After an absence of several years from the SEMA show, Simpson is back, and they’ve been busy. The well-known safety equipment company had a lot to show off this year, including the Hybrid head and neck restraint system. Designed to be a low profile system that makes getting in and out of the car easier, the Hybrid joins the HANS and R3 restraints in the Simpson family.

The M6 option puts the release hardware on the helmet instead of the ends of the tethers.

Designed by Trevor Ashline, the Hybrid system uses a combination of a patented seatbelt anchor system and side stabilizing gussets. It’s available in four versions, all of which are SFI 38.1 certified:

The Hybrid Pro Carbon (left) and Hybrid Pro Rage Composite differ mainly in materials, weight, and cost. Both are designed to work with no seat modification.

Hybrid Pro Carbon

• High quality carbon fiber construction
• Compact size under 7 inches tall
• Side stabilizing gusset load path for angular protection
• Doesn’t require any seat modification.

Hybrid Pro Rage Composite

• Composite and carbon fiber construction
• Same features as Hybrid Pro Carbon at a lower price

For those who prefer the original HANS device, Simpson is introducing a new design that allows the angle of the restraint to be adjusted to one of six different positions to accommodate seat angle changes between cars.

Hybrid

• The original Hybrid design
• Carbon fiber construction
• Ships with molded seat pad and installation manual
• FIA and NASCAR approved

Hybrid X

• Extreme protection Hybrid system
• Six tethers connecting to four points on the helmet
• Ships with protective rigid foam neck collar
• Designed specifically for drag racing