Helmets

Most sanctioning bodies will allow a helmet to be used if it is the current Snell rating or one back. At the moment that would mean the current Snell rating is SA2010 and one back would be SA2005. However, since the SA2010 helmets came out late some sanctioning bodies are allowing the SA2000 helmets to be used until June of 2011 and some other sanctioning bodies are allowing the SA2000 helmets to be used for the entire year of 2011. You should check your sanctioning body's rules to make sure your helmet is current.

From a sanctioning bodies perspective if you purchase a helmet right when the new certification comes out it would be possible to get 10 years of use from it before it would no longer be considered current. That being said, all helmet manufacturers recommend your helmet be replaced every 5 years. Why are these two recommendations different? The helmet manufacturers realize that the impact absorbing material inside your helmet (usually a hard dark grey liner material that is between the shell and the interior padding) gets hard with exposure to the atmosphere and heat from your head and as a result will not absorb energy like it did when it was new. The problem is you really cannot tell when it won't do it's job anymore.  Hence, the 5-year life recommendation from the manufacturers. Obviously, if you are involved in an incident and your helmet has come into contact with your roll cage (or anything else for that matter) you should have it inspected by the manufacturer to insure it is still serviceable and o.k. to be used. 

Head and Neck Restraint (HANS)  

All head and neck restraints need to be certified as SFI 38.1 or FIA 8858. Most sanctioning bodies do not have an expiration date for head and neck restraints as long as they are either SFI or FIA certified. That being said, the tether material used on HANS devices is made of the same polyester material as used in seat belts. This material just like your belts should be replaced at least every 5 years. The exception to this is if you are involved in any incident with a significant impact you should have your HANS tethers and belts replaced immediately. These types of belt material stretch when subjected to an impact and once they have stretched they will not return to their original condition.

Belts

There are essentially two types of belt materials used in auto racing belts. Each of these materials will determine what certification and useful life the belt will have.

Most belts that are FIA certified are good for 5 years. The FIA tag on the belt will say "Valid Thru 2011". So these belts are valid thru December 31st of that year. Most FIA approved belts are made of polyester, which degrades much slower under light than Nylon. Polyester also does not absorb moisture so the performance won't change when used in very humid environments.
 
Most belts that are SFI (only) certified are good for 2 years from the date of manufacture. The SFI tag is white with black print and the date of manufacture will be punched on the tag. The reason for this is that most SFI (only) approved belts are made from Nylon rather than polyester.

Some belts are both SFI and FIA approved. In this case, they would be valid for 5 years.

If you are involved in any significant impact you should replace your belts since they have likely stretched.  This applies even though your belts have not "technically" expired.  

Suits

Most sanctioning bodies require a one piece fire retardant driving suit. Usually a two layer suit or a one layer suit with fire retardant underwear is the minimum requirement. Two or three layer suits meeting SFI 3.2A/5 or FIA 8856-2000 are strongly recommended.  If your suit is FIA certified as FIA 8856-1986 it is no longer considered current. All FIA approved suits also have a date of manufacture on them. This is not really considered from a certification perspective as long as the FIA certification number is 8856-2000, which is the latest FIA standard. (Unless, of course you are racing professionally with IMSA or the like, in which case a tech inspector may have a problem with a suit that was manufactured in 2001 even though it is FIA 8856-2000 certified.) The irony here is that you can no longer wear a top of the line 2 or 3 layer suit with a  FIA 8856-1986 certification, but you can wear a single layer SFI 3.2A/1 suit with fire retardant underwear!  

Shoes and Gloves

Some sanctioning bodies (like NASCAR) require both your shoes and gloves to have an SFI tag on them. Many others will accept either an SFI or an FIA tag. If your gloves and shoes are FIA certified, just be sure the tag says FIA 8856-2000, which is the current standard. Just like your suit, if the tag says FIA 8856-1986 they are not considered current and should be replaced.

You should frequently inspect all of your safety gear for any signs of fraying or ripped seams etc. If you notice any seams on your suit or gloves that have come apart be sure to repair them. Only use Nomex thread for any repairs to these items. We stock Nomex thread in most colors at Northstar Motorsports. Call us if you need Nomex thread to make a repair. One other item concerning the care of your suit -  We always recommend dry cleaning your suit. This will insure it doesn't shrink and the colors will last much longer without fading.    
 
   

I can only speak to the requirements of PCA Club Racing. If you intend to race with any other sanctioning body you should check their requirements, as most sanctioning bodies differ in terms of their experience requirements. But in PCA Club Racing the rules require that you have at least 12 days of race track driving experience and experience at Driver's Ed events, time trials, race schools or equivalent events within a 24 month period.  (Note: experience at Autocross events does not count.)

Having said this, I don't know of many people who are ready to go Wheel to Wheel Racing after just 12 days of race track driving experience. I have had many drivers who have any where from 50 or more days of track driving experience before they feel they are ready to take the plunge and go racing.
In PCA Club Racing, the application for a Novice License includes a Certification of Experience that must be completed by your region's Chief Driving Instructor.

The one thing to remember is that when you are racing much of what you learn while doing DE events will change. For example, in DE the one thing that is stressed is to always drive the proper line. However, in racing this is not always the case. When you are attempting to pass another car they are not going to move off-line so you can pass, so you are going to have to make the pass by going off-line yourself and still make the next corner.

My recommendation is that you should be completely comfortable in driving the proper line just like it is second nature. You should know the braking points that you need to use in order to get your car to the appropriate entry speed for all the corners. Remember, this changes when you have just completed a pass under braking and you are now off-line. In racing there are cars all over the place and you must be comfortable with your own driving skills so this is not disconcerting. When you first start racing, the most difficult part is the start when cars are all bunched up and everyone is trying to gain spots before Turn 1. Remember, just hold the line you want to take into Turn 1, whether it's on-line or off-line. But be Predictable. Proper racing etiquette is that cars trying to pass you need to give you racing room. Now in theory that sounds great, but in practice it doesn't always work out that way, so you need to be aware of all the cars around you and you need to be somewhat defensive in order to avoid contact with another car.

The bottom line is there really isn't any set number of days of track driving experience that will indicate your are qualified to go racing. We all learn at different rates and while some people who have had a lot of experience in karting ,for example, may be ready to go Wheel to Wheel racing after 12 - 25 days of experience, most people will NOT be ready with that amount of experience.

One other recommendation is do your first race at a track you are familiar with and also a track that has lots of run off room in case you (or the other guy) makes a mistake. I have lots of people who tell me that Road America is their home track and they want to do their first race at that track. My recommendation is to NOT do that since the PCA Club Race at Road America is a very big event with high levels of testosterone and race groups with up to 80 cars. And Road America is not only a very fast (read Scary) track but it has lots of concrete barriers. My recommendation for a first race would a track like GingerMan or Putnam Park or any track like these with plenty of run off room and not so many entries. Once you have a few races like this under your belt then you can try your hand at one of the faster tracks like Road America, Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen or Sebring.

If you have any questions about this just give me a call at the number below. Remember, you will also need lots of additional safety equipment items before your first race, that are not required when doing DE or Time Trials. These items include, but are not limited to, a current SA rated helmet; HANS device: FIA or SFI approved belts; approved fire retardant driving suit, shoes, gloves and underwear; roll cage; fire suppression system; approved race seat and mounting hardware;  ignition kill switch; and a  window net. You can check all of this equipment out on Northstar Motorsports website: www.northstarmotorsports.com. If you have any questions, just give me a call at 847-304-5515 or send me an email at john@northstarmotorsports.com and I'll be happy to help you.          
             
    

Here is a listing of the Snell SA2010 Auto Racing Helmets that are not yet available from the manufacturers:

Arai has delayed the introduction of both the SA2010 GP-6RC Carbon and the GP5W until sometime during the first quarter of 2011. If you want to make sure you get one of the first of these helmets to arrive, you may order one and we will ship it to you as soon as they become available. We do, however, have full stock of the Arai GP-6 and the GP-6S SA2010 Auto Racing Helmets, except sizes XS, Small and XXL which will arrive toward the end of the first quarter of 2011.

Bell has delayed availability of some of their higher end SA2010 Auto Racing Helmets until sometime in January 2011. These include the GTX-2, Vortex GT, Star GP and the Star Infusion. At the moment we have full stock of the Bell Sport, M-4 and the GP-2 SA2010 Auto Racing Helmets.   

HJC has also delayed the introduction of the Si-12 and the HX-10 Carbon SA2010 Auto Racing Helmets until sometime in the first quarter of 2011. We do, however, have full stock of the SA2010 AR-10 II Auto Racing Helmet in all sizes.

Both G-Force and OMP will have their new SA2010 Auto Racing Helmets sometime during the first quarter of 2011.

Also, as a service to our customers who purchase a new SA2010 Auto Racing Helmet from Northstar Motorsports, we will install HANS Helmet Anchors in your new helmet at NO CHARGE. You would just need to purchase the HANS Helmet Anchors which are $50.00. 

Over a year ago, we were contacted by the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago to help with a portion of an exhibit called Science Storms.  Science Storms is a one-of-kind exhibit which explores the worlds of physics and chemistry and how they relate to nature's most powerful forces:  tornadoes, lightening, fire, tsunamis, sunlight, avalanches and atoms in motion.  There are large scale experiments to take part in, such as stepping into a vortex of a tornado, igniting and controlling fires, creating a wave in a large water tank and much more.
What does Northstar Motorsports have to do with natural phenomenons, you ask?  Simple. Fire. Northstar Motorsports is the premier supplier of Racing Safety Equipment.  The majority of our products are for driver safety in the event of a fire.  From head to toe, a racer is protected from fire by wearing fire-resistant clothing and accessories made of Nomex®, a fire-resistant material.  So this is how we came to help with the exhibit.  The museum wanted to have a display showcasing items that resist fire. Northstar Motorsports was able to provide the museum with an original Sparco Nomex® Racing Suit custom made for Jeff Gordon, a custom pair of Sparco Nomex® Racing Gloves, Sparco Top 3 Nomex® Racing Shoes, and Sparco Nomex® Underwear (long-sleeve top, bottoms and balaclava/headsock).
Having a close relationship with the folks at Arai, we were able to get them to donate two Arai Nomex®-lined Auto Racing Helmets (the brand preferred by Jeff Gordon).  The helmets were painted by Razor Image and resemble a Jeff Gordon design. One Arai helmet is on a mannequin and the other is cut in half to show the inner workings of an auto racing helmet.
It was an honor and rare experience to be able to work with the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago.  The exhibit is open and will remain for many years.  If you are in the Chicago area, we encourage you to experience the amazing Science Storms and check out our glass-enclosed display in the fire section of the exhibit.   

http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/science-storms/ 

According to reports, each of the 500+ staff members at the team's headquarters in Milton Keynes, England, will receive at least £10,000 (~$16k), but that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Some senior staff members stand to rake in up to £42k ($67k), while Sebastian Vettel - the driver who took home the top prize - is expected to get €3 million, equivalent to over $4 million in American terms.

With Mateschitz many times over a billionaire and the team waiting for nearly $100 million in purse winnings for the titles, the team can easily afford the bonuses, and are certainly most deserving.

When McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 drivers’ title, his entry into the record books was made all the more special as he became the sport’s youngest-ever world champion. Just two seasons later and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has outshone even Hamilton, clinching his maiden championship in Abu Dhabi at 23 years and four months-old - a full five months younger than Hamilton was back in ‘08.

It’s a remarkable achievement, made even more remarkable because up until the Yas Marina race there were still four drivers in with a shout at the drivers’ crown. And not just any drivers - Hamilton, two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Vettel’s own team mate Mark Webber. To take a title at such a young age is an accomplishment, but to beat drivers of such calibre is a feat indeed.

Of course, one of the best weapons in Vettel’s championship-winning arsenal has been his car. The RB6 has been the class of the field right from the get go at the season opener in Bahrain, and the majority of teams have been struggling to keep up ever since. Vettel himself has been particularly quick on Saturdays - scoring 10 pole positions and a further four front-row grid slots.

Team mate Webber, equipped with the same car has five poles in his tally - and a further seven front-row slots. So it seems that although the Red Bull duo has the same excellent machinery at their disposal, Vettel has held the advantage, at least on a Saturday. But this season hasn’t all been plain sailing for the young German.

He may have taken pole position in Bahrain - and was set for victory - but a faulty spark plug intervened and ruined his chances. At the next race in Australia another technical gremlin - a defective brake disc - ruined what should have been another comfortable victory, sending him spinning into retirement.

In Malaysia his luck finally seemed to turn as he stormed to his first win of the year. The relief that his title challenge was finally underway was palpable, and leading home team mate Webber home struck just the right chord for the ambitious Vettel. But it wasn’t to be a lasting winning streak, as at the next round in China a mistaken tyre call cost him a second successive win and he eventually finished sixth.

He could easily have let it get him down. But he didn’t, and with maturity beyond his years, he fought back from yet more adversity in Spain. When his front brakes gave way at the Barcelona race, he nursed it carefully to a third-placed podium finish. A fantastic achievement. By then, however, Webber seemed to have the upper hand, winning the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix in quick succession.

Vettel needed a victory. But instead he landed himself in hot water when a disastrous, and some said foolhardy attempt to pass Webber for the lead in Turkey saw the duo collide. Vettel retired; Webber continued to third. Red Bull’s PR machine moved to quickly diffuse the resulting acrimony, releasing a light-hearted picture of both drivers shrugging. In truth, the relationship was strained. And Ferrari and McLaren were ready and waiting to pick up the pieces from the fallout.

Canada saw neither Vettel nor Webber finish on the podium, as technical issues hit yet again. But back in Europe, Vettel finally returned to his winning ways, taking his second victory of the year in Valencia. But there was yet more controversy to come at Silverstone where Red Bull took a newer version of the RB6’s front wing off Webber’s car and handed it to Vettel for qualifying. An irritated Webber took the win regardless, although Vettel showed real spirit to fight back to seventh after a left-rear puncture.

In Germany, fate once again conspired against Vettel with a poor getaway leaving the Ferraris to a one-two, though third place was an efficient exercise in damage limitation which saw him draw level with Webber on points. Then in Hungary, despite starting from a dominant pole, his failure to notice the safety car return to the pits saw him receive a drive-through penalty for dropping more than 10 lengths behind. An almost certain victory thus became another third place.

The stewards weren’t done with Vettel, however, and when a reckless move on McLaren’s Jenson Button in Belgium took the Briton out of the race Vettel was again hit with a drive-through. A further collision with Liuzzi saw him finish a lap down in 15th. It was far from the race of a champion and earned him the nickname ‘crash kid’. But the 23 year-old didn’t let the bad press get to him, and instead knuckled down enough to drive round a brake-binding problem in Italy to finish fourth. And an aggressive drive to second in Singapore boosted his points further.

But it had been a good three months since his last win - despite his three poles - and successive victories for Alonso meant the Spaniard had become a definite title contender, just as Vettel’s own hopes were dimming. To stay in contention he had to win in Japan and he did just that, controlling the race from start to finish.

He was set to win again in Korea before a Renault engine failure just a few laps from home. Vettel may have been devastated, but with Webber also recording a DNF, he still had a chance - and he ran with it in Brazil. He missed out on pole, but after making it past Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg at Turn One, he was never challenged and led to the finish to secure Red Bull their first constructors’ championship.

But Vettel arrived in Abu Dhabi with a moral quandary to contend with. After Interlagos, Alonso had 246 points, Webber 238 and Vettel 231, and he knew that if they all finished as they’d done in Brazil (Vettel first, Webber second and Alonso third) it would be Alonso who’d take the title. And in the build-up to the race the media just wouldn’t let the question lie - would Vettel be willing to move aside for the sake of Webber and the team?

But he never needed to make the choice. From his dominant pole position on the Saturday to his commanding performance during Sunday’s race, Vettel controlled the entire Abu Dhabi weekend, and he did everything required to secure the title. But as he was well aware, it didn’t just depend on himself. With his points’ deficit, he needed Alonso and Webber to fall by the wayside - and they did. Webber secured just fifth on the grid in qualifying, whilst Alonso couldn’t find a way past Renault’s Vitaly Petrov during the race.

So the only contender not to have led the standings during the season is champion. Vettel would be the first to admit that it’s been a messy campaign. There have been several mistakes and he’s come in for a lot of criticism from both the media and, occasionally, the stewards’ room. Plus he’s also had his fair share of technical issues to contend with. But crucially he continued to score points - even when the chips were down. He’s not only the sport’s youngest champion - he’s also one of its greatest hopes. Congratulations Sebastian!

On Friday, March 26, 2010, SFI filed suit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana against Impact Racing, LLC, based upon evidence SFI has received regarding Impact’s manufacture and use of counterfeit SFI conformance labels and patches. Such actions by a manufacturer directly violate its obligations to the SFI program. SFI took similar action when it joined in Hans Performance Products’ lawsuit against Impact due to Impact’s manufacture and use of counterfeit Hans helmet clips. In that case, Impact counterfeited the clips and inscribed an SFI rating on the clips without SFI knowledge or approval. As in the Hans clip case, SFI is asking for another Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction against Impact. SFI is also seeking monetary damages. Please see SFI’s web posting of March 26, 2010 for more details on the basis for SFI’s position. At this time we do not know the exact extent of these counterfeiting activities, but through the litigation process we hope to learn all the details. During the years that Impact was using the counterfeit labeling, it was also obtaining authentic patches and labels from SFI. At this time SFI does not know how many products have counterfeit labels and patches and which ones have authentic labels and patches. Therefore, it was unfortunately necessary to decertify all the products manufactured by Impact pursuant to SFI specifications 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1 and 16.5. Please note that Impact helmets are not affected by this decertification. 

It is important to keep in mind that any such use of counterfeit labeling is in violation of the SFI specification programs. Whether it involves counterfeit helmet clips or counterfeit labeling, such activities can undermine the integrity of the product ratings system that exists in motorsports. This system depends upon trust. If this system is damaged, all of motorsports can suffer the consequences. Manufacturers that agree to the SFI specification programs must meet rigorous and strict requirements. Those stringent standards are in place first and foremost to promote safety and product reliability. Racers and sanctioning bodies must have confidence in a manufacturer’s representation that its products are in compliance with SFI requirements. The conformance label is a manufacturer’s solemn statement to the racing community that it followed the rules in bringing its product to the sport. When this trust is violated, the racing community suffers. The level playing field for other manufacturers becomes uneven. Sometimes the consequences of a breach of trust are severe and can hurt innocent victims. This is why it is so critical that manufacturers follow the ratings system at all times. SFI will continue to update the racing community as more information becomes available. For a downloadable .pdf of this update, please click on the following link: Impact Decertification Update 03-29-10.

SFI Foundation, Inc., has issued a Notice of Decertification; Notice of Cease and Desist, and a notice terminating all Contracts of Participation to Impact Racing. Effective April 27, 2010, all products manufactured and/or distributed by Impact Racing pursuant to SFI Specification Programs 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1, and 16.5 are decertified. Evidence obtained by SFI shows that over a period of years Impact Racing has engaged in the production and use of counterfeit SFI conformance labels and patches, and affixed them to Impact products for use in motorsports. Under the Contracts of Participation between SFI and Impact, SFI conformance labels and patches may only be obtained from SFI and no other source. Evidence shows that Impact had counterfeit SFI labels and patches made in Asia and then affixed them to Impact products it distributed to members of the racing community. To SFI’s knowledge, Impact never advised its customers that its products contained phony SFI labels and patches. Impact never advised SFI of its systematic and longstanding practice of counterfeiting and distributing SFI patches and labeling.

Impact has been directed to cease and desist from this practice. SFI has directed Impact to immediately notify all affected customers to remove the counterfeit labeling and to offer the affected customers a full refund of the purchase price. SFI is requesting that all counterfeit conformance labels removed from Impact products be sent to SFI.

SFI has elected not to decertify these products immediately in order to minimize the potential hardships to members of the racing community that have been brought about by Impact’s counterfeiting activities.

SFI has also elected to terminate all Contracts of Participation with Impact Racing effective 90 days from March 24, 2010. Under the terms of the Contracts, either party may terminate the agreements without penalty upon 90 days notice. This means that Impact will no longer be able to participate in any SFI programs after this 90 day period.

SFI has taken these actions in the best interests of the safety and integrity of the racing community. This is in keeping with SFI’s mission and purpose.