Simpson Performance Products has set the bar for the safety industry again with their Carbon Fiber Devil Ray Helmet.
With over 50 years of making the highest quality driver safety products, Simpson Racing Products continues to pass all the competition with their cutting edge technology that they incorporate into every product to keep racers safe. The Devil Ray features a true Carbon Fiber shell, allowing for a remarkably light 2.9 lb brain bucket. As everyone knows, wearing a helmet can become uncomfortable during extended amounts of seat time and nothing puts a damper on a long day of pre-running or racing like neck fatigue or a headache caused by a heavy or uncomfortable helmet.
For our trip south of the border for the 42nd Baja 500, Russ from Simpson invited me to take a short trip to check out their West Coast World Store and Fire Suit Manufacturing Headquarters in Harbor City, California and grab a Devil Ray to use and abuse in Baja. After making some new friends at Simpson and picking up our new Devil Ray helmet, we made a run for the border with our friends over at Pretty Dirty Clothing and Cops Racing.
Once across the border with the Class 1 Pretty Dirty pre-runner in tow, we made a b-line for Ensenada's San Nicholas Hotel and Casino to meet up with the Cops Racing team. We set out at about 5pm Wednesday to get our feet wet and shake down the car by pre-running the start to Ojos Negros Highway. The Devil Ray helmet worked excellent for its first short 38-mile test. The PCI installed radio communication worked great along with the Simpson factory installed side air pipe. The fit and feel of the helmet was suburb; it was so light that at times I forgot I had a helmet on. The wide field of vision allowed for a greater range of peripheral sight than most helmets I've used in the past.
On day two of our Mexican adventure we woke up early; we had a long day ahead of us that would start in San Matias and end in Santo Tomas. With the iPod blasting over the intercom and a cooler full of drinks and snacks, the day started with a drive south on Highway 3. We spent 9 hours in the car that day as we made our way to Santo Tomas and then back into Ensenada around dusk.
Throughout the day we experienced every type of obstacle the Mexican peninsula had to throw at us. Through silt, mud, dust, water, cold, and hot temperatures, the helmet never fogged due to its exceptional vent system and anti-fog shield. Not an ounce of dust found its way into my helmet the entire time due to the well fit Carbon X helmet skirt and the lock tight shield that was sealed with a rubber gasket. For a short portion of our day I used tear offs, which worked well with the Simpson shield. I didn't find myself pulling off the entire racing optics tear away stack like I've experienced with other helmet shields and their tear off mounting pegs.
On Friday we pre ran some more sections of the race course, bringing our total mileage for the trip to around 560 miles in the pre-runner over the three days. Since the 500, I've continued to wear the Devil Ray helmet for approximately another 500 or so miles pre-running and racing. The helmet has held up well and makes the extended periods of time that it was worn more enjoyable than older helmets I've owned. The Carbon X lined padding inside wicks away moisture from my head and hasn't shown any signs of wear from use. Whether you're in a class 11 bug or a trophy truck, fact is you want to have your noodle in something that's going to be comfortable and safe. The Simpson Carbon Fiber Devil Ray Helmet is all that and little more, offering you the comfort and safety that you demand along with a product that's going to stand the test of time.
-Photos and story submitted by Kris Russell