Stock Car Racing Safety - Safety First

A properly designed and installed racing seat does more than just keep a driver from rattling around inside the car. It is an integral part of the chassis and protects him in a crash.

The best seats are designed to surround the driver in protective aluminum and cushion his torso against the forces of an impact. A seat that isn't designed for use with a head-and-neck restraint system shouldn't be considered.

Major manufacturers such as Kirkey and ButlerBuilt build seats worth $200 to $2,000. How much you spend depends on how fast you plan to go and how safe you want to be.(See related story, page 10.)

For most short track drivers, the Sportsman-style seat may do just fine. It includes a padded cover and can be bought for about $300. It isn't the best seat available, but it is a good starting point. You probably couldn't build your own for half that price.

The seats are made from 0.125-inch-thick 5052 aluminum and TIG-welded by certified welders. They come with high backs to protect the driver from a rear impact or the car hitting the wall back end first. They also have wings to support the rib cage in a side impact. Covers are made of flame-retardant material, and most come with at least an inch of padding. Many have optional add-on wings to control head movement in a crash.

Unlike one-size-fits-all seats in a passenger car, racing seats are meant to safely and snugly surround a driver, so they come in different widths for drivers of various sizes.

ButlerBuilt's Web site has a six-page procedure for measuring a driver to ensure he or she gets the proper seat. No matter whom you buy from, it is worth looking at the Butler site just to be sure whatever you end up with is the right size and style.

How a seat is mounted is just as important as how it is made. The folks at Kirkey recommend mounting their seats in six places. They call for four points on the seat bottom and two on the back. And both Butler and Kirkey offer mounting kits to make it easier to tie the seat into the chassis.

How much should you spend on a seat?

According to Kirkey, the key to making this decision is knowing how fast you will go. An entry-level seat may be just fine for a Street Stock, but it won't do the job for a Late Model or Dirt Modified.

Young says that if you are on a budget but already own an aluminum race seat, look at adding the option that helps protect the head and neck in a crash. He figures the day is coming when that type of seat will simply be the racing standard.

Lastly, check the seat every few races and after every time the car is in an impact. Seats used in NASCAR's professional series are checked and measured by a tech inspector before each race and rechecked and measured for deformity after each crash.

If a good seat holds you in the car, good belts hold you in the seat.

Post-accident photos of Dale Earnhardt's Monte Carlo brought home the importance of properly installed restraints. No one should race without at least a five-point system, and one using two leg straps for six points is even better.

The seatbelts should be mounted so they pull straight down (or as near as possible) on the upper thigh. Shoulder belts must be anchored in a manner that prevents them from sliding apart in a crash and allowing the driver to slip forward.

Belts should be as short as possible, with the shoulder belts attached to the rollcage rather than extending to the floor. Belts can stretch as much as 18 percent in a severe impact. The less there is to stretch, the better your chances are of escaping injury.

When shopping for belts, seriously consider a sternum strap that ties the shoulder belts together at the chest. It is one more latch to fuss with when you get in or out of the car, but it adds to the level of protection.

Avoid the old-style Y-belt arrangements, which will soon be unacceptable to most racing organizations. That system places the entire weight of a driver on a single strap rather than dividing it between two pieces of material.

Ever wonder why there is a tag sewn to your belt's webbing with a date of manufacture? It's there because belts wear out with age and lose their ability to restrain you in a crash. The wear factor is highest in cars raced on dirt and those trailered and stored outside, where the elements damage them.

If your belts are more than two years old, inspect them before you put them back in the car for another season. If they were built more than three years ago, throw them away.

You can sometimes save money on a new set of belts by returning them to the manufacturer for re-webbing. The manufacturer will use your old hardware and install new fabric on the metal pieces. Because of liability concerns, manufacturers won't re-web someone else's belts.