One of the tracks I run has a mandatory neck collar rule. I am the type of driver to not skimp on safety equipment, but I also have an odd body type (short legs/ short neck) that makes it hard to get the various pieces to work together. What that means for me is that over the years I have done a lot of fussing over what I need.
I’ve tried a few collars/braces:
Standard foam donut: Makes it feel like my neck isn’t a joint in any way possible.
EVS R4: Just too heavy and solid, didn’t feel right against my back either. Also very long.
360 device: Sits very high up front and my helmets don’t clear them.
That brought me to the EVS R2. It comes in two sizes: youth or adult. There is no dimensional information other than a 105lb/5’3” split. I’ve also never been able to find pictures of both sizes side by side.
I tried the adult first, as I am 165lbs and 5’5”. It cleared my helmet, but my chin sat right inside the inner front edge and I not only couldn’t look down at my mychron if needed, I always felt like I was looking up. I also struggled to turn my head at all.
So I went ahead and ordered the youth. It is a bit smaller, but still fits around my neck without feeling tight and it also stays in place much better. I have not drove with it yet, but I did spend about 15 minutes sitting in my kart in the garage visualizing the track. Definitely has a lot more clearance where I need it, and the helmet still touches if I tilt my head at extreme angles. Hopefully it’s the winner.
Anyway, with this long post I wanted to include the pictures comparing the two sizes for anyone trying to decide between the two and hopefully these end up in someone’s google search.
Adult:
Youth:
Both:
