SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/693984
R acing seats are definitely a great way to give the interior of your off-road vehicle an aggressive appearance. With a high back, large bolsters, and cut-outs for harnesses, the designs of these types of seats are intended for far more than simple appearance. Most racing seat manufacturers understand the forces that drivers and passengers go through in a variety of racing applications and design these seats for impact absorption, stability and comfort. In off-road desert racing applications, seat manufacturers have to build their seats to fit a wide variety of vehicles. For example, a racing seat for a UTV may involve a totally different design than those for Class 10 buggies and Trophy Trucks. This is why most seat manufacturers create seat designs that are dedicated to certain types of vehicles and racing venues. One of the first things to understand about racing seat design is how they protect the occupant. This is learned from experience and long-term testing. Recaro Automotive, for example, was the first company to create a worldwide racing seat for rally/off-road racing applications in 1967. "Racing seats are generally designed to find the perfect balance between safety and comfort in any racing situation," says Tilman Schafer for Recaro Automotive. "The design for all actual racing seats come out of almost 50 years of experience. In addition, Recaro has several brand ambassadors among successful race drivers – for example Ken Block, Armin Schwarz, and Timo Bernhard who give special feedback to our research and development people, that goes directly in the development process of updates or new seats." SAVING YOUR BEHIND RACING SEATS ARE DESIGNED FOR SAFETY, BUT WITHOUT SACRIFICING COMFORT BY DAN SANCHEZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS 072 SCORE JOURNAL