Effective January 1, 2012, a head and neck restraint system meeting either SFI 38.1 or FIA 8859 specifications will be mandatory in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Club Racing. Other racing sanctioning bodies including National Auto Sport Association (NASA) already have this requirement.

If you do not already have a system that meets this criteria, the question becomes which device should be purchased? Being in the market for a new system myself, I can tell you that getting actual facts about each device is far from straight forward. The reality of our decision is that there are only two manufacturers which make systems which comply with the certifications – HANS and Safety Solutions. In this article we’ll compare the Safety Solutions Hybrid Pro Rage, Safety Solutions R3 and HANS systems that OG Racing was nice enough to loan us. We will also touch upon some of the possible politics involved in the certification process that is supposed to protect us, the consumer. Continue reading →

Let’s just say that the Nelson Ledges “The Longest Day” event held by ChumpCar was an experience. Actually, the Nelson Ledges was an experience by itself, and on top of that there was the ChumpCar event.

As we approached the track, our GPS system was telling us that we were only a few hundred feet from the track. Then we begin to see something which looked remotely like a track but much like a go-kart course. It had a blinking billboard stating Track Entrance so it must be the race car track we were looking for. Regardless, we were happy to have finally arrived. Good thing too because it was time for a potty break. At the gate we asked where the nearest bathroom was, and were pointed to the nearby building  It was a bit odd as outside of the restroom building, there was also a Porto Potty. My friend ventured into the restroom building, and quickly came out suggesting that I use the Porto Potty. Silly me became curious. How bad it could be? Two of the bathroom stalls had signs stating “Keep Out” and along another wall there was a wooden troth urinal. Prior to attending this event, a few friends forewarned us that the track was a bit “rough” but still a fun track to drive. We were quickly able to confirm that the stories of the tire walls being built by a bucket loader dumping tires into a pile were not exaggerations. Continue reading →

Race Report: SCCA MARRS Series (1)

HMS Civic Si, anchored at Summit Point Main Pier

It was time to kick off the 2011 racing season.  All my 24 race tires had emerged from their winter quarters (my guest bedroom – see Dave’s article on tire storage).  Sissi (my car) had spiffy new 6-point belts and several other fixes. Maryland’s state inspection demanded a horn, so Sissi now owns an orange, dashboard-mounted game show-buzzer button.

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Hello. My name is Dave Gran. I’m a racing addict. I admit that I think about racing too much. My wife tells me racing is not a hobby of mine, it’s a habit. Fine. Whatever. She’s right.

I find myself in boring work meetings day dreaming about how to become a faster driver. How can I get more more money to go racing? The car I drive is proven to be quick, but lets face it, no race car will ever be fast enough. Just this past week I went to my supplier, Kessler Engineering, and  he was busy tuning a car on the dyno. He showed me the  results of making some ECU adjustments and proceeded to say,  “Dave, I could see us getting some nice gains with your car too.”

Uggg. “I need to get that done to my Prelude” I say to myself.

A friend, Greg Amy, has often said that racing just might be harder to give up than drugs. “With racing, friends and often times family members support the addiction. They push you do go further with it.”

The highs in racing are so incredible, and the lows test you to see what you’re made of. I love this sport! It’s morphed into being a part of my life and who I am.  Yeah, it should probably be considered a drug. Want a taste?