Team Valhalla Racing Gear

Customer Comments

You should know that the SFI Armadillo has saved my son from being injured 3 times in the past year. Even though he moved up to the Junior class and doesn’t need to wear it he chooses to wear it. Three times now, he has been in wrecks where his chest has hit the steering wheel hard while being launched into the air. He knows that if not for the Armadillo he would have suffered chest or rib injuries. I think everyone should wear something like this.

Thank you,

Tom

After this weekend I felt that I had to write. When I decided to get my 5 year old son (Christopher) into kart racing, I was discussing the safety gear and its cost with my wife. She asked if other gear was available. I told her that there was but I felt that the Valhalla 360 Plus neck brace and Armadillo chest protector were the best on the market (a point first pointed out to me by Wade from Killen Karting), so the decision was made that if we had to save money it would be in an area other than safety gear.

We purchased the 360 and Armadillo hoping we would never have to find out how good they were. After the first time my wife saw a kid kart flip she mentioned that it seemed odd that more kids didn't have a 360 Plus. The next race a few more kids had them, but there are still more wearing lesser neck braces than the 360. But this weekend was enough for me to know we made the right choice.

Christopher went off of turn one @ Beaverun Wilson Circuit , he was just about at full throttle and didn't have the fore thought to brake, having never gone off at this speed (between 30 mph and 40 mph) before. He hit the tire wall almost head on and bounced back almost 15 feet. By the time we arrived he had climbed out of the kart and was standing next to his kart.

I slowly lifted his face shield and asked him where it hurt, he said a little on his back and leg. At this point I gently removed his helmet and the track medical people showed up. They checked him over and the only injures that he had were some bruising in the leg and a very slight scrap on his shoulder where the 360 had done its job and kept his helmet from snapping his neck around! His chest had no injures even though it moved the steering wheel up and forward almost two inches (his cart is a coyote and they are rather robust)!

The medical people felt that his injuries would have been a lot worse if it where not for his safety gear. FROM A VERY GRATEFUL FAMILY (parents and grandparents) THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE BEST GEAR ON THE MARKET!!!! I honestly feel that if I had bought lesser gear I would be tending to an injured son now instead of writing this while he is comfortably sleeping in the next room (his leg still has a bruise but the scrap from the 360 was gone in two days).

THANKS AGAIN

Jim

I was the unfortunate “test subject” for my Armadillo protector.

The short story is after a “bump”, I ended up slamming into a tire barrier at the better part of 55mph or so. The kart flipped up into the air performing at least a 420 before coming back down to earth. Apart from front spindle, and rotor damage, the most noticeable kart damage is the entire steering support has shifted at least an inch from holding my body back when the kart came to a sudden stop. Probably one of the more violent incidents to occur at the track, definitely leaving the entire paddock silent.

I wish I had the incident on video to send as once the kart came to rest only 10 feet from the initial point of contact, I shut the engine off, and quickly hopped out to pull my waded up kart out of the way as if almost nothing had happened. The race was red flagged, but I didn’t even make a trip to the ambulance. Since Saturday I have been “feeling myself up” expecting to find something tender, somewhere… The only after effect was a bruise about the size of a nickel at the top of my tail bone from landing back in the seat. According to the race director who was no more than 20 yards away, I had come completely out of the seat and into the steering wheel and was rather shocked when I simply hopped out and have suffered no real physical effects.

I only wish my kart had faired half as well.

I can only imagine you get to hear many variations of the story. I just wanted to let you know my recent experience. In my family we already own three Armadillos, and now definitely believe we’ve made the right choice in protective product. I certainly have no interest in any other protector on the market. It certainly raises my interest in the 360 Plus Device, and will look into them in the future.

Thank-you for developing and manufacturing your products.

Greg

I will start by saying I am rather impressed with your 360 device. Recently I had the misfortune to be witness to a nasty kart accident. To make it worse the drivers were cadets(7-9years olds), at any rate the child’s father relayed to me that the EMTs believe that the 360 device likely saved his son from a neck injury.

Mike

I purchased an Armadillo chest protector two years for one of my sons and it is the best. It is more comfortable and easy to get on and off than many of the other chest protectors on the market.

Peter

This past weekend, my son – in 4 cycle CADET, was involved in an accident and flipped a tremendous 8ft in the air, ejecting him from the kart. He landed virtually head first on the face of his helmet. After all of the panic, fears, and ambulance ride to the hospital, we were told by the doctor that his 360 device may very well have saved his life. Minus a sprained knee, concussion, minor abrasions and bruises, my little boy is fine.

Across the top of his shoulders sits a bruise from the 360 Plus Device, that obviously reduced the amount of flex his neck was forced to give.

I sit here in tears thinking of what tragedy may have come our way had we not purchased these devices. Myself, my son and brother all wear them. This was only my son’s second race day with the Device.

I passed as much of this information on to all of the karters at the Shannonville event. Spend the $180… you never want the regret of not spending it.

Thank you , thank you, thank you for creating such a marvelous piece of safety gear.

Dan.

My son's name is Stephen and we race in Jr Sportsman Champ 1. I am very pleased with your device. Stephen took a really hard hit on Sunday at the end of the race. He got hit and flew about 5 feet into the air then came down and landed on the RF which in turn bent the frame on the kart. Fortunately enough he has been wearing the 360 plus device all year. He said his head or neck never moved. Thanks for an affordable head and neck restraint system that really works.

Brad

Thank you! I see that you are an active participant on the 4-cyle website discussions on safety. I appreciate your attention to your customers’ satisfaction. It is one of the reasons why I chose to purchase the Armadillo. The main reason I chose your product is that it offers the complete protection of the entire torso and the cool packs are a major bonus.

Sandy

I would like to thank you for the rib vest. We had four race's with it and got into one crash the chest plate did its job very well. We got right back to racing without any pain and we got 3rd out of 15. From my little girls point of view it's the bomb! My point, it's the best I have seen. Thanks.

Stacy

Back in April my wife and I ordered my son an Armadillo rib vest. The vest arrived and my son tried it on, and it was a perfect fit for him. He was very comfortable. Well this weekend was his second race ever. I have no racing back ground so everything we are learning is coming from forums and other dads at the track. During the feature another kart spun out in front of my son, and unable to avoid the wreck my son hit the other kart very hard. My son hit the steering wheel hard enough to snap the steering shaft and mount from the chassis. Instead of sitting in the hospital having broken ribs and sternum, my son is sitting on his lazy boy playing PS2 right now. Honestly, I did not think he would need to use the vest, however, the 2nd night out it was used. Your rib vest with the padding on the chest worked. My son walks around in the pits with this vest on because he gets hot having his suit on the entire time. Another dad asked me a week ago what that was. I told him it was a chest and rib protector. Hopefully after seeing that vest in action, he buys one. (FYI - I sent him your website address) I see a lot of racers wearing no vest at all and after last night, my son will not go on the track with out his Armadillo on. Thanks again for making a great product!

Steve