by "TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
Published 09/06/2017 at 09:49
by "TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
Published 09/06/2017 at 09:49
No Tags
STARS: 2
The kind that tells you that you are ready to go racing! Cones on a racetrack style autocrossing at the short track about an hour from me! Never been on a track at all before, should be a lot of fun. Maybe I will actually be able to get into the power band in 2nd...
"random001" (random001)
09/06/2017 at 09:57, STARS: 2
If one crashes on thunder road, does that mean they are thunderroadstruck?
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
09/06/2017 at 09:58, STARS: 1
I’m going to try to not find out.
"random001" (random001)
09/06/2017 at 10:03, STARS: 1
This plan, this plan is a good plan.
"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
09/06/2017 at 10:21, STARS: 0
They allow M-rated helmets?? Wow. The lowest rated ones we can use are SA2010.
"TheTurbochargedSquirrel" (thatsquirrel)
09/06/2017 at 10:38, STARS: 0
Through the end of the year. Next year we have to be SA2010 or better.
"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
09/06/2017 at 11:21, STARS: 0
SCCA has always only required Snell M rated helmets for autocross. The roll bar impact test and nomex liner are nice on SA rated helmets, but probably overkill for where nobody should be able to hit anything harder than a cone anyway (at least if the safety stewards have done their jobs in validating the course design and set up). Most folks are driving street legal cars, wearing street clothes and not running head and neck restraint systems anyway.
"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
09/06/2017 at 11:44, STARS: 0
I know - all the groups around here make us use SA2010 or above. I suppose it’s not too bad, because most track days want SA2010+ as well, just forced me to get a better helmet.
"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
09/06/2017 at 12:15, STARS: 1
Nothing wrong with getting better gear, I would just question the value of requiring folks to use an SA rated helmet over a much cheaper M rated one in the absence of the rest of the equipment the SA rating was developed to work with.
What else are they requiring for safety equipment and tech for track days now? Back in the early 00's when I was doing a lot of instructing at them (and developing the racecar with the free track time), it was basically a car emptied of loose items, no obvious fluid leaks, tires with no cord showing, wheel bearings with no play and all lugnuts in place, secure battery, M2000 or better helmet and long sleeves/pants with closed toe shoes.
After I crashed (hard) in the racecar in 2004ish, I lost all desire to sit in the passenger seat of some dude’s street car on a racetrack.
"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
09/06/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 1
For autocross, there’s really no need for anything more than a M rated helmet, but I don’t get to make the rules :).
For tracking, I generally run with a PCA group and they’re somewhat laid back. Helmet has to be SA2010+, must wear long sleeve shirt and pants, sessions are generally no longer than 20 minutes each. For the vehicle, they have a form with about 20-25 items that must be checked by a certified mechanic and then signed off. The form must be brought to tech inspection the day of the event and the tech chief receives the form and then does another cursory (5 min) exam of the vehicle.
"ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com" (ita97)
09/06/2017 at 13:56, STARS: 1
That sounds like a pretty rational approach by PCA. I really like the idea of shorter sessions, simply because many cars that are driven to the track will not have enough brakes to actually run 10/10ths around a track for extended periods of time. They also tend to not have enough engine cooling to do so either, and laying down antifreeze on the track is seriously bad for everyone. When I think back to our 45 minute sessions and all the cars coming of the track with toasted brakes and puking coolant (and power steering fluid for the Zo6 folks), that was probably not the best idea for the street car run groups.
One thing that I’m not so sold on anymore is right seat instruction at track days in street cars. I think it poses a lot of risk for everyone involved while not providing enough control over true novices (and especially ones with horsepower). I became a bigger fan of lead-follow instructing for beginners. The real problem was finding instructors that were willing to put track time on their own cars to do so. For my part, I’d do it again today for instructing a friend or family member, but I can’t think of a reason I’d put track time on the racecar to instruct random people.