Safety is in for 2018, for me anyways. The past years I've been running with groups of caged and tube chassis dedicated race cars and the drivers have every piece of safety equipment possible, except me. Thought i was going to get the neck restraint for Christmas but the box had a chain saw instead (now i can really hurt myself!).

So road course friends using stock seats in their Z06's what are you all wearing for neck restraints? I have my eye on the NecksGen Rev because of its small size. I hope this post is ok here as i want to get this in front of the track rats and most seem to lurk here.

https://store.windingroad.com/necksg...stem-p531.aspx

 

Hans here. I have 2, the Sport 2, and the carbon fiber pro ultra. I don't feel comfortable getting into a car on track without harnesses and my neck restraint anymore. Not worth the risk. If I was starting from scratch, I would seriously consider the Simpson hybrid that can be used with either a 5/6 point harness, as well as with factory 3 point belts.

 

Simpson FIA Hybrid (3 point approved). Just got it though so no real thoughts on it yet.

 

I have been using a HANS Sport for the last 9 seasons. I had it recertified a few years ago when it went past its 5 year certification date. I use it with the Competition Seats in my 15 Z06.

Here are some pictures that I took after I installed Schroth belts and was checking the fit while wearing the HANS.






As of my last physical I am officially 5'8 3/4" tall and my shoulder height is just about perfect for the belts to pass through the seat holes to my Shark Bar harness bar.

Here is a picture of somebody who is several inches taller than I am sitting in my car and you can see he can't use the stock seat because his shoulders are above the holes in the seat.






Bill

 

Anytime on the track,yes.HANS Device.

I was at Daytona when Dale Sr was killed.A devise like this might have saved his life.

\db2

 

HANS, with the Sport Seats and harnesses. Because I got tired of listening to my friends ride my *** about not having one. Supposedly it's because they care about me. Or something.

And now I can't understand why I didn't have it earlier.

 

HANS in the race cars. Nothing in the C7Z as 3 point and air bags don't mix with the HANS. I also don't drive the street car like a real race car cause it's not. Street car driven at 8/10 and race cars at 10/10 with wheel-to-wheel exposure/risk.

 

Prices have also fallen quite a bit since I purchased mine. Mine cost me $850 and the new Sport 2 version is now $499.

If you don't want to install a harness bar you can now go with the Simpson Hybrid designed for 3 point belts. It is about $1100 but can be worn when riding in other cars and saves the cost and hassle of installing a harness bar.

Bill

 

Simpson Hybrid and 3 point stock belts for me. Trying it out this weekend.

 

HANS neck restraint, Schroth Profi II ASM 4 point restraint system (5/6 point won’t work with OE Competition seats), plus RPM 5-point roll bar.

 

Please let me know what you think about the Simpson. I am seriously considering one but they are not cheap. DM me if you would like.

Kyle

 

Thanks everyone, so this poll has Hans a clear winner. I am most concerned with the vertical section above the shoulders of most brands and especially the Hans. As seen in Bill's photos i think my seat would need to be tilted back farther than i am comfortable to clear that section of the restraint against the seat headrest. I may be over thinking this but comfort is so important.

Bill i had to make my own brackets and weld them in the car to get my 3 inch harnesses low enough not to be against the GT seat like your tall friends issue. Then the seat is adjusted up in most cases to clear, 6.1 is about max height with a short torso with this set up.

JVP same deal here with friends and a driving coach that cares. Dinner after my last PB sessions in 17 they had a serious talk with me. Cage came up too but I'm drawing the line there. Almost time for a dedicated track car, they agree, now to work on the wifey .






If anyone does this make sure you use a professional licensed welder.



I have to wear a collard shirt because the straps are a bit tight around my fat neck.

 

I have used my Rage R3 for many years now.

With the stock seats in my C6 Z06 and ZR1, I would have needed to get race seats with pass-through holes for a shoulder harness, and I didn't want to do that.

At 6'2" even with the holes in the Competition seats in my C7 Z06, I don't think the geometry is right to allow proper use of a shoulder harness in that car either.

Also I do a lot of instruction in cars with just stock seats and OE 3-point seatbelts, and the R3 gives me head-n-neck support when in the right seat of a student's car.

My Rage R3 was made by Safety Solutions, but several years ago Simpson bought them out, and AFAIK the Simpson Hybrid is essentially the same device. You can see below that with it strapped on and the device tight against the seat back, you don't need shoulder harness straps to hold it in place like a HANS requires - so it works with just an OE seatbelt. However, if you do have a harness it has areas on the shoulders where the shoulder belts will go:

 

I've owned both the Necksgen and the HANS Adjustable. Both were fine with individual pros and cons. The HANS is definitely bulkier but I prefer it for a few reasons: widely used professionally with proven results, more ergonomic post system, several tether length options, and a true limitation to forward head movement (less freedom of movement as a con).
The Necksgen is absolutely less bulky feeling when you first set up in the car, easier to egress with, and may actually reduce the g force spike with it's cushion system.

I use a Sparco Circuit II seat and recommend that you validate your harness mounting system to be in compliance with harness manufacturer specs - angles, lengths, etc. The stock seat may not allow compliance.

 

Simpson FIA Hybrid here. I’ve used it in my previous track car and the Z06. Nice thing about it is that it’s 3-point compatible, which is also useful if you’re riding as a passenger with a buddy (or instructing). I have a friend who was in a crash on track while wearing one (as a passenger) and reported no neck injury afterwards.

 

Simpson Hybrid here. Works with factory 3 point belts as well as 5 and 6 point harnesses.

 

Jeff B has a HANS of some sort. Have you borrowed it and tried to see how it would fit against the seat head rest? To use one you would definitely need to convert your seats over to the Comp seat since the shoulder belts wouldn't fit properly over the HANS going through the GT seat seat back. You would also need to change where you have the shoulder belts mounted since those mounts would be too narrow.

Having a caged car would definitely be safer and I know Jeff has had his fill of riding through a roll over in a stock car. However, caging your car is a huge step in cost and in making it less useful as a street car. You don't just throw some suit cases in the back and take off for the weekend easily and the cage members near your head are always there for something to hit your head against. Fine with high density foam wrapped around them and a helmet on your head but not so nice when driving on the street.

Bill

 

Bill, Jeff B. does have a Hans that i should try in the spring. I could without a big deal make my seat backs comps if needed. Not now, my car is buried in his back garage next to his Z06 for the long winter nap. Jeff did check with SVRA to make sure the NeckGen Rev is ok and it is approved. There are many ways to go according to everyone here.

I have a street legal NASCAR I drive on the street and your correct the upper bars are a PIA. I would never cage my Z06 i like its versatility way to much and my wife likes the attention at the grocery store! Told her it would be more with a ZR1 but that didn't work. A real caged race car is most definitely in my future and one i can run a class with. My Z will be retired from track duty at some point soon.

 

Bill

 

Maddog24: While your solution is very creative, the pictures you posted seem to indicate that it may not be compliant with the manufacturer's instructions for installation of their harness. Please don't take this as a negative comment, but rather as constructive criticism.

It looks like you're using Schroth belts, but my comments would apply regardless of the manufacturer. If you go to the Schroth (or any of the major harness suppliers) web site and download their installation instructions you'll see that the maximum angle allowed for the harness run from the attachment point to the driver's shoulder is 20 degrees; your mounts look like they have more like a 35-45 degree angle.

The concern here is that in the event of a significant front-end impact this will apply a downward force vector to the seat back that could partially collapse the seat structure and result in a spinal compression injury that the HANS device will not prevent. So while you've taken reasonable safety precautions, you could actually be at more risk than you think.

I would also comment that folks using a race harness and HANS in conjunction with a typical harness bar for track activities in their Corvette are fooling themselves if they think this provides the margin of safety associated with the HANS. In an incident involving a significant frontal impact, which the HANS is indeed designed to mitigate, there is a very significant probability that the single mounting point of the typical harness bar will shear, allowing the driver to move forward into the steering wheel or worse. I've personally seen this happen and the results weren't pretty. The HANS device is designed to be effective when used with a full roll cage and only provides a placebo when used with the typical harness bar for Corvettes, especially since in most cases the airbag is still in place and active.

Again, please don't take this as disparaging your creativity but rather as someone who also enjoys the sport and has a passion for helping folks minimize the risks associated with the track environment.

Bob Neff, Regional Executive
Texas Region SCCA