RACING GOES SAFER TAKES ON COVID-19
Stand 21, with its experience in sourcing textiles, sewing, andassembling items like driving suits, has swiftly gone into production of face masks.
For the last decade, improving racer safety practices has been the goal of the Stand 21 Safety Foundation, as it can be a matter of life or death. Now we are facing another life and death situation with COVID-19. However, the danger of spreading infection can be reduced with safer public health practices. Looking at the lessons we teach in our Racing Goes Safer safety seminars, it is interesting to note how they can also be applied to dealing with the current pandemic.
We have always said that ultimately the racer is responsible for his or her own safety preparation. Racing sanctioning body rules and inspections can only go so far. They cannot police everything. Proper use and care of your helmet, fire protection gear, and accessories is really up to you.
It’s the same with controlling the spread of the virus. Federal and local governments have issued a long string of loosely-enforced guidelines, advisories, suggestions, directives, and recommendations, but it is up to us to take responsibility for actual compliance. They cannot wash your hands for you, decide if, when, and where to don a mask, or label what you shouldn’t touch. We all have to stop and think…where could those sneaky, invisible viruses be ready to get on me? And what can I do to prevent that, and avoid passing it on?
To help you prevent injury in racing, our seminars bring in speakers who are recognized experts in the field to educate, to help you to be more knowledgeable with the facts on the mechanics of injury, on how safety equipment performs, and how to evaluate new safety gear purchases.
We are most fortunate to have available to us people like Dr. Terry Trammell, Dr. Steve Olvey, Dr. Jacques Dallaire, Dr. Edward Potkanowicz, and NASCAR’s Tom Gideon, who from their vast experience can provide the solid medical and engineering reasons for why we need to do certain things for safer racing.
Being better educated and knowing the facts on what is most effective applies to helping us personally avoid COVID-19 contamination as well. Knowing “why” we are doing something, helps us do it better.
Racers have always been quick to analyze situations, quick to react, and are known for out of the box thinking. Indeed: Racing is Faster. We are seeing racers now applying their skills to produce badly needed equipment for health workers. This is happening at Formula 1 teams who are cooperating to innovate on respirator and ventilator designs. And we are seeing it in our own factory.
Being better educated and knowing the facts on what is most effective applies to helping us personally avoid COVID-19 contamination as well. Knowing “why” we are doing something, helps us do it better.
Racers have always been quick to analyze situations, quick to react, and are known for out of the box thinking. Indeed: Racing is Faster. We are seeing racers now applying their skills to produce badly needed equipment for health workers. This is happening at Formula 1 teams who are cooperating to innovate on respirator and ventilator designs. And we are seeing it in our own factory.
Stand 21, with its experience in sourcing textiles, sewing, and
assembling items like driving suits, has swiftly gone into production of face masks. Romain Morizot and the dedicated Stand 21 Racewear staff have already made and delivered thousands of masks to help reduce infections in this pandemic, especially for paramedics, fire departments, police, but also for factory workers, and anyone else. It may be a small thing, but it’s what we can do best to help.
We all must do what we can!
When the time is right, the Stand 21 Foundation will return with its seminars. Jim Michaelian’s rescheduled Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach may be our first opportunity, and we’ll hope to see you there.
In the meanwhile, now is the time use your “racer-smarts” to take the lead by rigorously applying safe practices to help keep everyone healthy, so we can all get back to racing, the sport we love, as soon as possible.
- Don Taylor, Racing Goes Safer Director