Hello, My name is Mark Dowdy. My friends called me "Doc". I raced Dirt Late models and modifieds most my adult life. I had a bad motorcycle accident while going to the shop one day. Was hit by a truck and paralyzed at my T-11/T-12. I have been paralyzed now for over 4 months. My website can be found at www.Dowdyracing.com

Now the reason I am here is to ask if anyone has found a steering wheel intagrated type hand control? I need to run the throttle and brake pedal without removing my hand from the wheel. I have seen and read much about Evan Evans. However I can not find any info on the actual type of control he uses. Any help would be apreciated...


Thank you
Mark Dowdy

Mark, you would be suprised to know that you can still do it with one arm. I drive my car on the roadcoarse with Menox Hand controls and a 5 point harness just fine and I am a T3/T4 (arm control only). Do a google search for Menox controls. They are really nice controls that keep the knee area clear. Your arms will gain stength to overcome the obstacles in your way. I ride a 4 wheeler at the MX track, I drive on a road race circuit, and I do all sorts of other activities. You can too...

www.bdmpastx.com

Brian.

Hi Mark,
I saw something the other week on youtube. It was a circular bar that went on the back of the steering wheel from memory. I think it even allows you to drive a manual also. I thought it looked pretty good but also thought it looked quite expensive. Hope that is of help.
Slowkegs

the ring on the steering wheel is a excellerator . a mate of mine races rally cars & he makes them up himself. his current car is a manual with a button on top of gear stick for clutch & a direct lever for brake
it is very easy to drive. i have seen a similar system for sale in uk
cheers andrew

Best for control is a centre ring accelerator - means your hands don't leave the wheel for acceleration at all but I'm not aware of any system that allows braking from the steering wheel. Picture of the conversion on my car is below showing accelerator over the wheel - It can be done behind the wheel too mines push to accelerate, behind the wheeel is pull to accelerate. The brake is the lever immediately beside the wheel in the normal push/pull position.

russ1, that is one COOL setup.

I've seen center accelerators on race cars before but I didn't know they produced it for regular use. I've seen one drifter in Japan modify his car with a manual tranny with the center mount accelerator. Very cool.

It's not uncommon at all in the UK but seems to be virtually non existent in the US. The controls are produced in Italy by Guido Simplex for just about any Road Car - it costs about 5 times as much as a standard push pull, I get mine paid for (Access to Work ) so am able to choose the best solution for me - if you're in the states Redi Autosport can do them. I'd still not recommend a manual transmission but it apparently can be done but how you brake, steer and change gear all at the same time still needs three hands so downshifting going into a corner on a track is always going to be very challenging.

This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping to get from You all. The type of racing I do does not require any shifting while racing. It is Dirt Late models on a circle track. However there is some VERY hard cornering while braking and throttling. Sometimes simultaniously. I am VERY intrested in knowing the name of the company that does the controls for Evan Evans. The American C.O.R.E. racer that is a Parapalegic.

Thanks again
Mark
www.Dowdyracing.com

If I remember right, Evan Evan's setup is a one off custom job. I was looking at racing a Imca B mod, and was just thinking about making a push pull lever for the gas and brake, and use my right arm/hand to run the gas/brake and then steer with my left.

How many turns of the wheel does it take to go around the turn?

What about using a butterfly steering wheel, kinda like the old Honda Oddessy's? And just use little levers for gas/brake.

We I had raced the IMCA Mods for years. A butterfly wheel would be out of the question. Just not big enuff for leverage. But I was thinking along the same lines as the Oddessy control. A squeeze lever of some sort on the right of the wheel for throttle. And the same on the left for Braking. Just not sure how to run the cables. The wheel never should do a full rotation, but ya will be sawing on it pretty good.

Mark

I know a guy who races with a GuidoSimplex racing set-up.
Not a very good picture, but with the ring in front you push to accelerate and with the on in the back you pull to brake...

Hope it gives you some ideas!

I tried to get info from Evan Evans (probably like thousands have..LOL) and never got a reply. I finally had to make my own controls myself and they work great. I will try to get some pics of them and get them up for others to see. I have put a patent on them and was going to use them for UTV's like Rhinos and RZR's but they could be adapted to a car easily. They don't work for a manual tranny though. I like the GuidoSimplex setup A LOT. I found some information on a system that Ford had developed for Tiger Racing that was really cool. I will get one of those some day. Here is the link to it http://www.tiger-racing.com/controls.html

Hey I just saw where they now have a blurb in red along the top of the page that these are not available for sale. You can contact the designer though and he will possibly work with you on a set. (I hadn't been to the page for a year or so.)

Those are the same exact controls im getting. The clutch is actuated via a silver aluminum lever adjacent to the gear shift and the button on the gearshift is to actually hold it in. Pretty neat.

Automatic import trannys dont like holding 400+ horsepower, so I was trying to find a way to drive a 'proper' car ;)

If anyone is interested in that setup, try googling RediAuto.

Rick from watching the in car on Evens it looks like his is a left hand steer and the right hand is a push to brake with a motorcycle grip style throttle.

I just use a standard left side monarch hand controll in my drag cars. BUt I do alot less steering than a late model would.


Good luck

There are plenty of replies here for you, but just wanted to drop you a link to an article about Evan Evans. His controls are quite unique so far. There are pictures with the article, and even some description of how his controls work. It's quite awesome really.

Evan Evans in Off-Road

That looks like it would be easier than to use than the setup I had in mind. Was thinking of using the normal "push/pull handle for brake/gas" thing, only w/o the gas. Instead have a sort of motercycle throttle. But this setup makes a lot more sence. Anyone have any scematics or better pics of these things?

Well folks, We did it! When I say we I mean my Girlfriend, my best friend & I. After I couldnt find anything out there for sale that would work. We built our own. After 4 failed trys we finally hit on a system that worked. I have a "butterfly" type wheel with throttle on the right, (using an ATV thumb throttle). And I run the brake on the left side with an inverted motorcycle type lever. Now it actually gets more complicated than just the steering wheel. We had to speed up the steering ALOT so that you never cross your arms. A full sweep of the steering system is made from 9 O'clock to 3 O'clock... And there is actually a whole nother list of parts that we used to achieve braking on a 2300 lb Dirt car with the squeeze of your hand...

But after all that work I was back in the racecar on May 30th, 2009. I was paralyzed on May 13th, 2008... It took about 4 weeks of racing to get used to the quick steering and difficult brakeing. But after a long 32 race schedule. We finished 10th in th points with 18 top tens, 5 top 5 finishes, 4 of them being 3rd place. And best of all, we qualified for every event we attended!

It was my first winless season in 22 years of racing. However I feel we accomplished a great deal. By mid season I quit being announced as the paralyzed driver in the 88 car. And just became Mark Dowdy, driver of the 88 car! Thats all I ever wanted. My competitors took me back into the family, (actually I never left). And once they seen I was no safety danger, but rather a competition threat, It was just like before...

We are currently working on improving our system. I would love to get more brake Psi. I am in contact with Rick James of California. His son is also going down this road. I hope we can collaborate and improve both our systems... My team also has to find sponsorship for next season. All of you know how tuff it is to go from a great income, to not being able to work. I am adjusting to a major income decrease. So we are currently seaking a marketing partner that could benefit from all the press we have recieved this season.

Please, Stop and visit us at www.Dowdyracing.com
There is alot of information at the update button. And even some interviews from the papers & an ESPN appearance with Darrel Gwynn. Sign our guestbook and let us know you stopped by.

Thank you all
Mark #88D
Dowdyracing.com
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