[brentil]

[5] - What type of protective gear is required/recommended?

• Helmet - required - To race in SOLO II you are required to wear a helmet that is at least the current generation or up to two generations back and meets SNELL ratings (DOT only is not permitted). So in otherwords helmets with the following ratings are the only ones permited.
  • SA95 or M95
  • SA2000 or M2000
  • SA2005 or M2005
  M... SA... what? You want the detailed beef read all the technical docs at the official SNELL website. (http://www.smf.org). M = Motorcycling and SA = Competitive Automotive Sports. SOLO II only requires the M rating, but the SA rating is usually a better helmet and also required for Club Racing and SOLO 1 I believe. Some Autocross organizations require full face for convertible cars, so I suggest going with that. I've found M2005 helmets online with free shipping for ~$80, so getting a decent helmet doesn't have to kill your budget. It will also make the event go much smoother, and you can put all your own stickers on your won helmet then.
• Appropriate Atire - required - The required part is mainly your footwear. No open toed footware is permited. From attending PCA Drivers Ed events they always suggest thick material pants and cotton long sleeved shirt. Just incase something were to happen these can help protect your skin somewhat.
• Fire Supression - small fire extinguisher strapped down within reach for emergency purposes.
• Roll Bar - see the next section for details
• Harness - 4-point, 5-point, etc You can get ones that bolt into the car's structure or hook up to a roll-bar, or need mounting hardware. This will keep you completely in your seat at all times even in the event of a roll over. You can not modify your seat in anyway and stay Stock for them to fit though. (Correction) You can only add the driver restraints (ie 4-5-6-7pt) harness if you have a proper rollbar/cage.
• CG-Lock - don't have the ability to mount or afford a real harness, look into CG-Locks. This is a device that helps keep the tension on your seatbelt so it doesn't come loose while you're driving. This helps you stay stationary and in the seat while driving.
• Racing Suit - these can be expensive and possibly overkill for a stock Sky, but it wont kill you if you had one. Usually made of a fire retardant material and stronger then normal clothes will help protect you
• Headlight Covers - painters tape, some sort of decal item, or 3M clear material used to cover the headlamps and fog lights. This helps protect the plastic/glass from kicked up debry that could shatter parts of your car.