock.

As far as compatible belts for the HANS Device, any SFI certified 3" shoulder strap is compatible. SCCA allows certain FIA 2" straps if the the HANS is used but 3" straps work fine. It's all in the belt belt mounting.

Here is a site that will answer most, if not all of your questions.

http://www.opentrackaction.com...?f=22

Howard Bennett
HANS Performance Products

 

Howard,

you don't work for RPW anymore? Now you work for HANS? Say Hi to Gary Milgrom for me if you do

 

You shouldn't have any trouble looking around with a HANS on. Properly fit, they do offer resistance but shouldn't restrict your ability to turn your head so much that you can't face the way you need to to see the turn. If it's too tough go to the gym??

After seeing a couple of penetrated visors in karting, I'm not exactly a fan of large eyeports. I don't like the idea of anything having any extra chance to get thru to my face. If you can't see your gauges properly then you have an ergonomic issue in your car or a fitment issue with yout helmet. Not being able to see your camlock is a non-issue, you should be able to do that without looking, or with a bit of assistance. Sit in your garage and practice till you get it.

Personally I use a Bieffe Predator, which is not a very big eyeport but I have never had any visibility issues.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Andrie Hartanto &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Howard,

you don't work for RPW anymore? Now you work for HANS? Say Hi to Gary Milgrom for me if you do </TD></TR></TABLE>

It wouldn't be this gary milgrom would it??? (time for flashback)

 

Getting a wink or convex mirror really helps and is inexpensive.

Look at SFI's website for additional information. More money for a suit and/or helmet does not mean safer. If you're doing HPDEs, Time Trials or even sprint races, keep in mind you won't be in the safety gear for very long so having the lightest helmet is not nearly as important as if you were doing very long endurance type races.

Do move forward with getting that cage. My biggest fear is either myself spinning or going off course (then back on) and getting T-boned. (I'm not trying to imply that everyone doing HPDEs / Time Trials needs a cage, but for a non-street car it is a great option.)

A head & neck restraint is also a good investment. Take a look at http://www.isaacdirect.com. Also for more info., look at http://www.headrestraint.org.

Getting a racing seat and belts is also a good safety investment. If you have a cage, a window net is a cheap addition.

I am NOT trying to promote the book now, but there are many good links on its site http://www.goaheadtakethewheel.com where you can buy this stuff at a reasonable cost.

My opinion is if you decide to buy a suit, get something that both NASA & SCCA approve (SFI ratings). Don't buy a something too expensive. Instead, use the money on other safety gear.

There are also things you can do that cost nothing which improve safety. Once you get the racing gear, practice getting out of the car quickly. Try doing it with you eyes closed. Cost = free.