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I think this is a must for all kids, after watching both my kids being ejected at the 1st CSC race I ordered 4 of them and our kids are not allowed to get in a kart without one.. We have the Rib-tects and the quality is great, a little pricey but alot cheaper than medical bills..
Club MiniMAX Helps Pass Two Chest Protection Devices
At the Delphi Automotive Testing Facility, three days of intensive testing has led to the approval of two youth chest protectors. Club MiniMAX, a group dedicated to making karting safer for junior drivers has helped in the certification for this important safety item. It has been almost two years since 9 year old Caleb Maxwell was killed in a karting accident when his 226 pound kart flipped and landed on top of him. Doctors concluded that had his chest cavity been more developed, Caleb could have walked away from the accident. The bone structure of a young child?s chest can be compared to that of the ?soft spot? on top of an infant?s heads. With age, comes the strength needed to withstand impacts. This incident sparked the creation of Club MiniMAX, citing the need for a group totally safety centric.
Leslie Shields, Caleb?s mom said ?When you go out on a boat you wear a life jacket, when you ride a motorcycle you wear a helmet. When you race karts you need to wear a chest protector. Safety needs to be the #1 issue in this sport. With the addition of a chest protector accidents may not turn into tragedies.? She was overjoyed to hear the results of the testing, hoping that these new devices will be worn by all young racers.
Robby Mott of Ribtect and Arnie Kuhns of SFI have worked closely with Club MiniMAX to bring a product to the forefront. With their kid kart product already passing the required certification, the next logical step for Ribtect was the 8-12 year old group. After Ribtect completed their development, Club MiniMAX gave financial support for the rigorous testing required to achieve the SFI certification.
The testing process was long and stressful, incorporating moments of intense pressure followed by clock-watching. The process required hurling a highly-specialized dummy toward a stationary steering wheel, impacting the chest cavity. The engineers would then review the data and determine the quality of protection offered by the vest. After a 45-minute ?cool down? period, the same vest would be tested again to verify the data. Having both protectors pass is a great opportunity for the karting community to pick a vest that suits their needs.
Steve Peters of Team Valhalla came to the table last week with a product looking for certification. The Armadillo, a known chest protector, was modified to meet the new standards set forth by SFI. Club MiniMAX stepped up to the plate to offer financing, just like in the past, to anyone looking for certification. One day after the Ribtect news, Steve saw the test first-hand and approval on his devices.
Club MiniMAX would like to extend it?s gratitude to Arnie Kuhns, President of SFI, Roger Goode, Engineering Manager of SFI and Jennifer Mattlack, Occupant Performance Engineer of Delphi Automotive for their hard work and contributions to this project.
The link for the Valhalla vest (Armadillo) is:
http://www.valhallaracing.com/index2.htmlJust an FYI, I have no connection with them except for owning a couple of their vests.
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