Racing Bags

Racing Bags holds small items that protect your kit and help in an emergency. Alongside helmet bags, it lists belt cutters, a glow-in-the-dark emergency hammer with a cutter, and an anti-torpedo support for a fire extinguisher.

A helmet bag guards the shell, visor and lining against knocks, dust and sunlight between sessions, and keeps the helmet away from fuel and solvents in the paddock. Let a sweaty helmet air out before it goes into the bag, as a lining packed away damp soon turns sour.

The other items cover the moments after an accident. A belt cutter slices through webbing when a buckle jams or cannot be reached.

An emergency hammer breaks toughened side glass when a door will not open, though it will not clear laminated glass, as used in windscreens and some side windows. Because it glows in the dark, the hammer is easier to find at night or in smoke. An anti-torpedo support stops an extinguisher bottle sliding out of its clamps and flying forward under hard deceleration.

Points to check:

• Helmet bags: compare the bag’s size with your helmet, especially a full-face model with spoilers or a top-air fitting.
• Colour: red, yellow, black, grey, white and silver.

Mount the cutter and hammer where a belted-in driver can reach them without loosening the harness. Fit the anti-torpedo support at the forward-facing end of the bottle, then re-check the extinguisher’s clamps.