There have bee some recent events that prompted us to research additional safety other than proper belts and roll hoops.

Both Todd Sager (president of AWE Tuning) and KPV (6speed member) spent weeks researching the various head and neck devices on the market. The requirements were safe, comfortable, and ability to be used in multiple cars.

After much consideration we have chosen the R3.

Please take a moment and read the info on our web site.

Thank you and be safe out there.

R3 head and neck restraint from AWE Tuning

 

Mike,
I am glad you posted this. I wanted to do a write up of my experiences with this safety device. What better time and place than here!

I looked into the R3, the Hans and the Isaac head and neck restraints. As an engineer, I paid particular attention to the way in which the head forces are resolved. I finally decided on the R3, also due in part to its SFI spec 38.1 certification.
Well, I had a chance to use this device with my new Sparco WTT-TK helmet this past week at Watkins Glen. I have to say, what was major trepidation at first, quickly turned into major satisfaction.

Out the outset, I was concerned about the limited range of head rotation and its effect on my driving. Well, yes, it limits head rotation but it did not affect me at all. As a matter of fact, I hardly knew I was wearing it!

The unit comes with the straps as shown in the photos as well as a foam “U� pad. The pad is meant to be inserted into your seat to make up the thickness of the R3 so that you don’t feel a bump in your back. I have the GT3 seats and simply pulled the backrest pads out (velcroed in), trimmed the “U� pad to fit and installed it with Velcro. Done!

I found the easiest way to put the R3 on was to pre-connect it to the helmet, as in the photos and then put the helmet on and place my arms through the harness armholes. Really easy. I then buckled the front strap and got in the car as usual.
With the three fatalities this year, Ben, a novice at Watkins Glen and another one I heard of at Lime Rock, I have become increasingly aware of the Armco barriers and the hazards of this interest. I have been tracking since about 1985 or so and it was only this year that I really started to think more strongly about my own safety and how it affects others in my life.
My understanding is that many of the automobile racing and DE fatalities are caused by Basal Skull Fracture (BSF). This occurs when the head and helmet continue forward while the body is restrained by a harness in a frontal impact. Apparently, a fracture occurs at the base of the skull where it connects to the topmost vertebrae. Instantaneous death occur and it is gruesome actually. In any case, the concept with these restraints is to basically keep your head in the same relative position as your body as it goes through a deceleration phase during an impact.

My choice of the R3 was based upon my experience with structural engineering and reviews of test data as well as a comparison of the concepts of each competing system. One other benefit of the R3, and the most prevalent, as compared to the two other systems, is that it is attached to YOU and travels with YOU to different vehicles. At Watkins Glen, I instructed Rockitman (who has Scroth harnesses and decided on the Hans by the way) and I simply got in his car and was ready to roll as a passenger/instructor. So, in this respect, if you instruct, it is particularly well suited.

I recommend that anyone who tracks their car first consider the use of a head and neck restraint device and, secondly, seriously consider the R3.

On another note, I decided on the Sparco WTT-TK helmet due to the fact that they have engineered the shell to receive the head and neck restraint connections/tethers of the various competing systems. You can see the thickened “disk-shaped� areas where the “D-Rings� are attached in the close up photo. This is a very important consideration since many of the helmet manufacturers have disclaimers regarding the modification of their helmet in any way. Way to go Sparco!!!

Lastly, I want to thank Todd and Mike at AWE Tuning for their help and courtesy in getting the R3 device and helmet.

You guys rock!











And of course a gratuitous Watkins Glen action photo of KPV passing a Pantera, courtesy of Rockitman!!!!!!

 

i need that for my viper at 150mph.

 

KPV, have you also looked into a side head-restraint seat? I would add that to your equipment. And since most track events are occassional, it can be taken out in-between in favor of a regular seat used on the street.

The hans/R3/Isaac are only addressing a portion of the force equation and crash scenarios. We lost a racer in a sub-50mph crash from side-impact here in CA in the last couple of yrs, early 30s, young family, tragic. The crash appeared to be minor, but his body was held in place firmly by harness/seat while his head traveled sideways, evidently tearing his corotid, other blood vessels, etc. He didn't make it to the hospital alive. This is the other killer to watch out for in addition to basilar skull fracture, and it can happen very easily. Sprint car nets up the middle allow the head to travel too far laterally, IMO, so a side HR seat is the smartest way to go. (And nobody's going to cut into their nice 911 street/track car to put a sprint car net in anyway.) People make excuses not to use a side HR seat in favor of a sprint car net, claiming visibility issues, but that's BS. You can get used to, and work around anything. Just like using a hans, R3, etc.

I saw some proprietary video (now not available) while the side HR seats were being dev'd a few yrs ago. If you saw how far a harnessed driver's head travels laterally on sub-60mph side impact, you'd be absolutely shocked. Unless the lateral motion is contained, you'd have to be lucky to live.

If any of you track your car, get a side HR seat to put in for track events. That, combined with a head-and-neck restraint (hans/R3/Isaac), proper harness application, and you are doing a good job addressing potential forces that could seriously harm you. This is just my opinion of course, being safety-minded and having track and racing experience. Some people just like to rely on luck; I have an opinion on this as well, but I'll refrain from sharing it.

Great write-up as usual, Ken.

- D

 

D,
Thanks for the insight. I have wondered about this as well. I have to think there will be "some" benefit with lateral impacts when using the R3 since the mechanism is the same, albeit not as direct and certainly not advertised. They have tested the unit in an oblique impact and it performed favorably. The seat head restraint seat is a good idea. One step at a time.