The road to Optima Challenge 2021

[SuperBuickGuy]

Good grief. Where did you shop, California? The HANS causes cancer in California so you have to sign a lot stuff to get one there.

all of this is for the little duckling portion of the event. All of it. You just have to wear the helmet for the stop challenge and the Autox.... that said, I'll need it eventually.... any road racing requires a HANS - and I'd like to try out the Corvette Challenge

[pdub]

neck restraint purchased.... I think that was harder to do then buying a helmet....

Good grief. Where did you shop, California? The HANS causes cancer in California so you have to sign a lot stuff to get one there.

[SuperBuickGuy]

neck restraint purchased.... I think that was harder to do then buying a helmet....
let's list the choices:
- seat angle (not the angle of the seat but where your head is in relation to the seat... oh yeah, and the seat angle too)
- driver size
- car type - I hear that since Porsche drivers hit the wall tail first, they need a different device)
- race type
- seat type
- seat belt type

and then
- restraint height
- restraint helmet fastening system
- restraint fastening to body system
- HANS is both a brand AND a description
- material device is made from
- whether or not you have seat belt restraints (seriously?) yeah, there is a choice of how the seat belt is held to the device....


and finally
- Aquarius? okay maybe I made that up.... maybe.
- but even more fun? I get to do this again when I replace the seats with ones that actually keep you in the car.... I know, I'm the millionth person to complain about C3 seats, but I should get a prize for being the millionth

[SuperBuickGuy]

At least they haven't stated an inspection criteria for fecal matter to cotton content

this is why they inspect BEFORE the race, smart folks, those inspectors.

The upcoming track weekend at Daytona is run by NASA (no, not the rocket science gang) and they "highly recommend" a fire suit but demand all cotton at a minimum. I've got all that so I'll for sure use it. I can see it already, here's a really little guy in a slow car with a fire suit and a HANS to go out there and get lapped by all the Corvette guys wearing gold chains. I've checked the list and I don't see any Ferraris in my run group so I won't be able to find out the answer to the nagging question, "Do leather driving gloves burn?"

I looked high and low for new balance driving shoes... I'm afraid I'm going to be disowned if I don't use extra gold chains.... I do have jorts, so at least I'll be mostly there for Corvette dress.

[pdub]

I'm going to draw a line if they check the cotton content in my underwear so I figure that the suit will keep their further inspection of my undergarments to a minimum..

The upcoming track weekend at Daytona is run by NASA (no, not the rocket science gang) and they "highly recommend" a fire suit but demand all cotton at a minimum. I've got all that so I'll for sure use it. I can see it already, here's a really little guy in a slow car with a fire suit and a HANS to go out there and get lapped by all the Corvette guys wearing gold chains. I've checked the list and I don't see any Ferraris in my run group so I won't be able to find out the answer to the nagging question, "Do leather driving gloves burn?"

[cstmwgn]

... but I'm going to draw a line if they check the cotton content in my underwear ....

At least they haven't stated an inspection criteria for fecal matter to cotton content

[SuperBuickGuy]

At Daytona they wanted to see me torque the lug nuts, "When's the last time you checked them?" He stood there with a torque wrench on a table beside him, like this is the moment of truth Rookie. So I reached in the trunk and pulled out my own torque wrench and clicked on a couple of lugs and he visibly relaxed and let me go.

3 ugga duggas and it's good.

I simply need a neck collar, but might as well spend a couple extra hundred to get something that survive past my first season. I've read the rules, thoroughly, and my out-dated-harness is just fine. Next year? no. This year, yep.

So far tech inspection has consisted of someone sitting in my driver's seat making vroom noises and a walk by (2 lanes away) by the tech guy. I expect Optima to be more onerous, but it meets the rules and that's really all I care about this year.... I've spent enough money... and in that vein, I didn't have to have a onesie - but I'm going to draw a line if they check the cotton content in my underwear so I figure that the suit will keep their further inspection of my undergarments to a minimum..

[pdub]

And Swap Meet Finds...."NIB"....are almost all EXPIRED .......
But LOOK KOOL in your Wantabe Show Car Racer

At the land speed event this past weekend one guy came down the line checking safety equipment. Fire costume, helmet date. Check. At the inspection station another guy did two things. He checked the date on my harnesses, I've got new ones. Harnesses are now good for only two years from date of manufacture, with maybe some leeway per the event organizer's discretion. He checked my harnesses' dates and then he shook my new aftermarket Corbeau seat. Twice. Good to go, my car had been there numerous times and it's no purpose built rocket ship so he completed my paperwork. After I got back home out of curiosity I shook the seat. Man, that thing's....that's not entirely tight. Maybe it worked itself loose driving it 800 miles, I dunno.

The most meticulous point-by-point inspection I ever got was for autocross to go maybe 40 mph in a mall parking lot. That dude was serious and my battery wasn't tight enough. And my first time at Road Atlanta I was hoping I had everything just right to go as fast as I was ever brave enough to go down that back straightaway and I pulled into the inspection stall and the guy got behind Red and said, "Mash the brakes." Brake lights work, good to go, have fun.

At Daytona they wanted to see me torque the lug nuts, "When's the last time you checked them?" He stood there with a torque wrench on a table beside him, like this is the moment of truth Rookie. So I reached in the trunk and pulled out my own torque wrench and clicked on a couple of lugs and he visibly relaxed and let me go.

[Captain]

A onsie after all that consulting and shopping and logic. Well, don't eat the Mexican carryout between runs and get caught waiting in line at the track.

And a neck brace. A prison cell for your chin after asking about a HANS. My oh my I don't know what we're gonna do with you racing rookies, I just don't know. Tisk tisk tisk. And no photo of the costume either. I hope you didn't borrow your friend's uncle's dirt track racing helmet because I know a VERY veteran racer who used to be a Bonneville inspector who failed tech because his helmet was too old.

And Swap Meet Finds...."NIB"....are almost all EXPIRED .......
But LOOK KOOL in your Wantabe Show Car Racer

[pdub]

I got my sparco onsie. now a neck brace and I'm safe!

A onsie after all that consulting and shopping and logic. Well, don't eat the Mexican carryout between runs and get caught waiting in line at the track.

And a neck brace. A prison cell for your chin after asking about a HANS. My oh my I don't know what we're gonna do with you racing rookies, I just don't know. Tisk tisk tisk. And no photo of the costume either. I hope you didn't borrow your friend's uncle's dirt track racing helmet because I know a VERY veteran racer who used to be a Bonneville inspector who failed tech because his helmet was too old.

[Dan Barlow]

Well,
That explains the 230 lbs in your description earlier............

On the bright side of my hernia operation , I've lost 20 pounds . I should go racing !

[SuperBuickGuy]

I got my sparco onsie. now a neck brace and I'm safe!

[Captain]

I'm not much of a sticker fan.... I figure for ever sticker I don't place, I can eat one donut.

Well,
That explains the 230 lbs in your description earlier............

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'm not much of a sticker fan.... I figure for ever sticker I don't place, I can eat one donut.

[pdub]

In more important news, I've ordered a new BS shirt to wear for the events

If you're lucky Chad will toss in about a half a pound of stickers and you can put them all over your car and get famous. Over at ECTA Motorsports Events on FB they've got lots of photos from this weekend's meet and a few of Red. One of them...well, they really liked the sticker on the back glass.