Helmet - Legal or Not?

[bill boyes]

Yep, I have to ask it, is this helmet legal?

Here's the rule as written in the rulebook:

1) The upper fifty percent (50%) of the helmet must be a single color of the following: yellow or fluorescent (high visibility) yellow or lime green or orange or international orange or fluorescent red.
2) Half-shell and 3/4 type helmets are not allowed.

http://www.apba-racing.com/sites/all...2GRR-GSR_3.pdf

There is a diagram associated with the rule, but is not accurate - the picture to the right is a picture of a 3/4 helmet, and as rule #2 states, that is not a legal helmet. Besides, a diagram is just a guide, not the rule. (Take a look at a lower-unit or exhaust port diagram, the diagram itself is inaccurate, only the measurement specs are accurate.)

Below is a picture of the helmet: Height of the helmet is 10.5", transition line from blue to orange is at 5" (all around the helmet, except the visor). By my math, 5.5 of 10.5 is over 50%, therefore this helmet is legal.

Who's going to agree / disagree with me. Bill B. I already know you are going to disagree, so you can safe your breath (just joshin you, keep fighting the good fight).

I just had 4 helmets painted and have seven total that I have worn that follow this rule interpretation. Legal then, legal now!

HA give me some slack. LOL. It looks so close that I would not even question it. The problem I have is the multiple colors on top that some have.

[Dave M]

Referee

If the referee does not have time to look at all aspects of his/her duties, including checking for legal helmets when one is in question, they should appoint two referees for each race. There is no gray area there. The referee is responsible, period.

As for Helemt color rules.... I think they should all be one color, and it should be either the orange or neon green that best contrasts with the buoys. But hey, that would make it to easy.......

[Racerkyle20]

I like your old helmet better anyway, I could look back (or forward) and tell it was you. Made it easier to decide whether I should move over or not

LMFAO!!!

[mdaspit]

Hard to write a rule book that covers every possible contingency and unintended consequence.

How fine can you split the hair?

With face shield, without face sheild, height vs coverage area. It would have been much easier to just legislate one solid color, but seems to me that they didn't because they were trying to allow some leeway for self expression.

So, they try to accomodate, and they open the door a crack...

I think non professional, member governed organizations like ours also need some accomodation... from us.

We are in a way, self governed, and to me at least, that means to interpret the INTENT of rules, and then err on the side of the intent.

[krazy karl]

And we wonder why NASCAR rules are so restrictive. Those guys can slit a hair into several strands without even trying hard. I think NASCAR rules are probably more of what you will do with no tolerances than what you will not do.
kk

[BP125V]

nice paint job

Looks good Guedo, but my question to you and anyone else who has a custom paint job - why cut it so close? Make the orange 75% and then no one has to worry about it, it will still look great.

This topic is just like the black/white white/black numbers rule. The rule is clear and the intent is obvious and yet people push the rule and then when they get called on it they complain that we have too many rules!

[Smitty]

Do you guys understand the legal implications of Rule 8?

Not the APBA-legal aspect in the pits, but the real-life-legal aspect, when the family of some injured or expired driver is contacted by one of the hordes of predatory lawyers that abound here, promising them a big payoff that will insure that the kids get to go to college, etc., etc.. That lawyer will go through the APBA rulebook with a microscope, hoping to prove that we broke our own written rules that day. How the pertinant rules are interpreted by the court is what will matter, and it will matter most to the fellow unlucky enough to have been the inspector that day, for he will likely be held personally responsible. Why take a chance on putting an inspector, a volunteer, into such a position just because you want to get another few inches of fancy paint? The court will not give your opinion any weight whatever.

I remember something old Unlimited racer Bob Gilliam told me in the late '60s. Bob Fendler, an California attorney, had bought into the sport a year earlier. One day between heats Fendler was sitting in the pits, reading through the APBA rulebook, not as you and I would, but with a lawyer's eye. He kept shaking his head and laughing and saying, "This is a joke, this is ridiculous!!"

As any small businessman knows, it is merely another sad fact of life that you had better do what you can to save your own behind from your country's legal system.

[krazy karl]

Do you guys understand the legal implications of Rule 8?

Not the APBA-legal aspect in the pits, but the real-life-legal aspect, when the family of some injured or expired driver is contacted by one of the hordes of predatory lawyers that abound here, promising them a big payoff that will insure that the kids get to go to college, etc., etc.. That lawyer will go through the APBA rulebook with a microscope. How the pertinant rules are interpreted by the court is what will matter, and it will matter most to the fellow unlucky enough to have been the inspector that day, for he will likely be held personally responsible. Why take a chance on putting an inspector, a volunteer, into such a position just because you want to get another few inches of fancy paint? The court will not give your opinion any weight whatever.

I remember something old Unlimited racer Bob Gilliam told me in the late '60s. Bob Fendler, an Arizona attorney, had bought into the sport a year earlier. One day between heats Fendler was sitting in the pits, reading through the APBA rulebook, not as you and I would, but with a lawyer's eye. He kept shaking his head and laughing and saying, "This is a joke, this is ridiculous!!"

As any small businessman knows, it is merely another sad fact of life that you had better do what you can to save your own behind from your country's legal system.

Before I retired I worked in agriculture and weights and measures. It would take us months to write a simple 4 line regulation. There is so much you have to look at so that it is covers the intent, is enforceable yet satisfies those that are being regulated and a lot more. One word can make all the difference. It is especially tough and usually the norm when some lawmaker writes some vaguely worded law and we would have to write the regulations to make it work. That's one reason why some of our laws and regulations are so messed up, lots of the implementors don't put enough time or thought into it. Same thing with our rule book.
kk

[glen wesanko]

Simple, solid colour only...........

[Team 12R]

deepest pockets

Do you guys understand the legal implications of Rule 8?

Not the APBA-legal aspect in the pits, but the real-life-legal aspect, when the family of some injured or expired driver is contacted by one of the hordes of predatory lawyers that abound here, promising them a big payoff that will insure that the kids get to go to college, etc., etc.. That lawyer will go through the APBA rulebook with a microscope, hoping to prove that we broke our own written rules that day. How the pertinant rules are interpreted by the court is what will matter, and it will matter most to the fellow unlucky enough to have been the inspector that day, for he will likely be held personally responsible. Why take a chance on putting an inspector, a volunteer, into such a position just because you want to get another few inches of fancy paint? The court will not give your opinion any weight whatever.

I remember something old Unlimited racer Bob Gilliam told me in the late '60s. Bob Fendler, an California attorney, had bought into the sport a year earlier. One day between heats Fendler was sitting in the pits, reading through the APBA rulebook, not as you and I would, but with a lawyer's eye. He kept shaking his head and laughing and saying, "This is a joke, this is ridiculous!!"

As any small businessman knows, it is merely another sad fact of life that you had better do what you can to save your own behind from your country's legal system.

i was wondering the same thing? in the event of an unfortunate accident what happens if the helmet, cutsuit or life jacket was conforming to the rules. seems a lawyer could look at the APBA and find them liable as the driver did just what the rules required?

i don't know for a fact but i've been told NASCAR doesn't mandate safety rules as to the type of helmet or even using a hans device. they "RECOMMEND" using certain items because of that expressed liability.

i'm really surprised that rule 8 isn't written differently. i agree a helmet should be of good quality and condition. even questioning a helmet painted like guedos' seems a bit silly to me.

[ZUL8TR]

Legal helmets

At the recent APBA Winter Stock Outboard race at Lakeland Fl there were 3/4 open face orange helmets in use. Are the inspectors being generous?

[bill boyes]

they are legal as long as eye protection in worn.

The problem with art work on helmets came from drivers themselves. started with Restrained drivers and the rule was poor. The drivers in open cockpits that were restrained stated really going to the extreme. With Black and Silver etc paint jobs. Just look at some pictures posted here and on BRF.
Just look at the UIM drivers. I understand the UIM rules are very close to APBA's
Maybe a UIM rep will speak up.

[ram95]

Forgive me...
How did we get to this level of insanity? That's simple... EVOLUTION. Yes folks (racers), back in 63 the helmet was a solid color.... well almost.... I mean the mfg sticker (Bell) (Arai) (Sonic) did detract a tad from the "solid" wording, but it wasn't a big deal.

Then came the 70's and the beginning of the hippie kids graduating from law school. all of a sudden, the mfg decals could be called "graphics" and so from then on, "GRAPHICS" were automatically allowed on helmets. However, back in the 70's and 80's most racers didn't really give a _ _ _ T about any of that legaleeze... they just raced and had fun. Some painted their helmets bright Red or Yellow.... and George Stillwell just put an orange sock over his (Geo is my freaking hero!!).

Along comes the late 90's and year 2000 and the hippie kids with law degrees are now big-time politicians... well, not all... some are criminals, some of them are locked up, some are dead, some are Boat Racers. But helmets, in the meantime have been adorned with all kinds of creative 'graphics' well beyond Mfg decals. And, THIS has pissed-off certain anal-types.... some of them sons and daughters of those hippie-era lawyers. Of course their mantra isn't peace & love.... uh uh. They're just an opinionated bunch of jerks who think that everyone ought to think like they do. And, at the moment, they are in the 'safety mode' and think that everyone ought to be in the same mode as they are... which as you and I know (I hope) is total BULL _ _ _ T.... never-the-less, those morons exist.

Of course.... the driver in all this crap is the 'mantra of safety'. And, if you aint on their band wagon... YOU Bro..... are a pro-blee-M.

And, that my friends ( those of you in my diminishing circle of friends ) is what has brought us 'rounded pickles'... kevlar cockpit sides.... height restrictions.... 50% helmet color rule... and a rulebook thicker than a sausage-sub turd. OH YEAH... and DOT is no longer legal - Eat Me!!

Alex

[ram95]

Almost forgot...these additional rules like: Assistant Risk Managers and closed-toe sandals in the pits...

Pits? Pits..... really. You mean the place where Mom, GramPah and the family is going to be sitting? OHH crap... I almost forgot about the person who will be trained in administering the breathalizer test.

Maybe next year down in Ft Worth the visionaries will dictate that all crew members wear helmets and kevlars.... just like nascar.

Two years ago, I submitted the agenda item that all helmets be a solid color... period! Obviously, that didn't float...

Alex
Mad Russian Racing

[Geezeracer]

I doubt that this will be helpful, but the red helmet rule came into being in 1958. its generation was a response to helmet decoration putting drivers at risk. Starting in the mid '50s drivers began adding boat-matching graphics to helmets. just a few touches initially, but within a short time it became a full helmet design deal (frequently with matching jackets) that had rescue crews freaked and losing valuable time trying to figure out which colorful bit of wreckage was attached to a driver.

The rule handed down from APBA demanded full coverage of the helmet with one of three fluorescent red variants, orange, red or cerise, and specified that none of those colors could be used on boats.

Muncey stepped on the rule right away with white Thriftway stripes, and I think Lyle Parks half-pint unlimited was first to ignore the boat rule.

John