View Single Post
  #76  
Old 05-05-2006
arig's Avatar
arig arig is offline
Winning Races / Advanced Member (250+ Posts)
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Woodmere, LI
Posts: 483
Re: An Open Letter to Skip Barber Regarding HANS devices - Please Vote & Give Feedback

Grady,

I think you are trying make the argument that the hans is not important b/c skippy does not discuss it or provide it. that's wrong. you need to understand that skip barber is a business. i have asked the question, "why doesn't skippy require or provide hans?". i was told that it is an insurance liability if they require the hans device. if you closely at what you need to run a race weekend with skip barber, (this is from memory b/c i can't find a rulebook) nomex is not required it's actually highly recommended. the person who gave me the answer about the hans claimed that if they require a hans device be worn and the driver crashes and the hans fails, skip barber would be liable as well. i don't know the truth about that but that is what i was told. and this was with 3 instructors at the table.

in my opinion, you shouldn't race cars if you can't accept the consequences of a crash. drivers should wear all the safety equipment available to them. the way i think about safety and injury in racing is like this: if i am using all the safety equipment that is available to me or that i can buy, there is nothing more i can do. so i just forget about it b/c i know i'm wearing everything there is in existence that will protect me in the event of an accident.

however, you should understand that my 1st race weekend, i wore a skippy helmet and suit with nomex underwear. i crashed hard going in reverse at lime rock during practice. my neck was very sore but i was still able to race the next day. well, i was ready to race 30 minutes after i got cleared my medical but that's b/c i'm crazy. anyway, i ended up buying a helmet and hans at the track that next day. the shop didn't have the hans so i didnt wear it till the next weekend. i didnt get a suit until my 3rd or 4th weekend.

as i am one of those folks who didn't have all the safety equipment when i started and i know that was the wrong thing to do, i will bluntly tell people that they should wear a hans all the time. i think that even if skippy just had all their helmets fitted with hans anchors the problem would be solved b/c there are enough skippy racers who would loan out their hans to others to use.

i dont mean to go off on you or anything like that, it's just that 1st time racers are probably more likely to need a hans than some more experience drivers out there.
Reply With Quote