HANS Devices Compulsory for QR & Lakeside in 2014

[corners]

Received the below correspondance in an email from QR
Note it says Race Events

Company Name: Queensland Raceways
Telephone Number: 1800 RACERS
Fax Number: 07 5461 9111
Email Address: qrmedia@qldraceways.com.au
Website Address: http://www.qldraceways.com.au
Twitter: @qldraceways

Queensland Raceways Announces HANS Devices to be Compulsory for all Race Events in 2014
In an unprecedented move in Australian Motorsport, Queensland Raceways has today announced that all drivers competing in any race events at Queensland Raceway or Lakeside Park in 2014 will be required to wear a HANS Device, in the latest move to further improve the excellent safety record between the two venues.
Track management discussed the planned changes with competitors and category managers this morning during the drivers briefing at the Top Gear Race Series at Lakeside Park, with an overwhelming show of support for the mandatory use of the safety devices in the new year.
General Manager, Keith Lewis, stated, "After discussions with competitors this morning, it has been decided that HANS Devices or other suitable neck restraints will be compulsory at all race meetings held at Lakeside or Queensland Raceway from 2014. The feedback we have had so far in relation to the changes has all been extremely positive and it would seem that the drivers share our view that it can only help to make our sport even safer."
The move is the latest in a string of safety initiatives introduced at the venues in recent years, including the use of LED safety lights in ideal positions surrounding the circuit and the implementation of driver radios at all race events.
Queensland Raceways has secured a deal with local supplier Stand 21 to provide the HANS Device to current QR Licence holders at a heavily reduced price to assist with the conversion.
For further information on the changes or to place an order for a device please contact Queensland Raceways on 1800 RACERS or by email at admin@qldraceways.com.au

[Trackphotos]

Received the below correspondance in an email from QR
Note it says Race Events

Company Name: Queensland Raceways
Telephone Number: 1800 RACERS
Fax Number: 07 5461 9111
Email Address: qrmedia@qldraceways.com.au
Website Address: http://www.qldraceways.com.au
Twitter: @qldraceways

Queensland Raceways Announces HANS Devices to be Compulsory for all Race Events in 2014
In an unprecedented move in Australian Motorsport, Queensland Raceways has today announced that all drivers competing in any race events at Queensland Raceway or Lakeside Park in 2014 will be required to wear a HANS Device, in the latest move to further improve the excellent safety record between the two venues.
Track management discussed the planned changes with competitors and category managers this morning during the drivers briefing at the Top Gear Race Series at Lakeside Park, with an overwhelming show of support for the mandatory use of the safety devices in the new year.
General Manager, Keith Lewis, stated, "After discussions with competitors this morning, it has been decided that HANS Devices or other suitable neck restraints will be compulsory at all race meetings held at Lakeside or Queensland Raceway from 2014. The feedback we have had so far in relation to the changes has all been extremely positive and it would seem that the drivers share our view that it can only help to make our sport even safer."
The move is the latest in a string of safety initiatives introduced at the venues in recent years, including the use of LED safety lights in ideal positions surrounding the circuit and the implementation of driver radios at all race events.
Queensland Raceways has secured a deal with local supplier Stand 21 to provide the HANS Device to current QR Licence holders at a heavily reduced price to assist with the conversion.
For further information on the changes or to place an order for a device please contact Queensland Raceways on 1800 RACERS or by email at admin@qldraceways.com.au

Not relevant to us fortunately. It says for race events, not sprints, like you said. If they brought it in for sprints, anyone who wants to run their car at the track for the first time is up for $3k into a seat, harness, snell helmet with posts, and a Hans device. I'm surprised it wasn't required before. They already required bucket seat, harness, window net, roll cage.

[davekmoore]

Any link to heavily reduced price mentioned?

[MattR]

Reduced price only for qr licence holders according to the email I got and no mention of pricing other than to contact them for a price.

[Trackphotos]

Reduced price only for qr licence holders according to the email I got and no mention of pricing other than to contact them for a price.

QR's race meetings are also only AASA, not CAMS, so anybody who has the licence to run at our club days qualifies for whatever discount they may offer. Not too long ago Revolution Racegear were offering the base HANS device for under $500, an easy $200 off retail. With any luck they'll do the same again.

[JBT]

....If they brought it in for sprints, anyone who wants to run their car at the track for the first time is up for $3k into a seat, harness, snell helmet with posts, and a Hans device....

...and that would probably kill club level sprint events.

[Magpie]

What price do you put on safety? If racing goes the same way as construction then there will be more to come as well as greater costs.

Also Racer Industries did a group buy and sold over 200. Previously QR did a HANS device that was not CAMS compatible (Necksgen) and I'm not sure how many they sold.

[JBT]

Well I'm just saying that I won't be removing my factory seat with airbags (thus probably making the car unroadworthy) and replacing with a race seat and trying to find some way of correctly attaching a full race harness etc. etc. at some exorbitant price for a few sprint regularity/events - and I'm guessing I would not be alone.

If the car is considered safe enough "as is" to drive on roads where idiots in doubtful vehicles approach me at a closing speed of 200 km/hr separated by a white line, then I'll take my chances running around a purpose built track at less than 200 km/hr with everyone else (less likely to be idiots) going the same way.

[MattR]

I can't see HANS being made mandatory for sprint events with road registered cars. As JBT said, you basically make your car illegal for use on the road to be bale to use a HANS device properly, ie harness, fixed back seat, that then necessitates a cage to protect the driver if the worse happens and so on.

However, if you have a non registered track car built for race/time attack (sprints), and you trailer it and it's not registered, then yes, it's in your best interests to get and use all the appropriate safety gear.

This is the way racing has always been, you start off doing a few track days and so on in a standard car and as you move up the ladder, the cars get quicker and the safety requirements change as you progress into different activities

Personally, with the 5 I use my helmet, minimum clothing standard required and the standard seat and seat belt because of the what I am doing in the car. Yes it has a roll bar, but isn't really tall enough for use on a track for racing, but for sprints is fine. The driving suit tends to get trashed on track days and my old suit is now unserviceable, so jeans and long sleeve cotton t shirt it is.

If I co drive with TBro in the one hour, well then I will be fully suited and booted with HANS, full suit, gloves and fancy boots because his MX has all the right safety gear and is built for racing. My new race car build has changed now due to changes in the cage design and the seat I want to use brought about by me buying a HANS device. For some reason, the financial controller is quite happy for me to throw quite a few thousand dollars at this part of the build of my new car.

[Trackphotos]

QR have confirmed on Facebook that this is only for door to door race meetings. Time Attack, sprints, club days etc are all the same as they were, and will remain that way. They would be shooting themselves in the foot if they actively narrowed their potential customers down to people with already-built track cars.

..you basically make your car illegal for use on the road to be bale to use a HANS device properly, ie harness, fixed back seat, that then necessitates a cage to protect the driver if the worse happens and so on.

My roll bar is going in tomorrow, hopefully harness anchors too. In my case it will be completely legal. Can be done, but not easily.

[greenMachine]

Lets not jump at shadows - it is not the end of the world as we know it. But the world is changing, like it or not.

I run club days (not so much these days ), and State-level supersprints. A number of people, me included, are now using HANS in the supersprints, and I guess this will increase as time goes by.

I got the harness and the seat when running the GM as a road registered car, a bit after the roll bar went in. So it has been a progression for me, as I suspect it is for most people. As a result, I do not think it is the dramatic change that is speculated about upthread. Even at the State-level supersprints here, for road-registered cars there are concessions. For club days, I can't see any change, at least for standard cars.

However, when you have highly modified cars, running R-specs, I think that they will eventually get caught up by these changes. Not this year, not next year, but some time down the track.

As a data point, I backed the racecar into the wall at EC yesterday, in front of traffic. As I am going around, seeing out of the corner of my eye cars trying to dodge me, and wondering which wall I am going to hit with which end of the car, I remember clearly thinking that this might be payoff time for all that money I had put into seat, harness ( a new one, only one meeting old), HANS, newish Bell helmet ...

Fortunately, it hit backwards, and the conveyor belted tyre wall took the impact well. Even though I felt a big hit, the car is virtually undamaged, and the driver unscathed.

I always knew it could happen to me. Now I KNOW it can happen to me.



On preview:

Trackphotos is right. This year I ran the GM for the first four rounds, while the race car was being readied. It has had the rollbar for years. For these four events, I swapped in the Sparco Sprint and harness from the racecar. For the trip down to the circuit I used the stock 3-point belt, at the track I tucked the 3-pointer away and pulled out the harness straps. Even though it is a pretty stock car, I used the HANS. Sure the Sprint may not be strictly road legal, but that was a risk I was prepared to run.

[NitroDann]

Well I'm just saying that I won't be removing my factory seat with airbags (thus probably making the car unroadworthy) and replacing with a race seat and trying to find some way of correctly attaching a full race harness etc. etc. at some exorbitant price for a few sprint regularity/events - and I'm guessing I would not be alone.

If the car is considered safe enough "as is" to drive on roads where idiots in doubtful vehicles approach me at a closing speed of 200 km/hr separated by a white line, then I'll take my chances running around a purpose built track at less than 200 km/hr with everyone else (less likely to be idiots) going the same way.

If you hit a solid object at 100 its the same as you doing 100 having a head on with another car at 200, and you are much more likely to crash on the track.

Dann

[deviant]

However, when you have highly modified cars, running R-specs, I think that they will eventually get caught up by these changes. Not this year, not next year, but some time down the track.

I think so to. Maybe we will start getting lap time, v-max or peak corner speed cut off points that will trigger you needing to go all out.

I think club non-race events will be hurt by it but to be honest there are some modified 'road' cars and time attack / sprint only cars that are running times that really would warrant turning the car in to a proper race car. I have seen footage on youtube of someone in a race built and caged time attack car in shirt and jeans with daylight clearly showing between helmet chin strap and chin.

[JBT]

...and you are much more likely to crash on the track.
Dann

Show me the statistics.

[NitroDann]

Does it really need to be shown?

I see people fly off the circuit every single time I go, I certainly don't see people fly off the road every single time I drive.

Dann