Tom,
I'm sure you're right regarding the resistance to the anything "required"
escalation. In the '57 to '59 time frame, when my Dad was driving cars like
Joe Lubins's Aston Martin DB3S and DBR2 and Frank Arciero's 4.9 liter
Ferrari (no roll bars) at places like Riverside, Pomona, Santa
Barbara...etc..he wore some pants that my Mom made for him that were
gathered at the bottom with elastic and tied at the waist like sweat pants.
She soaked them in something that was supposed to make them fire resistant.
He usually wore a light long sleeve sweatshirt again soaked in fire
retardent solution. He used light wieght leather gloves that were intended
for use in archery and for racing shoes....he wore genuine Indian moccasins!
Bill Oker
-----Original Message-----
From: Tombread@aol.com [mailto:Tombread@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 1:35 PM
To: OkerWR@navair.navy.mil; dipstickdigest@ctaz.com; cfchrist@earthlink.net;
WSpohn4@aol.com; brian@uunet.ca; vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Helmets
In a message dated 2/28/01 4:17:28 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
OkerWR@navair.navy.mil writes:
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.
Probably inbred resistance to anything "required." We got bent out of shape
over spec rollbars (jeez, my first one was fastened aft to the sheet metal
rear deck and was level with my head!)...five-point harnesses...outlawed
Monza caps...fuel cells (it's only a 4 gallon race!)...double layer Nomex or
single layer and underwear...no more leather gloves or shoes...and on and
on.
All the requirements and allowances made club racing exponentially
expensive
in the 70s.
tom
The Easley Vintage Grand Prix
IRP, October 6-7, 2001
Proceeds to the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis
Tom Butters
The Greens Fork Group
Creative communications
765.886.5098
No City in the history of racing has ever hosted the four greatest events of
their kind,
as we do here with the Indianapolis 500, the US Grand Prix, the Brickyard
400
and the NHRA US Nationals.
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