Do F1 and Indycar drivers wear arm restraints?

[Steve Davis]

Please keep us posted, Stevan -- I'd love a copy of this, though hate crashes, too.

Bob, your Bugeye crash rings a bell, too. Tended to watch and shoot morning practices at the bridge a lot.

I had a great long conversation with Gordon on the phone today. He is still kicking and doing well. His website was only down for a few hours due to technical issues and I happened to catch one of those times, so it's again active. He DOES still sell a ~90 minute DVD of (mostly crashes at the bridge) of various events (mostly RUNOFFS) at Road Atlanta. For us RACER TYPES the price is $40 + $8 shipping, so $48 payable via paypal. Be sure to include your mailing address and that you want a copy of the 'Emergency' DVD. The regular price on his website is $60 per DVD (for those non-racer types). The link posted above by Garry is a sample of what's on the DVD (Canfield does show up .. as he FLIES by). You can pay by sending money to Gordon@GordonJolley.com via Paypal. I would suggest that you 'send money to a friend' as I believe the DVD is one of those 'priceless' things. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Be sure to include your name and shipping address. You might also mention you saw it posted on the Apexspeed forums .

He also has an extensive Super8 library of Road Atlanta Runoffs races cataloged here :
http://gordonjolley.com/Events_SCCA/runoffs_info.htm

He has lots of footage from the '71, '72, and '73 Runoffs (ALL CLASSES) and many other films from Vintage and Historic events - mostly from Road Atlanta and mostly from somewhere around 'the bridge' (as it was in the OLD DAYS). Not to mention thousands and thousands of pictures from many events in our racing history. Due to some medical problems, he hasn't done much since 2009, but before that .. at Road Atlanta .. there's a decent chance he has some pix .. or maybe even video from it if you are interested.

I should add that Gordon's early footage in Super8 is quite OLD, but mostly still usable. About 25 years ago Gordon and Atlanta Region made a 'push' to get all of his films converted to CD .. or something more 'durable' since that was before the advent of DVD's. The conversion from Super8 to DVD is significantly easier these days, but it still would take MANY hours to convert it all (not to mention a Super8 projector).. a sizable task for sure. He does have some classes (or groups) from various races that have already been converted, but you need to contact him directly to see if he has something you want. He said he WOULD do individual film selections for 'cost'.. expected to be around $200 or so depending on what you need and what he has.

His email is
Gordon <nospace> Jolley <at> g ma il . com or you can find his phone number on his GordonJolley.com website. Please let him know if you are interested in getting more of his early 'movies' converted into digital format. He would love to get it done, but the cost is simply too prohibitive for a single individual.

I have placed my order and I told him to expect a barrage of orders from Apexspeed members, so don't let me down
Steve

[Bob L.]

Good stuff....Great to hear he's still out there....kicking.

Thanks. Bob L.

[alangbaker]

Comparing the use of arm restraints to seatbelt use is a bit of a stretch. That SCCA is the only road racing organization in the world that requires them says all that needs to be said about their merit. When has SCCA been smarter than the rest of the world?

I would like to feel comfortable and safe wearing arm restraints, just as i wish I could feel safe wearing a HNR. but I feel more unsafe when forced to use either. Certainly, smaller people in more upright cars, will never understand, but mandatory use of HNR has pushed me out of the driver seat. I just cannot function properly when wearing one.

We all make choices about our personal safety standards. I find it ironic that some of the same people that will trash me for not loving a HNR, will race a tube-frame formula car at Daytona, which is beyond my comfort level.

To be clear, I think anyone who wants to use these safety items should do so.

To be clearer, arm restraints are required by the CACC in British Columbia:

"E A full and complete Technical and Safety inspection may be performed by a CACCLicenced Scrutineer on a driver’s safety equipment once a year (12 months) forissuance of an Annual technical Inspection designation. If ALL of the driver’ssafety equipment passes Annual Technical Inspection, the CACC LicencedScrutineer shall enter the date of the expiration in the logbook, the logbook shall bestamped with the “official” inspection stamp, dated, and signed. The driver’s safetyequipment consisting of driving suit, helmet, balaclava, gloves, socks, shoes, FHRDand arm restraints where required must be in accordance to the current CACCRegulations"

I can't imagine what would make you feel uncomfortable about wearing arm restraints. I wear them below the elbow, but above the thickest point of the forearm. They stay where I put them and they are just long enough to let me wave out of the cockpit.

I think many of us thing we "can't" do something when what we really mean is that we're unwilling to get used to doing it.

[problemchild]

To be clearer, arm restraints are required by the CACC in British Columbia:

Contact Ross Brawn and Kyle Novak. Since you and the CACC think they are a good idea, I am sure F1 and Indycar will mandate them. It does seem strange that none of the F1 or Indycar drivers use them voluntarily.

[Daryl DeArman]

Since you and the CACC think they are a good idea, I am sure F1 and Indycar will mandate them. It does seem strange that none of the F1 or Indycar drivers use them voluntarily.

I'll go on record and say that they're a good idea too. However, I do believe an individual's freedom to do as they choose trumps my personal feelings. That is until someone else's freedoms infringe on mine.

I don't believe the FIA will make their use mandatory until a F1 star loses an arm or two. . .look how long it took NASCAR and others to require a HNR device. . .the HANS had been out for over a decade before Earnhardt's death.

[E1pix]

I had a great long conversation with Gordon on the phone today. He is still kicking and doing well. His website was only down for a few hours due to technical issues and I happened to catch one of those times, so it's again active. He DOES still sell a ~90 minute DVD of (mostly crashes at the bridge) of various events (mostly RUNOFFS) at Road Atlanta. For us RACER TYPES the price is $40 + $8 shipping, so $48 payable via paypal. Be sure to include your mailing address and that you want a copy of the 'Emergency' DVD. The regular price on his website is $60 per DVD (for those non-racer types). The link posted above by Garry is a sample of what's on the DVD (Canfield does show up .. as he FLIES by). You can pay by sending money to Gordon@GordonJolley.com via Paypal. I would suggest that you 'send money to a friend' as I believe the DVD is one of those 'priceless' things. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Be sure to include your name and shipping address. You might also mention you saw it posted on the Apexspeed forums .

He also has an extensive Super8 library of Road Atlanta Runoffs races cataloged here :
http://gordonjolley.com/Events_SCCA/runoffs_info.htm

He has lots of footage from the '71, '72, and '73 Runoffs (ALL CLASSES) and many other films from Vintage and Historic events - mostly from Road Atlanta and mostly from somewhere around 'the bridge' (as it was in the OLD DAYS). Not to mention thousands and thousands of pictures from many events in our racing history. Due to some medical problems, he hasn't done much since 2009, but before that .. at Road Atlanta .. there's a decent chance he has some pix .. or maybe even video from it if you are interested.

I should add that Gordon's early footage in Super8 is quite OLD, but mostly still usable. About 25 years ago Gordon and Atlanta Region made a 'push' to get all of his films converted to CD .. or something more 'durable' since that was before the advent of DVD's. The conversion from Super8 to DVD is significantly easier these days, but it still would take MANY hours to convert it all (not to mention a Super8 projector).. a sizable task for sure. He does have some classes (or groups) from various races that have already been converted, but you need to contact him directly to see if he has something you want. He said he WOULD do individual film selections for 'cost'.. expected to be around $200 or so depending on what you need and what he has.

His email is
Gordon <nospace> Jolley <at> g ma il . com or you can find his phone number on his GordonJolley.com website. Please let him know if you are interested in getting more of his early 'movies' converted into digital format. He would love to get it done, but the cost is simply too prohibitive for a single individual.

I have placed my order and I told him to expect a barrage of orders from Apexspeed members, so don't let me down
Steve

Thank You very much for all this info!

Should be a great watch, for me all about seeing those days. But I'll have to grimace my way through the torn-cars bit...

Damned shame there's no "Best of Runoffs" compilation. The YouTube pickings are sporadic and slim, though a big thanks to "OldSccaGuyYah" (think that's right) for the Runoffs vids he's posted.

Thanks Again!

[t walgamuth]

I'll go on record and say that they're a good idea too. However, I do believe an individual's freedom to do as they choose trumps my personal feelings. That is until someone else's freedoms infringe on mine.

I don't believe the FIA will make their use mandatory until a F1 star loses an arm or two. . .look how long it took NASCAR and others to require a HNR device. . .the HANS had been out for over a decade before Earnhardt's death.

He has them on in this picture right?

[Daryl DeArman]

He has them on in this picture right?

Nope, just doing his best trying to keep his arms inside the cockpit. I'm absolutely certain that all F1 drivers are in much better physical shape than 99.99% of the SCCA racers and he couldn't do it for half of a rotation.

[alangbaker]

[/INDENT]
Contact Ross Brawn and Kyle Novak. Since you and the CACC think they are a good idea, I am sure F1 and Indycar will mandate them. It does seem strange that none of the F1 or Indycar drivers use them voluntarily.

Not really. A lot of the time, perception is more important than reality to people.

Combine that with the fact that those at the highest levels are willing to take greater risks and it's not strange at all.

[Don Becker]

They are intended to be worn above the elbow, adjusted correctly so you can operate the controls and signal but now more movement than necessary.
If you wear them lower on the arm they easily slip towards the wrist in a rear impact with a serious risk that you can break your arm or arms. Anyone needing an example can ask Chip Wright, HSR tech guy. Several years ago he backed his car into the wall at Sebring breaking both forearms and hads the scars from some serious surgurical repairs.
Is that a common thing, no. Was the incident the SCCA had a common occurence, also no. The other organizations mentioned did a cost/benefit analysis and came to a different conclusion than the SCCA and Sprint Car racing, where they idea seemed to come from.
Keep in mind that Sprint Car racing, of all the major catagories, has the worst safety record and least modern research methods, ecpecially compared to F1 and Indycar that are state of the art.

[Rick Kirchner]

Well they slip down to your wrist if you wear those store-bought afterthoughts. Really, ditch that crap and have someone sew them in a seam between your wrist and elbow. Cost me $20 last time I bought a suit, and a pittance compared to having all the patches, velcro, name and such embroidered on.

If you can afford a $20K car and $60k worth of support equipment you can do the arm restraints right. We aren't takling about the differences between $400 helmets and $3000 helmets here.....

[Roland V. Johnson]

Sewing them in a seam is dangerous. They must be properly cross stitched together. (like seat belts are) a well known suit maker did that on one of my customers suits. The recovery of his arm after one pulled out of his suit in the crash took years.

[Rick Kirchner]

just because it's tucked in a seam doesn't mean it's not cross stitched - or in my case, bar tacked as well. First ones I had made were done by an old guy here that did parachute harnesses.

[Roland V. Johnson]

Rick it is great to hear that yours are installed properly. My customer ordered a suit with arm restraints installed. In a violent crash one of them pulled out of the suit and his arm was badly broken. When we examined the arm restraint it was fund that the restraint was wrapped between layers of the suit and then only sewed across the end of the restraint at the seam.