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ROBBY MOTT & RIBTECT CONTINUED...
Originally from San Diego, CA, Ribtect founder Robby Mott split time between Texas and California as a child. In the early '80s he was introduced to karting and kart racing. Together with his father and many of the karting experts of the time he began kart racing in earnest, earning his first championship just a year later. That championship led to others, including prestigious IKF Regional and Grand National championship titles.
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HOW IT ALL BEGAN
After a rib shattering injury in the early '90s, Mott was forced to find some sort of rib protection in order to meet a racing commitment he had made. He needed to be race ready in 30 days. That is not easy when you have 5 broken ribs. Although he searched high and low, he was not able to find a product that would protect him from the brutal forces of a race kart. He needed to find a product that would bridge the rib cage, thereby protecting it from further injury. There was no such product, so he designed and developed one. He was race ready on time, and the prototype did its job. However, later in the season, he suffered another injury on the other side caused by the seat hitting into his ribs when encountering strong G-forces. He then revised his prototype to include full rib protection.
Other competitors saw his prototype. After reviewing all of their options, they wanted what Mott had, but couldn't get it. After many, many requests, Mott decided to help his fellow karters who suffered from rib pain. By 1998, his prototype had evolved into today's Ribtect Rib Protection Vest but it needed a name. What did this product do? It proTECTed the ribs hence the name Ribtect was born.
The Ribtect name and branding became well known right away. Mott traveled the country with his "Ribtect Girls" and helped protect and educate karters and kart shops around the country about the importance of Rib Protection.
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THE RIBTECT SEAT IS BORN
Along the way, Mott discovered that the seat of the kart was a major contributing factor for rib injuries. After learning how to custom mold a seat to a real person's shape, he began manufacturing The Ribtect Seat. "My goal was to design a seat to better fit the human body/shape. Most of the seats on the market are made 'square like', unlike the shape of our bodies. I spent a lot of time getting the shape just right. I added a spine relief because after years of karting, my lower spine is callused from the constant bruising. I made the sides deeper to hold the driver in and to disperse the impact and shock over a wider area. This is how seats in race cars have been designed for years. This seat follows the same theory as the Ribtect Vest. Take the pressure and impact to the body and spread it around to a larger area. The two products compliment each other perfectly. So, I spent the next year building each mold for each different size seat that we make." Mott explains.
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THE RIBTECT CHEST PROTECTOR
Joining the Ribtect family of products in 2004 was The Ribtect Chest Protector. Mott sprung into action when hearing of an unfortunate karting accident that took the life of 9-year-old, Caleb Maxwell. The need for chest protection for the youngest members of the karting world was evident, and Mott was determined that something needed to be done. It was with this determination and attention to safety and detail that brought the Ribtect Chest protector to the karters of the world. Chest protectors are now mandatory safety equipment for some of the largest kart racing sanctioning bodies in the United States and Ribtect is proud to be the force behind this safety measure.
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THE PROUD RIBTECT DEALER NETWORK
Ribtect products are now available through their fine network of dealers. With attention to detail and an eye for safety, Ribtect is committed to providing and designing innovative and exciting safety products for the karters of today, and for the karters of the future.
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