Having the right gear is so important. Not only could it protect you in the case of an accident but has to pass stringent FIA tests and if it isn't up to spec you will not be allowed to race!
Even if you have been doing trackdays and have your own helmet etc... you may find, as I did, that none of your gear passes the stringent FIA tests.
At the very least you need to get; a crash helmet, race suit, fireproof undies, race boots & gloves.
So on the morning of my first race I went shopping, nothing like leaving it to the last minute!
I went to motorsport specialist Demon Tweeks to get the equipment I needed. It was also on the way to the race which was handy under the circumstances.
I had spoken to James Ramage at Demon Tweeks a week before and had sorted out most of what I needed. He arranged to meet me early to collect and check it all fitted. It is imperative that this stuff fits!
I knew it would to be an expensive shopping trip from my chats with James so I had budgeted a maximum of £1000 to get everything. I was sure this would be sufficient, it wasn’t!
The Helmet:
The advice is always buy the best you can afford. I had heard very good things about ARAI Helmets but from £500 upwards they are pricey. James had suggested the BELL GP5 helmet as an excellent alternative. This would only be £359 and was still be an excellent high quality helmet.
When I tried on the Bell it just didn’t fit my head well, I tried 2 other makes in the same price range but none was quite right, so I tried the ARAI GP-5K (£560) and sods law it fitted like a glove, so there was nothing to do but bite the bullet and bend the VISA.
The Suit, Undies, Gloves & Boots
The rest of the gear was pretty much on budget. I did have to buy a more expensive race suit as the cheaper one I was planning to get pulled nastily on the unmentionables... no problem paying a little more for that!
The boots, gloves and fireproof undies I had chosen were all fine.
All of this gear was manufactured by Sparco.
How Much?
The upshot of all this was a bill of £1300... but James who was a great help did reduce the cost a little as I was buying a fair bit in one go to around £1100, that softened the blow.
The expense to get the licence and race gear, totalled a frankly scary £1,600 and I hadn't even sat in a car at this point!
That may sound expensive but it is almost all of it is a one off cost.
The suit, helmet and boots will last a good few years if looked after. The only item that I will need to pay for each year is the £51 for the MSA National B race licence.
off to that first race...
Demon Tweaks and James in particular were a great help I would recommend them to anyone. You can reach James on 01978 663022 or on JamesR@demon-tweeks.co.uk or see:www.demon-tweeks.co.uk
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