![]() “About three cars back from the front of the line the driver squeezes into the cramped confines of the roll cage where the head is effectively locked in a forward facing position by the racing seat head bolsters,” he said. They put on all that gear long before they put the car in gear. “Underneath is a ‘cool shirt’ with a rubber hose zigzagging across it that is plugged in to a swamp cooler in the rear of the car that circulates cold water through the hose to keep the driver cool in the oven-like heat of Bonneville.” “Drivers wear fireproof socks, racing suit - effectively a fireproof snowmobile suit - head sock, racing shoes, helmet, HANS (head and neck support) device, and fireproof gauntlets (gloves),” Woodin said. The drivers have to be suited up to survive some pretty unpleasant possibilities. “We passed without any suggested modifications and any further drama, a testament to Lane’s skills as a builder,” Woodin said. ![]() “The officials comb the car to make sure it will not be a crash hazard and that in the event of a wreck, it will keep the driver alive.” “Bonneville is the gold standard,” he said. With racers reaching high speeds - Speed Demon won the 2020 Hot Rod Magazine Trophy with a top speed of 481 miles per hour last year - the pre-race inspection is rigorous - “the most thorough inspection in all of land speed racing,” Woodin said. So, they added some extra weight - about 1,000 pounds of ballast - half in the front, half in the back.
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