Indiana Open Wheel - View Single Post - "So you think you've got a pretty good helmet , huh ?"

mscs20 (Offline)
#10 8/9/09 3:05 PM

Originally Posted by safetyworker:
A few years ago, while working safety at a track sponsored by a suit/helmet manufacturer (lg logo on my suit), a guy walks up to me and tells me he would surely never buy a helmet made by our sponsor...being curious where this would go, I asked why that was. He told me a friend of his was wearing one of their helmets and was struck by a large rock on a dirt track...apparently expected the manufacturer to replace the helmet for free as he felt it was "defective"...I asked him how his friend was doing...said he was fine and was there that night...I explained to him that the helmet had likely saved his friends life and by absorbing/deflecting the energy away from the head, it had done its job and should be replaced with a letter a gratitude to the manufacturer. He had a rather stunned look on his face and said he had really not thought of it that way and wandered away.

I hope his view of the function of a helmet is not indicative of the view of other racers! <G>

As the Racing Director at Bell Helmets I can tell you, I get the same phone call week after week. After the discussion of their crash I offer them to send it in for inspection. 90% of the time the helmet is fine...just a paint chip or so, but until you take it apart to examined the inner liner, which is just as important as the outer shell, you really cant be sure. Of the other 10% I deem unusable, they expect you to replace it for free. NOT! We do generally offer a discount on a new one......and always return theirs back. ~Arin Mcintosh comes to mind~
I use the examples.....Maxim, GRP, or DRC doesnt give you new frame for free after you bend one up in a crash you walk away from......or Hoosier doesnt give you a new tire everytime you go out and grind one off after winning the A Main somewhere. Or after winning the series or track championship, I dont know of any engine builders that give you a free engine and say, "sorry it wore out". Weather its a Bell, Simpson or Impact, if you survive a major crash that involves sacrificing your helmet......and you live to tell about it.......I think a simple thank you would be in order.

Steve Thomas

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