"Have a good seat?" A concerned person might ask that...about the movie, concert, or a race. I am asking it about the seat in your race car. Having a good seat makes a big difference in how a crash turns out!
What is the role of the seat in your race car? Experience resulting from crash sled testing has shown that the seat is critical in your ability to survive a nasty crash in the best condition. Having a seat that is made to your size of appropriate materials and with proper bracing, designed to support your head, shoulders, chest, and pelvis, and installed correctly in the chassis is a huge step toward protecting your biggest investment...YOU!
There are a number of exceptional seat manufacturers...check out the ads in the magazines. As I conduct safety inspections, and as I just wander the pit areas trying to see what folks are using, I am struck by the wide variety of seats being used...good and bad. Folks, if you can take the side head support on your seat and bend it with your bare hands, you are not getting much protection from it. If the chest supports bend easily, that is bad! I have been in the business long enough to remember when fiberglass drivers seats were on their way out and folks griped about that change! "Aluminum seats are just too expensive...no need for them" was the whine occasionally heard. Fast forward 30 years and we hear the same thing about seats with proper design and structure.
In a recent conversation with Kris VanGilder of Innovative Safety Products (ISP), he advised me that an appropriate seat can be purchased for $1000 or less...and that would include head supports.
And remember...a crash at a quarter-mile can result in injury, not just the bigger tracks. There is no substitute for a good seat! Keep your seat in good shape by putting it in a good seat.
Our goal: Everyone goes home standing up at the end of the night.
Keith
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