Safety

Safety is an integral part of any ALMS or IMSA weekend. Here are some of the devices that help keep competitors safe when they are on the track.

HANS Device: A vital piece of protective equipment that significantly decreases the odds of a driver sustaining a disabling or fatal head and/or neck injury.Co-developed in the early 1980s by former American Le Mans Series driver Jim Downing and his brother-in-law Dr. Robert Hubbard – an engineering professor at Michigan State University – the multipoint harness device is a carbon fiber collar that is positioned on a driver’s shoulders and connected to a driver’s helmet by two flexible tethers that restrain the head and neck from snapping either forward or to the side during an accident.Secured to the driver’s body, and not to the car or seat, the system keeps the head and neck in plane with the body during violent impacts. Designed to support 3,000 pounds of force, the HANS Device absorbs tension, load and shear energy inflicted upon a driver so that it is well below the injury threshold of what the head and neck can support (between 700-740 pounds of force).For additional protection, the car’s shoulder belts further secure the HANS Device in place as a driver straps in.Three major parts of the HANS Device:• HANS tether support (attached from collar support to both sides of the driver helmet)• HANS collar support• HANS shoulder harness

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Helmet: A protective fiberglass or carbon fiber shell that is lined with foam and fire-resistant padding as well as a deflated airbag. In the event of a possible neck injury, safety crews can remove the helmet easily by inflating the airbag through a small hose on the outside of the helmet. As the bag inflates, attendants can lift the helmet safely off the driver, thus decreasing unnecessary movement of the head and neck.In addition to head and fire protection, helmets are also fitted with headphones and a microphone for pit communication, as well as a tube apparatus to dispense hydration. Helmets in the open-cockpit prototype cars have elements molded into them to reduce buffeting caused by the extreme speed of wind traveling over the helmet.

Balaclava: A fire-resistant head sock that provides extra protection against fire, especially for the neck and facial areas.

Fire Suit: A suit of flame-resistant cloth that protects a driver against fire and burns. Designed to provide 12 seconds of protection from a fire of up to 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit, a typical three-layer suit is constructed of threads (including those that comprise patches) that must meet certain safety standards.

Racing Gloves: A glove made from fire-resistant material that has leather on the palms to provide better grip on the steering wheel.

Shoes: A normally constructed leather shoe with high-grip rubber soles and finished with fire-resistant material. Soles have extra foam padding to decrease the effects of constant knocks during a race.

Underwear: Fire-resistant socks, briefs and long sleeve shirt provide extra fire protection underneath a driver’s fire suit.