safety
Buyer’s Guide: Racing Shoes
Previously, we’ve gotten your hands, head, eyes, backside and body ready for race duty. But what about your feet?
The Guide To Road Racing, Part 3: Getting Started – Race School Preparation
Now that we’ve acquired the necessary safety equipment, it’s time to get ready for racing school. As you may recall from Part I, we’re signed up for Cal Club Super School, a rigorous two-day course which, upon completion, makes us eligible to race the following day. If you’re never raced before, you probably have some questions about how to best prepare yourself to be successful in the classroom and on the track. Let’s take a look at some of the important steps to take before school starts, and in turn answer some of the questions you’re likely to have before you even have to ask them.
Major Advances In F1 Safety Technology For Drivers And What It Means For The Rest Of Us
Motorsports safety equipment is always evolving and becoming more and more advanced every year. Not just from a comfort and breathability standpoint, but from a technological one as well. One brand we proudly carry, Alpinestars, has gone above and beyond to tailor to F1 and Moto GP racers’ needs – not just in comfort, but for saving weight and keeping an eye on drivers as well.
Speed Secrets: Hard Lessons
As an in-car instructor, you’re in control, whether you are or not. Huh? The second you strap in next to a driver and head out on the track, your words, how you use them, and your actions will control your student more than you may even realize. If you do the right things, you get your student to do the right things; if you do little or nothing, you’re leaving the control in the hands of your student—in that case, you’re controlling the situation by doing nothing!
Stay Mellow Under Yellow: Examples To Learn From
An article by Bradley Brownell published on Jalopnik yesterday brings up a very important discussion that we’ve all been a part of: the importance of on-track safety.
Jackie Stewart On Safety
One of our favorite things about racing are the friends we’ve made in the paddock. We have no interest in seeing them injured or killed, and our team spends every day working with drivers to improve their safety.
Understanding The Basics of Auto Racing Safety Equipment
If you can’t afford good safety equipment, you can’t afford to go racing or performance driving, participate in HPDE or autocross events, or do whatever form of motorsport you do. To me, safety equipment is the price of entry. And there’s no point in using cheap, sub-par safety equipment. Well, unless your life is not worth anything. I know, I know… you participate at a level where you don’t need the latest and greatest safety equipment. But that’s just an excuse – a poor one. If you’re going to drive on a track or course, don’t scrimp. Having said that, if you’re participating in an HPDE event, no, you don’t need the same equipment that someone in pro racing does. And that’s why it’s important to have someone that really knows safety equipment advise you on what you need and don’t need. One such expert is Bob Zecca, who has operated Driving Impressions since 1983.
Three Key Factors In Making HPDE Events Safer for Everyone
Recently, there has been a lot of press, chatter on enthusiast forums, and discussion in the road course community following a fatal incident at an HPDE event. Everyone I spoke with hated to hear that one of our own lost his life, but the reactions beyond that varied quite a bit: some said they’ll never ride in the passenger seat (instruct) again, some had concerns about controls at events, and some blamed the safety (or lack thereof) at certain track
Gear Spotlight: Black Armor Helmets
Black Armor is a new, Texas based helmet manufacture that is owned and operated by Texas Rallysport, a company that’s been bringing rallycross events to the Austin, Dallas, and Houston areas for years. James Wilson, owner and operator of Black Armor, tell us his roots have always been in motorsport, but after a stint on the distribution side of racing safety equipment, he turned his sights back to direct involvement in racing, as well as the research and development of a new helmet design that might just become the next big thing in carbon fiber helmets.
American Endurance Racing Series Provides Another Option in Amateur Endurance
A few weeks ago we reported about the founding of a new sanction dubbed the World Racing League, which is designed to bridge the gap between the informal style of ChumpCar and the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance leagues and the more exacting approach of sanctions like SCCA and NASA. Interestingly, the WRL isn’t alone in their desire for a “middle ground” amateur endurance racing series option, as the American Endurance Series looks to offer much of the same straightforward, “race what you’ve got” atmosphere promised by the WRL.
Progress Report: Driveless Cars
The current popular line of thinking dictates that soon, and in a fairly sudden paradigm shift, driveless cars will be among us, carting us from place to place with little or no input from the driver, a la the Google car. The reality of driveless car technology is that most of its implementation will likely be rolled out gradually through embedded features on your everyday vehicle which will provide different aspects of driving assistance. You might not realize it, but some of the fledgling steps of this technology can probably already be found in your current daily driver.
Tokyo 2013: Subaru Levorg Concept
Subaru has debuted the Levorg concept at the Tokyo Motor Show. The “sports tourer” combines enjoyable driving with the comfort of a Subaru Legacy and practicality of a five-door hatchback.
Frankfurt 2013: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe Concept
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its S-Class Coupe concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It previews a next-generation, two-door version of its top-of-the-line luxury car.
Memorial Day Motorsports Recap
Two legs of motorsport’s Triple Crown take place on the last Sunday of May—the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Monaco. Naturally, we parked ourselves in front of the TV for a healthy portion of Sunday, and watched some racing.
First Look: 2014 Mini Paceman
When the Mini Cooper Paceman makes its public debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, it will be the newest installment in what has been an aggressive lineup expansion from the diminutive British marquee. Essentially a coupe version of the larger Countryman, the Paceman will be available in the United Kingdom beginning on March 16, 2013, for a shade over $30,000. There is no formal arrival date set for the US market as of yet.
First Look: 2013 SRT Viper
The 2013 SRT Viper has arrived.
Rumors: Industry Report—Koenigsegg’s Engines And Airbags
Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg is reportedly working on a cam-less engine according to a recent post on MotorAuthority. The cam-less engine design is already being put to use in Formula 1 engines and will provide a wide range of benefits including a substantial improvement in fuel economy and infinitely variable valve lift.
Geneva Preview: 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi has given us a glimpse off of its new-for-2013 Outlander, ahead of its debut at next month’s Geneva Auto Show. The look of the new car is a significant departure from the Evo-schnozzed crossover on sale today. Unfortunately, we’ll need to wait until March 6 to get a more detailed look at the new Outlander. Here’s what we know though.
Detroit 2012: Volvo XC60 Plug-In Hybrid Concept
Volvo, renowned for its safety technology, is now looking to bust into the world of green motoring. The Swedish brand will unveil a plug-in-hybrid version of its XC60 CUV at the upcoming North American International Auto Show.
Secondhand Gems: Cool $35K Crossovers
You’re not as young as you used to be. You may not be old, or even middle age, but whereas you once terrorized streets in a pimped out MkIV Golf GTI or atomized countless sets of rubber in a Camaro Z28, you now prowl the aisles of Home Depot looking for the proper shade of cranberry seat cushion for your seven-piece bistro patio set. That is, unless you’re packing the cooler with soda for the weekly little league game, or loading up the 2.2 kids, the dog, and four suitcases full of stuff for two days with the grandparents.
How Not To Work On Your Car: In The Dark
I was determined to do this and to do it right so the first thing I did was to keep on working into the dark, guided by a couple incandescent lights on the garage (which, if you recall, does not have room for a car). When you detail a car in the dark, it’s always a gamble what you’re going to find in the morning. The plus side, I guess, is that paint doesn’t look half as horrible in the dark.
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