This could put me on the "used to go racing list" as well. Not because of the cost, but because of the design. Simply put, I believe that the HANS is an inferior design to another device that is out there (which I have been wearing for five years and have "tested" once). I resent like hell the idea that the SCCA is going to legislate me into wearing a device that compromises my safety. I have been looking at the alternatives to the HANS and am not impressed with what I see. Each one of them is going to require me to purchase a winged seat because of their lessened ability in an offset impact that will reduce my egress ability from the car.
Thanks, SCCA.
Wrecker (can I call you "Wrecker"? ), it's not the SCCA that's legislating you into wearing one. It's the SFI/FIA that's done it. They have devised a specification for a "mostly effective" HNR that they feel all of their driving participants must adhere to for (liability) safety purposes. The SCCA is merely putting a check in the box next to SFI/38.1 or FIA/8858 and calling themselves compliant (and hoping to see a potential drop in insurance costs I'd bet). As others have noted, SCCA Pro has required it for a number of years now and NASA started last year.
Regarding your alternative device** that you feel is more effective (vs. the market leader Hans) I can't comment on other than to say the manufacturer of this device (I'd hoped) had the opportunity to work through the SFI/FIA process to garner the necessary certifications for it. Whether the manufacturer/designer was of less capabilities (financial, administrative, or otherwise...) to pursue or some other scenario that's for them to chime in.
Best of luck for 2012 though.
Brandon
** I recall reading about an alternate device which the designer of was rather prolific in his prose on some Internet boards. If this is the one you're referring to (Alvin/Atcheson/?? device? *shrug*) the designer seemed more interested in publicizing the political nature of the SFI/FIA process (for the 38.1 HNR specification) than redesigning his product to meet the decided spec. To each his own but it's not like there was a captive market of racers buying the Hans brand 5,6,7 years ago before they were mandated.