FAQ's

Where is your store located and do you have a showroom?

Our store is located in Sterling, Virginia, about 35 minutes west of Washington, DC. We are about 2 miles from Dulles Airport. If you are in the area, please stop by to meet our sales staff and see the latest in racing safety gear. We are open from 9 am to 6 pm Nomday to Friday. Please click Contact Us for driving directions.

Should I wear an open or full-face helmet?

We recommend a full-face helmet for high-speed events such as performance driving schools or racing. The full-face shielded helmet provides an extra measure of protection in the event that debris or a loose object should enter the cockpit of the car. The full-face design also provides more overall protection for the face and chin in the event of an impact against any part of the car's interior. An open face helmet affords somewhat less protection but better ventilation than most full-face helmets and is a solid choice for low-speed events such as autocross.

Which is better: a fiberglass, or a composite helmet?

All helmets labeled with a Snell Foundation rating undergo the same range of testing, regardless of construction. The primary difference between the fiberglass and composite materials is the weight of the helmet. A composite helmet, although generally more expensive than a fiberglass helmet, will usually be lighter, which means less neck fatigue for the driver.

How should my racing suit fit?

Suits are available in "off the rack" sizes or they can be constructed to your custom measurements for a perfect fit. Personal preference and ease of movement when seated in the car are the main factors in choosing the suit style and fit that is best for you. Some styles have "gussets" or flexible sections of knitted Nomex fabric at the shoulders and waistline for greater range of movement and help with ventilation. Nomex suits come in a variety of thicknesses - the number of layers of Nomex required for a particular SFI rating or amount of fire protection. Check the requirements of your sanctioning body carefully before investing in a suit, so you can decide whether a multi-layered Nomex suit worn with or without Nomex underwear is the right choice for your safety and comfort. Nomex comes in a variety of woven and knit fabrics - you'll pay more for the highest quality, but you'll be more comfortable wearing it!

What is the purpose of a helmet support?

When worn properly, the helmet support limits the range of motion of the helmet to help reduce neck fatigue. In the event of an impact, it will help to keep the helmet (and head) from extreme movements.

What does SFI stand for, and what is an SFI "rating?"

The SFI Foundation, Inc. (SFI) is a non-profit organization established to issue and administer standards (or specifications) for specialty/performance automotive and racing equipment, with the goal of promoting quality and reliability in the design, manufacture and application of these products. SFI standards are developed at the request of various manufacturers and/or race sanctioning bodies. The SFI Technical Committee initiates the specification drafting process, and encourages industry-wide participation in finalizing these specs. Once a standard is enacted, participation by any manufacturer is strictly voluntary. However, if a manufacturer agrees to comply with an SFI spec and advertise its products as such, it is subject to ongoing inspections and testing of its processes and equipment to ensure continuing compliance. For more information about SFI and its programs, visit their website at www.sfifoundation.com. While "SFI" originally stood for "SEMA Foundation, Inc.," SFI now operates independently of the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers' Association) organization, and simply retains the original acronym as its name.

Which style of harness should I purchase for my Corvette? The car will be used for Drivers' Ed events and as my daily driver.

Most people prefer the Camlock style of harness because of the ease of use. The other type is the latch and link style. We offer the Sparco and Simpson brands for the Camlock and M&R for the latch and link. If you drive a C4 or C5 Corvette,we carry the Brey Krause Harness Mount Bar for mounting the shoulder belts. We also carry the Brey Krause Inner/OuterLap Belt Mounting Adapters For C5 Corvettes. These permit the mounting of the lap belts without drilling holes in your car. For a photo of the two types of mechanisms, see our installation and tech articles section.

What are the different types of mountings for harnesses?

There are three types of mountings: 1) Wrap - The belt material is wrapped around something and then secured. A typical application is for shoulder belts which may be wrapped around a horizontal bar attached to the rollbar or cage. 2) Bolt - This type of mounting has a triangular metal plate with a hole in it attached to the end of the belt. A bolt is used to secure the plate to the mounting point on the car. 3) Snap-in - This is similar to the bolt-in style except that the attachment end of the belt has a snap connecter with a spring-loaded gate that opens to permit the connector to hook to an eye bolt mounted in the car.

If I order a driving suit and find that I don't like it for any reason, can I send it back (if done promptly) and get a full refund?

As with virtually all of our products, if you wish to return an item, you should call our customer service representatives at 800-934-9112 to obtain a "Return Merchandise Authorization" number. You must mark this number clearly on the outside of the shipping box, then return the item to us in the same condition you received it in, along with all of the original packaging material. When we receive the return shipment, we will issue a credit if the item is unused. We will either apply the credit to the credit card account used for your purchase, or we will issue a refund check to you. You may also direct us to hold the credit amount to be applied to a future OG Racing purchase.