Hi Ron,
I really don't know why, but there was a lot of skepticism, if not out and
out disdain, regarding the Snell Foundation rating thing in the late '50's.
My father, Bob Oker, who I know you remember (thanks again for the neat
pictures of the Bristol!) refused to use any helmet with a Snell rating. He
absolutely would not think of using a Bell helmet for any purpose. This goes
clear up into the late '60's and early '70's when we raced motorcycles in
the desert. He had a helmet made for him in about '57 by a guy named McCall,
if I remember right. He had it equipped with a clear plastic shield so he
could wear his glasses. Most drivers back then were still using goggles. He
continued to use this helmet, after finally giving up the race track,
through the '80's when riding his street bikes too! (oh yes, my Mom still
has it!)
BTW, I'm a SOLO 2 guy (and wanna be vintage racer) and I use a Bell.
Bill Oker
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Yates [mailto:dipstickdigest@ctaz.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:07 PM
To: Charles Christ; WSpohn4@aol.com; brian@uunet.ca;
vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Helmets
For you trivia experts the first Snell approved helmets
were first used
at the 1957 Arcata (California) race, site of Pete Snells
death the previous
year. Dr. George Snively, one of the founding father's of
the Snell
Foundation, and designer of the testing standards to be used
to determine
what was an acceptable and safe helmet was himself a long
time racer with
the San Francisco region of the SCCA. His initial published
results were met
with less than enthusiastic response. In one periodical of
the time his
results were largely pooh-pooed by none other than Ken
Miles, who was less
than kind in his review of Dr. Snively's findings.
Ironically the man who organized the first race in '56,
Lou Brero, and
laid the foundation for the second race. Labor day weekend
in '57, died from
burns suffered in a race in Hawaii in April.
Ron Yates, Editor
The Dipstick Digest
Newsletter of the world's smallest Austin Healey club
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles Christ <cfchrist@earthlink.net>
To: <WSpohn4@aol.com>; <brian@uunet.ca>;
<vintage-race@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 6:23 AM
Subject: Re: Helmets
> i have a few "vintage helmets" here. from the 60's,
there is one that
has
> a label in it stating "approved for use in new york Z-90
1-1966" with
no
> corresponding snell foundation sticker. and another one
that has a snell
> foundation sticker showing a 1968 dating. (the Z-90 is a
motorcycle
helmet,
> although knowing where it came from i believe it was used
in competition)
.
> so any other collectors out there checking old helmets for
an earlier
date?
> now my curiosity has been aroused. i'd love to hear about
any earlier
> dates.
>
> chuck.
> although memorabilia is sometimes tough to store it
provides some very
> interesting information....
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <WSpohn4@aol.com>
> To: <brian@uunet.ca>; <vintage-race@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 4:58 PM
> Subject: Re: Helmets
>
>
> > In a message dated 28/02/01 8:47:58 AM Pacific Standard
Time,
> brian@uunet.ca
> > writes:
> >
> >
> > > . I don't think Snell was
> > > doing their thing in the '70's, either.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > My first helmet, when I started racing in 1973, was
Snell 196?
something.
> >
> > Bill
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