"Once they have them they won't drive without them"
WATERLOO, ONTARIO (February 13, 2012) – When it comes to drag racing, speed is obviously important, but a more vital factor is safety.
A relatively new product in drag racing is the form-fitting engineered seat for the driver, and dozens of teams in the Pro Modified Racing Association and the Quick 32 Sportsman Series have installed custom seats from Dragstar.ca and Innovative Safety Products, who support both the drag racing series.
"The business has done well," said Dragstar.ca's Marc McCrae, who has been preparing and installing the seats for four years. "We make drivers more consistent, more comfortable, and more confident."
Built as a foam insert, the ISP "pour in place" method fills all the voids around the driver, protecting the driver's torso 100 percent. The material is inherently self-extinguishing in case of fire, and will not drip or melt when in contact with a flame, and is stable to temperatures up to 400 degrees without deformation. Carbon X material is used to finish the seat insert.
"The driver sits in the same position every time," said McCrae. "The foam swells around the driver, and makes them more comfortable in the car.
"And with this added comfort," McCrae continued, "reaction times improve."
The seat insert is available for any class of drag car, from Bracket Racing to Top Fuel.
"Once I'm belted into my car, I'm always in the same position," said PMRA driver Jeff Roth. "I can concentrate more on my reaction time and not worry about getting comfortable. I wouldn't drive without one."
Another PMRA Pro Modified driver who recommends the ISP seat is Ike Maier, who had a nasty hit at the Cayuga Dragway but was able to walk away.
"I hit the wall hard in 2009," Maier relates. "And I got out unhurt. I was not even sore. So when I went Top Fuel racing in 2010, I made sure I had a Dragstar-installed seat in the car."
McCrae, who has crewed for such Pro Modified notables as Gary Irving, Al Hinds, and Jeff Roth, realizes a driver's comfort is an important issue, and with the seat insert, the driver can sit properly in the car and concentrate on racing.
"With the foam I can actually make the driver sit higher or lower in their seat, giving the driver more headroom along with getting their feet closer to the pedals if needed."
One driver who found this beneficial was Phil Sampson, who won the 2011 Quick 32 Sportsman Series Championship with his Chevy Cavalier door-slammer.
"Marc from Dragstar came to my shop and poured me a custom seat," said Sampson, "and he was actually able to position me correctly in my car, which made a big difference for me."
Along with the seat inserts, Dragstar is also working with teams in the use of head support systems. McCrae added that he not only deals with drag racers, but has been working with oval track racers, including Sprint Car teams.
For more information, call 519-897-2422 or dragstarco@hotmail.com
