Track Tac

Joie of seating kart seat with head rest.

why do i have to race at more than one track to see that safety isn't being taken seriously enough? a stronger right side bolster and a small head rest to at least protect your neck is something that should be looked at.....but with "only had one kart hit the back of my seat" i have to wonder.....and i'm not trying to be insensitive or rude...

i race on a high speed, wide open track. we don't lift until the checkered comes out...i've flipped at WOT at the track.....walked away with one tiny boo-boo....in three years racing karts....but i have over 35 years racing experience, either racing or working around cars or working tracks....even in the military, i worked tracks and worked with racers from all over the US...i think that I can speak with a tad bit of experience....safety is being taken for granted because of attitudes of "it's illegal for a reason" and "it's against the rules"......rules can be changed...the reason they were first made illegal may very well not exist in kart racing now...

i have no problems "holding my head up" and i've never been afraid to hit the gas and keep it wide ass open. no, i haven't won a room full of trophies....or claimed to be the greatest, but you should really look at quiting yourself if your afraid of innovations in safety. do you honestly think that a product would come out that wasn't tried and tested over and over again to make sure that it's the safest that it can be before it gioes on sale? you're speaking like they would make it today and sell it tomorrow without knowning that it's going to be safe....lets get real.....

no, i'm not a trouble maker or slamming you for any reason, but i'm a racer....have been since dad took me to my first race in Colorado way back in the early 60's...i think i can say what would and wouldn't be safe using some common sense...and the seats now-a-days are not as safe as they could be.....but according to your logic, why change? right?
 
I don't see where anyone is suggesting running champs and flats together. I sure didn't gather that.

This thread was a healthy discussion about a product that is intended for safety. I'm not sure that others have seen your posts as such.

You say that headrests are dangerous on a flat kart. I'm not in disagreement entirely - but I would prefer to study the situation closer before jumping to a conclusion that they should be illegal. We are all running our seats so that the back edge of the seat is inches above the left rear and the highest point of the seat is around 9" off the axle. Some of the newer seats have a kick-up for the helmet to rest on, nerf bars have shrunk in the name of "style", body work has become more and more covering of the entire kart (and driver), some are using HUGE chain guards made of thick aluminum that extends higher than the highest point of the engine (ie clone.) Maybe it's time that we look at these current items as a potential risk rather than calling them a safety item. I see the LaJoie head rest posing no bigger threat to other racers than the fore-mentioned items. It could very well be a problem to the safety of the driver in the event of a flip that would normally eject the driver - that needs to be considered, sure. Maybe we should all re-evaluate other current trends in our sport. If it's the name of safety, I'm all for it.

Can't we have fruitful discussion without the name-calling and belittling on here?
Coming down off my "cheap high horse" now,
Brian
 
LOL @ XXX40.... you’re ****in’ and moaning about a d@mn aluminum headrest injuring other drivers when it gets upside-down?? What about that 40-80lb block of aluminum and hot steel called an engine, or 150lb kart with loard knows how many sharp edges? The argument to run caged vs non caged is not being discussed, so your comparison is invalid as well.

Back on to the true discussion, I run a 1/2 restraint system on my RWYB kart because I often run 2-3 classes and yea, I get tired after 100 laps each night and I’m also over 6ft tall with a long torso and these seats tend to stop below my shoulder blades, and lastly because it cushions the whiplash if I stab the gas too much (cr250), now I made my flimsy enough so that in a rollover it will bend, but really I’m not too concerned with a more solid unit hurting me, I'm already hurdling myself down a track at 70 mph with a radiator full of 180* liquid next to me, flammable gas tank between my legs and 520 chain that could break my shoulder/arm if let go... If I was afraid, I wouldn't do it... oh and I'm sure to carry $500k life insurance, $1m in Ad&D and other countless insurance whenever I head to the track!

-Ok, I’m off my soapbox, Matt


-Ok, i'm off my soapbox, Matt
 
Had one, one of the 1st ones back in 09'. Comfortable yep, but she couldn't turn her head to see anything. Stops karts from hitting the back of your head too, but snaps the top of the seat off. Ran it for a few weeks, then sold to a guy with a champ.
 

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I will say, the Lajoie setup seems a little long on the right, could cause issues with shoulder clearing upon exit.
 
Hobby87 said:
I will say, the Lajoie setup seems a little long on the right, could cause issues with shoulder clearing upon exit.
Click to expand...

For sure ! But just making a typical fiberglass seat higher in the back to protect the shoulders and give the helmet a little something to rest on would be a good start.
 
that's all i'm saying too....redesign the seats using existing materials and technology....a right side shouder bolster and a small head rest type of seat will go a long way toward safety....and while your looking at that, remove the leg area of the seat that come up in the front....make it lay down more!! i'm 6' too and the leg area of the current seat that i have....where the back of your legs rest on the edge....kind of cramps my legs...that area could be looked at too..

the idea is to make karting safer.....not to jsut change a rule.....but to bring safety into 2014....and make things better....even if it's to use a lajoie halo and removing the left side....that would be better suited to a flat kart...but then you have to be able to exist the kart quickly...so there has to be a solution other than "can't hold their head up", or are "afraid."

if you look at a recaro style seat with the little wings for your shoulders and the headrest, something like that it what i'm talking about!! bu!!! what worked then and was safe then, didn't include speeds that are approaching 50 on a small track and upwards of 100 on the track that i'm at...and that right side head rest? try running a kart wide open on a big, high speed banked track for 20 laps....a small headrest would be nice!!!
 
The issue with raising the back of the seat is the foam neck braces will push the head forward. I've had this issue with both kids over the years.
If you need something to hold your head up, use the strap that goes from your shoulder to helmet.
 
Im old and worn out. I cant hold my head up too long. The dog collar keeps my head from going to the right but by the end of the night, Im looking at the stars while racing ...LMAO
 
Use a helmet tether under your left arm--attaches to left side of helmet for neck fatigue-------seen a couple of Kirkey aluminum stock car seats on flat karts--results were underwhelming. John
 
I don't know how many kids seats I have had to cut down because they are to tall and push their helmet at a very on comfortable angle and really make it dangerous because they try to hold them self up off it and look straight down. Trust me you want that seat to stop at or below the shoulders. lejoy did make a seat with shoulder supports on it you may want to try but for those who have troubles with heavy head you would be amazed at how much a 360 will improve your range of motion and the ability to breathe . I went from times that I just wanted to pull off in a 15 lap race with a foamy on to getting a 360 and being able to run 50-60 laps on a very fast high banked asphalt track and not even breathe heavy .
 
jake17j said:
I don't know how many kids seats I have had to cut down because they are to tall and push their helmet at a very on comfortable angle and really make it dangerous because they try to hold them self up off it and look straight down. Trust me you want that seat to stop at or below the shoulders..
Click to expand...

This seat obviously has yet to be made. But when it is, hopefully that will be considered in the design. At least it is in my mind.
 
If using helmet restraint make sure loose end doesn't hang down and get under tire! Happened to me while leading feature, little hard to drive with yer head strapped down tight to your left shoulder! Not to mention it hurt, took me two laps to fig out what happened! Lol
 
speaking from experience, the 360 device is the only way to go if your looking for a new style collar. light weight and comfortable at a reasonable cost. be that as it may, if you look at the seats currently on the market, they don't really make a kid seat. the seats are designed all the same way and the only changes are the size. what's needed is a kid specific seat to account for the smaller stature and shorter in the neck area. this is one other reason that seats should be brought up-to-date. too many times you hear that this or that is not made for kids.....my question is why not? you can get a kids meal at mcdonalds, why can't you get a made for kids seat? because some, not all, but some don't want to mess with it and actually design something specific. they would much rather have you buy a extra small or small seat that in fact is still too big for some of the racers i've seen and then your left with cutting them down or padding the crap out of them...either way robs the seat of what little protection is there with all the padding and then decreasing the structural integrity by cutting.....

so...what's the answer? i don't know because i get told that i'm only looking at it from a car racer now racing karts and thinking that i can change things to suit me. personally, racers are racers and we should all look at safety with a mind set of doing all we can to make it as safe as possible.....instead of "it's always been this way"......

just sayin....
 
there are plenty of seats that fit kids just fine . the ones I have used are older stuff that came with the karts in most cases my point was if you get crap up around your head it makes it uncomfortable..One thing you need to keep in mind is for every guy like you that comes up with this idea it has already been tried by 100's of other guys and it failed so we stick with whats working. and what works in a kart and a car are way different. I'll give you an example the eliminator wheel personally I think they should be outlawed for flat karts. very blunt edges and I don't think they would give like they should. I have had a buddy who tore open his suit and had a nasty bruise where his hitting his leg when he rolled. Now with that said I think they work great in our winged outlaw karts because it gives you a lot of adjust-ability and you don't have to worry about getting impaled by the damn thing like a flat kart

47 what do you have for a helmet? Just curious. that can make a big difference in how heavy your neck gets
 
just throwing some ideas around jake....one thing tho....I looked at the eliminator steering wheel...that thing is an accident waiting to happen. hate to be in a wreck with that thing sticking oout all over the place....if the smoothed the design and got rid of the sharp angles it MIGHT be ok....but you couldn't give me that thing to use. just doesn't look safe. the ideas about seating isn't anything new, your absolutely right....but there are more modern technology and manufacturing methods to make things better than what is available. I do understand what your saying tho....I would like to see a seat with a different leg area....being 6 foot the extra large that I'm using cuts me right at the baqck of the legs and sometimes gets mighty uncomfortable! on the helmet thing....I've got two...a simpson voyager and a impact charger...both are great helmets.....
 
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