We talk to track day/HPDE enthusiasts and sports car racers every day who are looking for a great helmet at a price that won't break the bank.
The humble balaclava is a simple device, kind of like a fire-resistant sock for your head that doubles as a protector of your helmet lining.
This week’s Best Of article is written by Karen Graf, M.O.C.D., our staff expert in clean surfaces. Karen received technical assistance from team entomologist Mary Martin, M.D., and vinyl installers Juliann Pokorny, Tim Barber and Mike DeCesaro.
Many racers like to keep their helmet in a separate helmet bag. This adds an extra layer of protection, which is a comfort factor in a large gear bag. It can also…
Winding Road Racing’s product management team recently got to wondering if they could do a helmet “for the rest of us.” They wanted something with the features of the exotic helmets but the price of the (sometimes sketchy) entry-level designs
ChumpCar racing is great, but if you are like many ChumpCar drivers, road racing is something you don’t do every week. So, we’ve created this handy-dandy checklist of the best equipment for ChumpCar racing, so you and your ChumpCar team will arrive at the track ready to race, not ready to panic.
The best racing gear you need to go to road racing.
As an update to our Racing Suit Buyer’s Guide, here’s a look at our top auto racing suit picks based on various criteria. There’s something for just about everyone here, ranging from excellent entry-level options to our favorite zero-compromise choice. Got questions? Contact us here and we’ll be happy to help you find the racing suit that’s right for you.
As an update to our Helmet Buyer’s Guide, here’s a look at our top auto racing helmet picks based on various criteria. There’s something for just about everyone here, ranging from excellent entry-level options to our favorite zero-compromise choice. Got questions? Contact us here and we’ll be happy to help you find the helmet that’s right for you.
Along with the rigors of everyday driving, after hitting the autocross and doing a Time Trial event with the WR Challenger, we decided it was time to swap out the original transmission fluid for some fresh stuff, and hopefully add some extra protection in the process.
Today we’re taking a closer look at the new Stilo ST5 GT helmet. The ST5 GT is Stilo’s latest and greatest composite helmet. In this video we’re checking out some of the key differences between the new ST5 GT and the ST4 GT helmet, including weight, improved ventilation, eyeport sizes and style, head room, cheek pads, sizing and more.
This week we’re taking a look at a new variation of Sparco’s best selling competition seat. Since its debut in 1995, the Pro 2000 has been the throne of choice for numerous championship-winning drivers, and the Pro 2000 II takes all the fundamentals of Sparco’s proven design and expands the dimensions, making the Pro 2000 II ideal for larger drivers.
Considering the fact that half your inputs behind the wheel are going to be translated through your gloves, if you want to ensure that the car is getting the right messages, it pays to have some great racing gloves. And if you’re looking for the racing gloves without compromise, the Sparco Tide RG-9 should be on your shortlist.
Looking for an easier way to haul your headgear around at the track? A bag specifically designed to carry your helmet might seem like a bit of a luxury item, but keep in mind that a drop from shoulder height onto asphalt has been known to put cracks in helmets – damage severe enough that it means you may need get another helmet if you want to go racing.
Toyo recently announced that the popular R1R extreme performance tire has been reclassified with a new treadwear rating of 200 AA A. While that might not seem like a big deal on the surface, it actually has fairly significant effects with regard to considerations like race class eligibility. We spoke with Julie Sediq, Senior Manager of Marketing Communications for Toyo Tire to get the low-down about the reclassification.
How many times have you looked a piece of much-needed racing gear and thought “I’ve always wanted that”, only to set it aside for another time? Well now is the time to finally pull the trigger on the gear you – or your loved ones – have been longing for. Here’s a list of some of our must-haves to get you started.
It may seem like the recipe for a podium finish begins and ends with the car and the driver, but having a well-organized pit area and properly equipped crew is crucial factor for success on the track as well. Some of these items might seem like incidental conveniences, but once the race starts, knowing exactly where, say, your tire pressure gauge is can be the difference between a champagne shower and a warm consolation beer. Here’s a few items that every racer should always have trackside.
Racing shoes might seem rather low on the totem pole of gear priorities, but when you consider that half your inputs are going to be made with your feet, the importance of having good shoes starts to become a little more obvious. Safety is the top priority for a racing shoe design of course, but beyond flame resistance and FIA/SFI certifications, racing shoes need to be durable, comfortable, grippy, light weight, and provide as much feedback as possible. To that end, if you want the pinnacle of current racing shoe design, the 2014 Alpinestars Tech 1-Z Formula 1 shoes should definitely be on your short list.
If there’s one aspect of your racing equipment where you should never consider cutting corners, it’s your safety gear. Center nets are designed to prevent ejection from the vehicle in the event of a crash or rollover, and some sanctioning organizations require a window net system for competition. Today we’ll be checking out the Safecraft Restraint Systems Center Head Net system, which is offered in Kevlar and polyester material options, and includes some unique design elements that warrant a closer look.
It’s a truth that racers know all too well: particularly when the weather is hot, your racing gear can get pretty grimy both inside and out very quickly – even after just a session or two. Putting on a ripe suit is often a less than inviting proposition, but dry cleaning bills can also add up quickly. Washing your racing gear with the rest of your laundry is typically not recommended since the additives in laundry detergent that can attract moisture and oils, making the material less effective at keeping you safe. So what’s the alternative? The Molecule Complete Care Kit – it comes with everything you need to keep your racing gear clean and stain free without the expense of dry cleaning or the hassle of hand washing.
Not long ago, a racing helmet with full carbon fiber shell construction would have commanded a price tag of well over a thousand dollars. Now Bell Racing, one of the most trusted brands in racing gear, has introduced the GP.2 carbon fiber helmet to their lineup for 2014, and it’s a bit of a game changer. By using Bell’s own high-pressure resin transfer molding system, the company is now able to offer the virtues of carbon fiber shell construction at a much more accessible price point. Let’s take a closer look at the GP.2 helmet.
In the world of action cameras, GoPro is essentially the equivalent of Kleenex at this point, as brand adoption has become so widespread that most people wouldn’t really consider that an alternative to it exists, or that much an alternative might be worth closer inspection. However, just because something becomes a standard in its realm doesn’t mean it’s the only game in town. The new Replay XD 1080 Mini action camera brings its own unique bag of tricks to the table, and some of its features might make it a more ideal fit than the typical go-to depending on your requirements.
Avoiding fatigue while behind the wheel of a race car is a difficult task to accomplish. Racing is a physical sport and race cars inherently generate a lot of heat. The high temperatures of racing during the summer make this even more difficult. Recently we posted a guide to driver cooling systems, as these systems make a huge difference when you’re behind the wheel, but the Techniche Cooling Vest, in particular, is a bit of an outlier in that realm due to its unique design and lower price point than the box-based systems, making it an interesting consideration for those looking to make enduring the heat on track more manageable.
