Cars We Drive!

[patrick_b]

I may do a couple per year if the intro course goes well. The car club I am with does one spring, one fall then a local pro IMSA driver who is in the club reached out and said he does his own private days that are invite only. Not too worried on a helmet only being good for 5 more years...I just look at it as a cost of fun.

I rented for my first track day but bought one after that. The Bell M8 is often recommended for its decent sized eye port if you wear glasses. It's reasonably priced in composite but also available in CF. I always saw the M8 or Bell Sport Mag (open face) as the standard rental helmets.

 

[otc]

It is crazy to me the variety (and price points!) available for auto helmets. Pretty sure Bell makes more different auto helments (not even counting motorcycle-only) than they make bicycle helmets.

Obviously the people involved in motorsports often have plenty of expendable cash to throw around...but I can't imagine the sales volume is that large. How many people actually drive on a track in a given year? Most beginners or casuals are probably using rented helmets...Helmets are good for 5-10 years...average participant probably owns only one helmet...lot of autoX events allow motorcycle helmets... Split that among a handful of brands and you are looking at incredibly low volume.

Figure bicycle and motorcycle helmets absolutely dwarf auto helmets on volume. Explains why the auto helmet price points blow up so fast...but still impressive how many variations they make.

 

[Roikins]

It is crazy to me the variety (and price points!) available for auto helmets. Pretty sure Bell makes more different auto helments (not even counting motorcycle-only) than they make bicycle helmets.

Obviously the people involved in motorsports often have plenty of expendable cash to throw around...but I can't imagine the sales volume is that large. How many people actually drive on a track in a given year? Most beginners or casuals are probably using rented helmets...Helmets are good for 5-10 years...average participant probably owns only one helmet...lot of autoX events allow motorcycle helmets... Split that among a handful of brands and you are looking at incredibly low volume.

Figure bicycle and motorcycle helmets absolutely dwarf auto helmets on volume. Explains why the auto helmet price points blow up so fast...but still impressive how many variations they make.

This just reminded me of a track day where a guy in the novice group who maybe had 2 or 3 total track days under his belt showed up in the full race kit with some expensive CF helmet with a HANS device like he was about to sub in for Schumacher. The instructor who was assigned to him had an open face helmet and jeans/long sleeve shirt with casual Pilotis.

 

[VaderDave]

It is crazy to me the variety (and price points!) available for auto helmets. Pretty sure Bell makes more different auto helments (not even counting motorcycle-only) than they make bicycle helmets.

Obviously the people involved in motorsports often have plenty of expendable cash to throw around...but I can't imagine the sales volume is that large. How many people actually drive on a track in a given year? Most beginners or casuals are probably using rented helmets...Helmets are good for 5-10 years...average participant probably owns only one helmet...lot of autoX events allow motorcycle helmets... Split that among a handful of brands and you are looking at incredibly low volume.

Figure bicycle and motorcycle helmets absolutely dwarf auto helmets on volume. Explains why the auto helmet price points blow up so fast...but still impressive how many variations they make.

I've got to think that the ability to crossover R&D between the moto helmets and the auto helmets helps offset those costs. Beyond that I assume it's just different helmet shell molds--I would think that a lot of the cheek pieces and helmet liners can be used in a bunch of different helmets.

 

[jbarwick]

This just reminded me of a track day where a guy in the novice group who maybe had 2 or 3 total track days under his belt showed up in the full race kit with some expensive CF helmet with a HANS device like he was about to sub in for Schumacher. The instructor who was assigned to him had an open face helmet and jeans/long sleeve shirt with casual Pilotis.

So the pro driver here in Nashville pointed me to a guy he is working with who runs the VIR Club and has been an instructor for a long time. He actually recommended a hybrid HANS if I start doing this regularly given the minor cost for the safety it offers. He is also coming to Nashville next week and is bringing a bunch of helmets, gloves, and other misc safety items to try out. My wife is not going to like this hobby if it becomes one...

Given I'll be slow for a while, I doubt I will get one but could imagine one if I do attend more.

 

[Roikins]

So the pro driver here in Nashville pointed me to a guy he is working with who runs the VIR Club and has been an instructor for a long time. He actually recommended a hybrid HANS if I start doing this regularly given the minor cost for the safety it offers. He is also coming to Nashville next week and is bringing a bunch of helmets, gloves, and other misc safety items to try out. My wife is not going to like this hobby if it becomes one...

Given I'll be slow for a while, I doubt I will get one but could imagine one if I do attend more.

Definitely consider one if you move into intermediate just to be safe. You'll be going a little faster, but you'll also be driving around other students who are in the "dangerous" comfort level. Although in all the track days I've been to where I've seen some pretty crazy crashes, no one has been seriously injured in a modern day street car. The only real injury I saw was someone who crashed an old Mustang.

 

[sugarbutch]

So the pro driver here in Nashville pointed me to a guy he is working with who runs the VIR Club and has been an instructor for a long time. He actually recommended a hybrid HANS if I start doing this regularly given the minor cost for the safety it offers. He is also coming to Nashville next week and is bringing a bunch of helmets, gloves, and other misc safety items to try out. My wife is not going to like this hobby if it becomes one...

Given I'll be slow for a while, I doubt I will get one but could imagine one if I do attend more.

I was going to suggest the restraint if you liked the track day enough to keep doing them. Keeping your skull on top of your spinal column is a nice to have.

 

[patrick_b]

This just reminded me of a track day where a guy in the novice group who maybe had 2 or 3 total track days under his belt showed up in the full race kit with some expensive CF helmet with a HANS device like he was about to sub in for Schumacher. The instructor who was assigned to him had an open face helmet and jeans/long sleeve shirt with casual Pilotis.

Best thing I've seen at a track day was a couple in their late 60's. They trailered two matching skittle colored Lotus's and ran in the advanced group. They both had nice helmets and HANS setups but the guy looked like he just got out of church. Khaki's, OCBD, etc. They were really fun to watch.

 

[bawlin]

HANS is an absolute must if you're running harnesses and a rollcage/rollbar.

 

[venividivicibj]

Signed up for an Intro to High Performance course

don't you need to work on your staying power first?

 

[NakedYoga]

This just reminded me of a track day where a guy in the novice group who maybe had 2 or 3 total track days under his belt showed up in the full race kit with some expensive CF helmet with a HANS device like he was about to sub in for Schumacher. The instructor who was assigned to him had an open face helmet and jeans/long sleeve shirt with casual Pilotis.

Racing equivalent of a full kit wanker?

 

[VaderDave]

HANS is an absolute must if you're running harnesses and a rollcage/rollbar.

I always cringe when I see someone driving around in an older car with a rollcage installed and low-back front seats, so if the guy gets rear-ended his head is going to smash into the rollbar.

 

[sugarbutch]

I always cringe when I see someone driving around in an older car with a rollcage installed and low-back front seats, so if the guy gets rear-ended his head is going to smash into the rollbar.

You see a lot of “safety” equipment in older cars. I can understand that people don’t want to modify significant cars, but for race cars which are merely old, they should upgrade to full seats and any other reversible equipment.

 

[VaderDave]

You see a lot of “safety” equipment in older cars. I can understand that people don’t want to modify significant cars, but for race cars which are merely old, they should upgrade to full seats and any other reversible equipment.

For the few that I've seen, I'd want to put "race car" in air quotes. A lot of these were more like boy-racer hack jobs for street cars.

 

[Texasmade]

Looks like Toyota lifted their media blackout on the new 4Runner yesterday or day before as a bunch of 4Runner review videos dropped.

Porsche lifted media blackout on their GT3 and GT3 Touring today as now my Youtube feed is filled with 992.2 GT3/GT3 Touring videos.