So many people want to complain and generally whine about safety equipment in race cars. At a recent event I was at, there were probably a dozen guys who came to the tower complaining because they failed tech due to helmets that were vastly expired. We’re talking way out of date. Eventually they got calmed down and scored themselves a new skid lid but the point is that these guys were running down a race track with stuff that may not help them out at the time they need it.
Richard Okerman was wearing all of his gear and was driving a car that was compliant with all of the chassis rules in 2004 when he suffered what has to be one of the most frightening Super Gas wrecks ever caught on film. You will see his blue Camaro pass the finish line at Las Vegas and then make a shockingly violent turn across the track where it begins to fly because hammering the retaining wall with immense force. The car then shoots back across the track where it erupts in flames and presents the horrifying situation of Okerman’s helmet peering through all of it.
Overman quickly extracts himself from the nightmarish scene and the safety safari people are on top of him before he had time to think about it.
This is a relatively “tame” car, right? Super Gas is not a category known for its spectacular wrecks and death defying moments. All the better an example to show just how bad things can get and how quickly they can get there. Had Rich Okerman been in a shoddy car, had been wearing a shoddy helmet, or had not properly been strapped in, he’d likely be dead. That sounds dramatic but only because it is true.
Okerman is still a fearsome NHRA racer today competing primarily in the Top Sportsman category with a quick Beretta. He’s around and still a force in the national points because he was wearing all his stuff and driving a properly built car. Fact!
I suppose you make a valid point, who could argue over safety, right? But a helmet that is undamaged; one that has not had an impact with a head in it, is a serviceable helmet, period. The seat belt rule from a few years ago is a bit over the top as well, and all it does is keep customers paying the manufacturer again and again to recertify their product. The sale that keeps on giving. Look, I can see some of that in the pro ranks. But for sportsman racers, or, do like they do for the roll cage rules, cars slower than XX.XX, as long as the seatblets and helmet are not visibly damaged, torn or sun-bleached, in the case of seatbelts and harness, should be allowed to go…
Looks to me like he dumped it and wasn\’t ready for it..
it broke the front wheel bearing but does it matter he is racing today because of a safe car
An hour or 2 in ICU cost more than all the best equipment that you can buy! Pay now [and walk away] or pay a lot more later!!!!
Not good to see any ones stuff smashed but after the impact it is hard to see but I was wondering if his visor was down?
But when he was out of the car its hard to tell if he even has a visor on his helmet.
I see plenty of guys in sedans leave the visor up during a run. I guess you only need it down if things turn to shit.
Regarding Gary’s comment above I was told recently my Simpson RX Speedway was out of date. (only slightly and literally has been worn at 5 or 6 meetings and never had a scratch)
I was advised a local speed shop had replacements Simpson Bandits which I’m told are made in China. I know which helmet I would prefer to wear.
Do the people complaining about their helmets “barely being out of date” realize that a SNELL 2015 helmet is NOT the same as a SNELL 2010 which is no the same as a SNELL 2005 etc. Helmet regulations change every 5 years, they don’t stay the same. The helmets get better period.
Helmets are good for a LONG time. If your helmet is aged out it is a SNELL 2005 or earlier, which means at a minimum it is 8 years old and as much as 13 years old.
Sorry, buy a new one. Pretty simple. Guaranteed you’d have no problem spending $300 on speed parts.
I have been guilty of complaining about the cost of the safety equipment you put in your race car and on yourself too, but as a friend of mine told me years back, you have to pay if you want to play.
Years ago before I became a teenager, we raced go carts. Methanol burning, flame throwing engines inches from our sides and for a couple of years I did not have much of an incident but not too long after we bought my new helmet, I had a right front tire lose pressure and when it went down I had only momentary control and the next thing I knew it was in the wall and rolled, slid backwards on top of the wall and came to rest facing the wrong direction wheels down near turn three. I was fine, and as I tried to get up dad beat the paramedic to me and they both said hold on stay put and relax a minute. The engine shut off on impact but I was ready to go to the pits get it fixed and go back out to race. While we were looking over the damage I went to the concession stand to get us a few soft drinks and when I returned one of my crew guys said look at this, My new helmet had tire marks on both sides of it and I did not even know it. Then we were glad to have what safety we had back then. We saw so much stuff happen it makes you stop and think. Recently I saw a video of a guy wearing all the safety gear you could have including a hans type device and he slid into a turn, spun hard enough to make the engine stall and came to rest at the edge of a turn on the outside corner. Upon trying to crank his car up to get moving, he looked up and was hit nearly head on, a little to his right by another race car and the impact was so bad he was nearly thrown into the passenger side and you could hear him say oh oh oh out loud over and over because the impact hurt him so bad. Just a couple of many examples why we need our safety gear. .