THE GEAR YOU NEED TO RACE LEMONS!

1. HELMET

Helmet – Must be SNELL SA2000+ Rated (SA2015 is the latest)

The SA stands for a special fire safety rating – normal Snell helmets to not meet this requirement.

2. FIRE SUIT / NOMEX UNDERWEAR

Racing Suit – Must be SFI rated and have the SFI tag.  1 Layer SFI suits require Nomex Underwear, 3/5 Layer suits do not
Nomex Underwear – Required with 1 Layer suits

3. SFI SHOES & SOCKS

Nomex Socks – for yo feet
Racing Shoes – Must be SFI rated

4. NECK RESTRAINT

I HIGHLY recommend using a professional level neck restraint.  I personally use a NecksGen. The easiest way to stomach the $600 price tag is to share this device with the team.  The helmet adapters are $80.  The Knoxvegas Lowballers has 3 NecksGen restraints shared by the team.  We also have a foam collar…but really, buy the connectors; your neck is worth it.

TYPICAL APPROACHES FOR SELECTING GEAR

Pros:
  • Contains Everything you need, guaranteed to pass tech inspection
  • easy, 1 step ordering
Cons:
  • Thick (ie. hot/heavy) 1 piece race suit
  • requires nomex underwear (hot)
2.  Build Your Own Set
   Basically, just pick out all the required components mentioned above that meet your budget/comfort/style requirements.  Below is a few examples and websites for gear that some of us have.  I recommend saferacer.com , raceimage.com and amazon.com to handle the bulk of what you need.
     -Same Gear as the lemons bundle, minus the helmet (also, a SCCA discount)
   $149 ZAMP Helmet (my previous helmet…not great but cheap)
   $349 G-Force Carbon Fiber Helmet (my current helmet, much better)
     -Budget Helmet options (must be SA2010)
     -Cheap way to get in an EXTREMELY nice race suit, for a small budget (~$200-400).  And, you get awesome sponsorships on your suit. – Mine is CornFlakes!
     -These suits don’t require nomex, and are lighter…so, more comfortable.
     -If you go this route, make sure you call the guy and ensure that you order a suit that fits and has the REQUIRED SFI tag still on the suit.
Pros:
  • Saves a bit of $$$, or gets better quality
Cons:
  • Must make sure you order everything you need
    -$180-200, gets you everything you need for a weekend.
Pros:
  • Saves $$$ if you only plan on doing one race
Cons:
  • You still have to buy or rent gear in the future.
So, I think that covered the 3 main options.  Feel free to ask me questions if you have any.  I’d advise you check with me before ordering anything other than the bundle and I can make sure you get everything you need.