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Re: [Fot] Helmet poll -- for vintage racers

To: spitfiresuz@141.com
Subject: Re: [Fot] Helmet poll -- for vintage racers
From: Tom Householder <trhouse@greenapple.com>
Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:29:46 -0500
Helmet History ...........

FYI

Arcata 1956
(near the California/Oregon border)

Race 6
Car#203    William "Pete" Snell was at the wheel of his Triumph TR3 roadster
when it
                       rolled over,............

An Unheralded Auto Safety Pioneer

                 by Bob Hagin

                 January 29, 2001

                 Look deep inside a NASCAR driver's helmet (or any helmet,
including
                 the one you use when you're riding your mountain bike) and
the
                 chances are better than good that you'll find a sticker that
states that it
                 was approved by the Snell Memorial Foundation. The chances
are also
                 good that very few riders, skiers, skateboarders, drivers,
racing's safety
                 inspectors or members of the general public know what the
Snell
                 Memorial Foundation is or how it came into being.

                 It's origins go back to the mid-'50s and the death of a San
Francisco
                 area amateur Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) race driver.
William
                 "Pete" Snell was at the wheel of his Triumph TR2 roadster
when it
                 rolled over at a race in Arcata near the California/Oregon
border. It was
                 in the days before rollover bars were mandatory on race cars
and Snell
                 died of a blow to the head even though he was wearing an
"approved"
                 driver's helmet made in England.

                 Our San Francisco SCCA region was (and is) a close-knit
organization
                 and the death of one of our own hit us very hard. We felt
obliged to do
                 something to ease the pain. The following is taken verbatim
from the
                 program of the Third Annual Sacramento (Calif.) Suburban
Sports Car
                 Race held on October 5 and 6, 1957:

                 "When Pete Snell died following a racing accident last year,
a group of
                 his friends and fellow competitors desired to do something to
perpetuate
                 his memory. Contributions were received from various sources
and a
                 moderate fund was soon available. It became a question of how
best to
                 use the money in a manner that would honor Pete's memory and
at the
                 same time benefit sports car racing drivers in general.

                 "The answer obviously lay in a project begun shortly after
Pete's death
                 by Dr. George Snively, a Sacramento physician and sports car
racing
                 driver. Dr. Snively had spent countless hours testing the
various crash
                 helmets available to drivers and was next planning to engage
the
                 services of a leading independent testing lab to further
substantiate the
                 results of his tests. It was at this point that Dr. Snively
and the Snell
                 Memorial Foundation joined forces and the necessary money for
the
                 latter tests was made available.

                 "The results of all tests performed were overwhelmingly
conclusive. Of
                 the sixteen or more helmets tested, two proved vastly
superior to all
                 others and certain of the models proved to be virtually
worthless with
                 respect to head protection in a violent accident. Certain
government
                 agencies were represented at the tests in addition to other
racing groups
                 and many publications devoted to motor sport. Dr. Snively
received
                 inquiries from all over the country concerning his studies.
All types of
                 racing associations have requested the test results as have
nearly all
                 other sports where head protection is necessary.

                 "It is indeed gratifying to know that this foundation,
strictly through the
                 efforts of Dr. Snively, has been able in the space of less
than one year to
                 make such an important contribution to safety in motoring.
The work of
                 the Snell Memorial Foundation has had a successful beginning
and it is
                 the intention of the trustees to continue to foster
worthwhile projects
                 which will further driver safety and protection.

                 "There is no finer tribute to be paid to the memory of Pete
Snell than to
                 attempt to prevent through qualified research, occurrences
similar to that
                 which caused his death. The Snell Memorial Foundation is
grateful to
                 the San Francisco Region, SPORTS CAR CLUB OF AMERICA for
                 having it designated it as a beneficiary of part of the
proceeds of this
                 race. Your attendance here today, because of the funds raised
thereby,
                 will certainly in the future contribute to safer motoring
both on and off
                 the race course."

                 That tribute to our local SCCA region and to the enthusiasts
who
                 attended amateur races so long ago bore no byline but at the
top were
                 listed the names of two trustees, Marge Snell, Pete's widow
and John P.
                 Luce, a long-time SCCA member and racer.

                 The Snell Memorial Foundation is still in operation today in
North
                 Highlands near Sacramento. It's still the leading authority
on the safety
                 of activities that may lead to head injuries. And true to the
tenets laid
                 down over 40 years ago, it accepts no donations from
industries
                 associated with the manufacture of helmets so as to remain
objective in
                 its research. No one can calculate the number of lives
world-wide that
                 have been saved because of the pioneering and ongoing work of
the
                 Snell Memorial Foundation, but it must be huge. If you'd like
more
                 information on the Snell Memorial Foundation, you can log on
at
                 www.smf.org.

                 Dr. George Snively died of heart failure at a relatively
young age in the
                 mid-'80s. And while William "Pete" Snell and the foundation
that bears
                 his name are well know in the safety apparel industry, that
of George
                 Snively is remembered only by some of us old-times who have
long
                 memories.

www.csrgracing.org/news/CSRG_V6N12.pdf


"spitfiresuz@141.com" wrote:

> Hi everyone!
>
> CVAR is changing to SA2005 helmets this year and it is time for me to get a
> new one.  What is everyone using out there and why do you like them?
>
> Are all new helmets coming with HANS clips/connections now, or is that
> still a buyer choice?
>
> Thanks so much!
>
> Keep Triumphing,
> Susan      :)
>
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