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Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region

As many of you I too was watching the Daytona 500 and witnessed the crash that killed Dale Earnhardt. At first it did not appear to be serious. I have seen many races where drivers have hit the wall and have walked away. But later that night while having dinner with my brother I was saddened to hear that it was fatal. Within a week they announced that the seat belt was torn and it may have contributed to his death. The brand name caught the attention of my wife. We also have Simpson belts in our car. I assured her that the odds of our 1987 924S reaching the same speeds that Earnhardt reached when he hit that wall were very slim. Our seatbelts should hold us in the event of an accident. 
 
This event did make me think of how we take for granted the safety equipment on our cars. I would like to use this space to review the things I think we should check before we strap on our helmets for a run on the track or the autocross.

Brakes - This is the most important item to check and keep in perfect working order. You should do a thorough check of the linings, if they are more than 1/2 worn they should be replaced before an event. Check the brake lines running from the master cylinder to each of the calipers. Look for evidence of damage, or rust and replace as necessary. The rubber lines running to each caliper do wear out and when they do they will crack or bulge, make sure they are replaced before a failure. The brake fluid should be replaced yearly. I change mine when I take the cars out of storage. If you do a lot of track events or multi-day events you should bleed your brakes before each event.

Harnesses - Are made of nylon and are susceptible to deterioration from water and sunlight. If you protect the belts from these elements they should last you 3 years. However, if you are in an accident these should be replaced before your next event. The issue is that the belts have stretched while holding you in the seat, thus weakening them. There is no guarantee that they will hold in another accident. 

Helmet - Right now Snell 2000 Rated helmets are available. Which are good for 10 years in PCA rules. However, the sun will deteriorate the plastic shell, so if you do a lot of events you should replace it every 5 years. Also, if the helmet has suffered a severe impact it may not protect your head the second time the helmet gets hit. Better to be safe than sorry.

Tires - check for cracking this means the tires have dry rot and are now weakened. If you see bubbles in the sidewall this means they have been hit real hard or were pinched and now the sidewall is weakened. Cords showing through the face of the tire is a major concern. Those of us who don't have ABS can lockup the tires under severe braking. A small number of these lockups can flat spot the tire and then it doesn't take too long for the tire to wear through to the cords.

Throttle Cable - Make sure it moves freely without sticking

Battery - Verify that it is held securely and will not move if the car is hit hard. Absolutely no bungee cords!

That's about it for my quick checklist. We all want to have fun out on the track so lets be smart and err on the side of safety.