[misterp266]

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

I was at Gateway when Darrel Russell died. Racing community has to learn the hard way sometimes. Eric Medlen,, Blaine Johnson, Darrell Gwynn, Scott Kalitta...

Pete Robinson, Pomona, 1971. Take a good look at his helmet.
This photo was taken seconds before his fatal crash. Also note the front tires. He had an air dam under the car that put too much downforce on the front end.
Maybe if his helmet strap was tight he could have survived.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by misterp266

Pete Robinson, Pomona, 1971. Take a good look at his helmet.
This photo was taken seconds before his fatal crash. Also note the front tires. He had an air dam under the car that put too much downforce on the front end.
Maybe if his helmet strap was tight he could have survived.

I've seen video of Mike Sorokin of "the Surfers" fame driving their dragster: his helmet is literally blowing off during the pass.

K

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by misterp266

Pete Robinson, Pomona, 1971. Take a good look at his helmet.
This photo was taken seconds before his fatal crash. Also note the front tires. He had an air dam under the car that put too much downforce on the front end.
Maybe if his helmet strap was tight he could have survived.

Looks like a few bad things going on there. Something under the chassis, helmet riding up, broken front axle struts maybe.

[lust4speed]

My friend found this helmet still in its box at a garage sale last weekend for $20. I had him pull back the lining and it was a 2005 Snell helmet, and not usable according to NHRA.

One of the sneaky things that they did to us is the Snell sticker is only updated every five years. So the next sticker after 2005 is 2010, and that means that during every period someone is buying a helmet with possibly five years less use. Person in 2009 still received a 2005 sticker and those 2005 helmets all expired in 2017. Some get 12 years and some get eight years or less before expiration. Stores don't warn you and you might think you are getting a great deal on a helmet that is almost halfway through it's use.

Some of my friends run s-l-o-w at the drags but still like to wear a helmet and made the mistake of having it on the seat during tech. If tech sees a helmet they will inspect it and bar you from using it if it is expired. I say that even with a 15 second quarter that you are better off with an out of date helmet than no helmet -- and these out of date helmets might not make an appearance until the staging lanes. Now if your class requires a helmet then best to play by the rules.