Padding and netting are important parts of a race car’s safety system. A racing window net helps keep the driver contained inside the cockpit, while roll bar padding helps reduce the risk of injury from contact with the roll cage.

Unlike fire-resistant clothing or a racing harness worn by the driver, window nets, roll bar padding, and steering wheel pads mount directly to the car. Use this guide to compare styles, materials, fitment, and SFI specifications to choose the right safety equipment for your application.

Race Car Window Nets

Window nets became an important part of stock car safety after Richard Petty’s violent 1970 crash at Darlington Raceway helped prompt NASCAR to adopt the driver-side window net. Today, a racing window net helps keep the driver’s head and arms inside the cockpit during a rollover or side impact while also providing a barrier against debris.

A window net works alongside other driver-restraint equipment, including a racing harness and head and neck restraint. The correct net depends on your class rules, window opening, mounting system, visibility needs, and required SFI specification.

Types of Racing Window Nets

Window nets are available in different shapes, sizes, and materials to fit a range of race cars and cockpit layouts. Common designs include rectangular, angled, and trapezoid-shaped nets made from ribbon webbing, mesh, or a combination of the two.

Behrent’s carries racing window nets from brands such as Allstar Performance, Simpson, and Impact Racing Products, with options for different mounting styles, sizes, and applications.

Choose a net that fits the window opening correctly, provides adequate visibility, works with the required mounting hardware, and meets your class rules. Color can help match a team or sponsor scheme, but fitment and compliance should come first.

Window Net SFI Ratings

SFI Specification 27.1 establishes minimum performance requirements for racing window nets. Manufacturers participating in the SFI program test their products to the specification and certify that compliant nets meet those requirements.

SFI 27.1 includes requirements for penetration resistance, impact performance, construction, labeling, and driver release. A compliant window net has a maximum useful life of two years.

Roll Bar Padding

Race car roll bar padding helps absorb energy if the driver’s helmet or body contacts the roll cage during an impact. Unlike soft, general-purpose foam, motorsports padding is designed to manage higher impact loads without immediately compressing against the tubing.

Padding requirements vary by sanctioning body and class. Pad areas of the cage that the driver could contact according to the applicable rulebook. Even with a racing helmet, properly selected roll bar padding provides another layer of protection between the driver and the cage.

What Is Roll Bar Padding Made Of?

Roll bar padding is typically made from firm, energy-absorbing foam designed for motorsports use. Density, thickness, shape, and certification can vary by product, so choose padding that fits the cage tubing and meets the requirements of your racing class.

SFI Safety Ratings for Roll Bar Padding

SFI Specification 45.1 establishes performance requirements for roll cage padding, including energy-absorption and flame-resistance testing. Manufacturers participating in the SFI program test and certify products to the applicable specification. 

SFI Specs for Window Nets and Roll Bar Padding

These SFI specifications cover different pieces of safety equipment, so one doesn’t substitute for the other. Check your sanctioning body’s rulebook for the exact certification, installation, and replacement requirements for your class.

How to Install Roll Bar Padding

Install padding on the roll cage anywhere the driver’s helmet or body could make contact, following both the sanctioning-body rules and the padding manufacturer’s instructions. Position the thickest protective portion toward the driver where required by the product design.

Cut padding to length only when the manufacturer allows it, and secure it using the recommended adhesive, ties, hook-and-loop fasteners, or other supplied hardware. Don’t trim, alter, or mount SFI-rated padding in a way that could compromise its intended performance.

Steering Wheel Pads

Steering wheel pads add cushioning around the center of the steering wheel and can help reduce direct contact with hard steering components during an impact. They’re supplemental cockpit protection, not a substitute for a properly fitted helmet, harness, head and neck restraint, or other required safety equipment.

Steering wheel pads come in different sizes, shapes, and mounting styles, so choose one that fits your steering wheel securely without interfering with driver control or visibility. Check your class and sanctioning-body rules for any specific requirements before installation.

Get the padding, netting, and racing safety gear you need from Behrent’s Performance Warehouse to complete your cockpit setup.

Frequently Asked Questions About Racing Window Nets and Roll Bar Padding

How long do racing window nets last?

SFI 27.1 window nets have a maximum useful life of two years. Exposure to sunlight, heat, moisture, and regular racing use can weaken the material over time, so replace the net according to its certification date and your sanctioning body’s rules.

What’s the difference between a regular car window net and a safety net?

A racing window net is designed for competition use and may be manufactured to meet standards such as SFI 27.1. Decorative or street-car window nets aren’t necessarily tested for the impact, penetration resistance, construction, and release requirements expected of competition safety equipment.

Can I use non-SFI roll bar padding in my race car?

Some classes require or recommend padding that meets SFI 45.1 or another recognized motorsports standard. What you can use depends on your class and sanctioning-body rules. Even when certification isn’t mandatory, choose firm, energy-absorbing padding designed for racing rather than soft general-purpose foam.

What SFI rating does a racing window net need?

SFI 27.1 is the specification commonly associated with a racing window net. Your sanctioning body determines whether that specification is required, so confirm the current rulebook before buying or replacing a net.

Where should race car roll bar padding be installed?

Install race car roll bar padding on cage tubing that the driver’s helmet or body could contact during an impact. Placement requirements vary by racing class, so follow your sanctioning body’s rules and the padding manufacturer’s installation instructions.