Oh, I see. No, I don't know that I would necessarily go that far (I am not advocating that everyone needs to run out today and buy a Panoz GTS or radical SR5 to be safe open lapping at track days) but maybe top-gear style wouldn't hurt. Just the essentials in an otherwise stock production car.
I don't always get a choice, but honestly I really don't much enjoy riding along in Supercharged Z4 or Corvette C5 with a 3pt belt. With out some minimal gear in what are very quick cars; it can be a little scary sometimes. Once you have it, you'll feel 'naked' without the gear.
Here is what my *minimal* list might come to look like:
- A properly mounted, approved race seat (X2 for passengers)
- 5/6/7 pt harness in good condition, with current SFI tags (X2 for passengers), and proper hardware (eye bolts, plates, etc...)
- A competition style roll bar that would pass a safety inspection by a regional tech official.
- A SA2005 or later helmet (preferably full face)
- Nomex or Carbon X driving shoes, gloves, balaclava, and at least a single layer driving suite.
- At least a 5 lb hand-held extinguisher
Are there other things that aren't obligatory in John's world view but would probably be a good idea? Sure!!!
- Head & Neck Restraint (fast becoming mandatory anyway)
- Master cut-out switch (in cock-pit and corner worker accessible)
- Fire system (in cock-pit and corner worker accessible)
- Nomex Underware, socks, etc...
- Arm restraints, window net, etc.. so you don't put a hand out.
- Driver / Head net.
- Removing the steering wheel lock
- Disabling\Removing the SRS system
- Maybe extending on the primary hoop structure and getting some down-tubes and door bars.
Here's the big thing. I use the word proper a lot. What does that mean? Quality gear doesn't mean jack if it isn't installed right. If it is your first year, and you are the DIY type, then I think the most important thing is once you put together your setup, take the initiative, bring your car and all your gear out, and have someone sign-off on it. Dave is in California, so maybe go have a Driving Ambition or TRG do an annual safety inspection on your setup.
Sometimes even the stupid things like how the harnesses are wrapped, or the angle of the harness in relation to the height of the driver, head clearance, or specific details on the car construction, can make all the difference in the world between a safe and a not-so-safe setup.
Last, recognize that piecing parts together is not ideal. A safety setup needs to work as a COMPLETE SYSTEM in order to be thoroughly effective at protecting the driver in a serious accident.
