I'm going to my 1st autocross next month, so I am interested in buying a helmet. I don't wnt to spend a lot of money on anything until I'm sure I will continue with the AC; I know there seems to be no limit as far as you can spend on a good helmet, but like I said I'm just starting. Any advice , brand, type and dollars is welcome. The SCCA guy I spoke to at the AC yesterday said it should not be a motorcycle helmet, he was a great inspiration and encouragement to me and I'm excited about my 1st event. Mike

Check the rules of the club your are looking to go run with.
Motorcycle helmets are not fireproof and that is the big difference.

We use a snell rating that is states as snell 2001 and there MUST be a sticker on the helmet.

I use a cheap open face helmet cause that is what I like.

Rich

Go open face. Get a white one so it doesn't heat up in the sun. Dress it up with a snap on visor because the chicks dig it. I have both an open and a full face. I only used the full face for open wheel because I had too.

Many places have loaners you can use. May want to go this route until you know this is what you want to do. However, you will likely be hooked

I'll second the loaner for the 1st event.

Infact I would keep mooching till near the end of the year. 2010 Snell helmets will be released around Oct. Nov.

Which will drop the price on 2005 models.

I have been hooked for a long time, but my car was not ready, and frankly I am a little nerves about it. Yesterday there were about 25 cars at the AC event; most were Miata’s, Vette’s, BMW’s and Mazda’s. The SCCA official told me he hadn’t seen a 914 for quite a while, but said they a great car for Solo; I am not necessarily interested in wining, I just want to have fun with the car and test my steel. My car has been built up from a 1.8 to a 2.0 and carb’d, so that will affect my class placing. I would like to take a driving class, but it was last month and I missed it.

Just go as often as you can That is the best "class" you can have. Most instructors will tell you if you want to get better follow these simple rules:

Get as much seat time as you can.
Go as often as you can.
Autocross whenever you can.



Yeah, I know it is the same rule but that is what I am always told...lol.

Having and instructor that makes sense and you can learn from helps a ton as well.

Go represent

Since you're representing the entire 914 community, I will quote from the 2000 film "The Dish":

Prime minister: You know, McIntyre, we have a saying in the party: 'You don't fuck up...'
[slight pause]
Bob McIntyre: ...and?
Prime minister: That's it. [he looks away and moves off]

PCA requires full face for track days. Make sure you know where you are heading long run.

I would buy full face to and make sure you read all local rules, PCA, SCCA, etc.

My input

Mike,

Don't worry about anything at all. Every person you see out there at the autocross has been in your shoes. They all started from scratch. And, just about every single one of them will be more than happy to help you out in any way needed to get you started. It's only when you start knocking on their back door with your times that they let you fend for yourself. You want to buy a helmet, then Pyrotect makes a good one for about $149. You need an "SA" series and not an "M".

Get out there and have a blast. It's FANTASTIC!!! Check in the paddock. Lots of folks in there that autocross and race. Very helpful bunch of guys.

Check out JEGS, or Summit Racing. Open face Auto helmet were about $200.

From what I learned motorcycle helmets are made for lot's of small impacts while car helmets are made for one big BANG and they are fire resistant. I wouldn't use an open face helmet for mowing the lawn - what hits the steering wheel in a big hit? Your face!.
Just my $0.01
Steve

I would advise against open-faced as well but that is a personal preference of course.

My first helmet was a visorless full-face, Bell SR-Pro or something like that. It was kind of the best of both worlds as the airflow and vision are better than an enclosed full-face, but it also has the chin protection. Not sure if they still make this exact model but probably something similar.

From my research (which is now several years old and may be out of date), there are precisely two differences between SA and M rated helmets.

First, the SA-rated helmet must have fireproof lining.
Second, the SA-rated helmet must pass an impact-onto-a-tube test. That's in addition to the impact-onto-a-point, impact-onto-a-brick, and the other tests that both M and SA have to pass.

No extra tests for one large impact, no fewer tests for lots of small impacts. Just those two.

The thoughts of one noted local track junkie: "If the lining of my helmet being fireproof ever becomes an issue, I will have bigger problems to think about than that. And as an engineer, I would have to work really very hard to make a helmet pass all of the M tests and fail the impact onto a tube test."

Almost all clubs accept M helmets for autoX. Very few do for Big Track events. Find out what your local club rules are, or just get the SA to be sure. But for your first event, get ahold of the club and see if they've got loaners available. Most clubs do, and it's a great way to get started. Then buy your own helmet once you're hooked.

I use an open-face helmet. I find it more comfortable, much easier to deal with my glasses, lighter, and less expensive. I figure my belts are there in large part to keep me from eating the steering wheel, and my car and driver combination is slow enough and cautious enough that the odds of actually needing the helmet are small enough for me to accept the risk. Your risk tolerance may be different.

--DD

Thank guy for all the great information, I hadn't thought about a loaner helment. I will tak all your advice, SA and M open and closed face helment etc. Mike

You can use M rated helmets for any SCCA sanctioned autocross. M95 and newer are acceptable for this year, starting next year you will need an M2000 or newer. The M rated 2010 helmets are already out, so you can get a good deal on a 2005, or get a 2010 and you can use it for 15 years.

The same dates go for SA helmets, though the 2010 models will not be out until later this year.

Of course this all goes out the window if you are doing any track events or run with a club that requires SA helmets, and most require newer helmets.

Dave Darling you are a liar! Your avatar shows you wearing a full face. Don't trust this guy he probably has an insurance policy on you.

Heh, good catch! That was at the Skippy School (Russell Racing at Sears Point). They require full-face SA helmets, in part because the cars are little open-topped open-wheel cars. They also provide the helmets.

I don't think I'd be comfortable with the open-face helmet in a formula car.

--DD

Great advice is being given here but I will add one more. You really should try on the helmet you end up buying. I'm no expert but I think a large from Bell may be a medium from x and the only way to get a good fit is to try it on. I bought my closed face Bell at an event at the Daytona racetrack. At most events at the tracks there are vendors selling race equipment. Great place to get educated and you can try on different brands. And normally prices aren't too bad. Autocross is great competition and fun. Enjoy !

I was just up on the Helmet House website looking for a new MC helmet and just for giggles switched to their auto helmet pages. They have an HJC CL-SP helmet in silver with a Snell M2005 rating for the princely sum of $99. Check it out...daveyboy

One very important thing about helmets is FIT. Different makes and models fit differently, so it is a really REALLY good idea to physically try them on to see what works for your noggin.

This isn't as critical for autoX helmets, as you are usually wearing them for only ~10 minutes at a time, but if you wind up going down the Slippery Slope to the Big Track, a badly-fitting helmet will make your life miserable. And one that's too loose is going to be useless as head protection, so make sure the fight is right!

--DD

Just bought a G-Force Pro Eliminator helmet today and agree with everyone's comments on fit. Find a local shop and go try them on. The G-Force fit my head better than some of the other ones they had.

Also, make note that the new SA2010 helmets will begin hitting in October, so the SA2005 is only good through 2015 for most clubs. I'm not that worried about it, and will buy another one if/when I have to.

I was going to "rent" a helmet as noted here as well, but decided to spend $250 on my own when I saw there were 40 cars registered for this weekend's AutoX and renting one might not happen based on the number of new racers.

Great advice - helmets are like shoes and boots. All of the manufactures have a slightly different 'model' of what the head is shaped like. Some will be loose some will smash your face or mangle glasses if you wear them, one will fit you perfectly.

Mike, I'm in the Houston area also and was looking for an autocross / DE helmet recently. I ended up with a new (floor model/ demo) M2005 Bell full face helmet, Apex model, for $99 at Cycle Gear in N Houston.

Click to view attachment

I would definitely try them on before purchase. The Bell I bought was a Medium, whereas every other helmet I tried on I needed a Large. There are tons of motorcycle dealers and accessory stores in the area. Take your time and look around for clearance helmets. Don't settle for the first one you find, try to get a Bell or other 'better' brand. Just be sure to get a M2005 or M2010 (Snell Rating). It also helps to get a helmet with a removeable liner so you can wash the padding.

PM me if you have any other questions.

Rob

May be specific to your region. Full face is not required for track days in my region.




M2005 or M2010 is the designation for a motorcycle helmet which is not fire resistant. Check to see if your region allows motorcycle helmets at the event you are attending.

SA2005 or SA2010 is the automotive version that is fire resistant.

I have a couple of Tips

First 2 - Don't buy a motorcycle helmet or an open face. Motorcycle hemets are for motorcycle riders. Not only are they not fire-proof, they are constructed differently. That's why you can buy an excellent motorcycle helmet cheap and and excellent auto helmet is considerably more. There is an Old Saying - If you have a $10 Head, then buy a $10 Bucket. As far as Open-Face, ask Dale Earnhardt...oh wait you can't, cuz he's Dead because he wore an Open-face helmet! He messed with his belts, which failed, then he hit his face on the steering wheel and had a Basil-Neck fracture.

There are deals on eBay, But Don't buy a used helmet. A driving helmet just needs to be dropped once to make it a conversation piece instead of a safety device.

Some regions don't have loaners, which you would have to borrow one from another driver.

And as others have said, different manufacturers helmets fit differently. When I switched from Simpson to Bell to Aria, they all fit different, so you need to try them on. When you buy one it should fit very snug, but without pressure points. The foam will adjust to your face.

Also, this is a personal preference, but I always where a balaclava ( or hoodsock) and sometimes people joke at me at A/Xs. My reason, the balaclava soaks up my head sweat instead of the liner of the helmet. I can wash the balaclava.

Earnhardt used Simpson and the belts didn't fail, you should to check that a little more before repeating it. That was the first allegation but it wasn't supported by the subsequent investigations. NASCAR and Dale's wife fought to suppress the results, but at the same time NASCAR has indirectly encouraged the use of head restraints, which they hadn't done before the Earnhardt accident. And that's probably the best indication of what really happened.

I've always ridden motorcycles so have heard that "use a $10 helmet if you have a $10 head" repeated more times than I could count. So much that I think companies who manufacture expensive helmets must encourage people to repeat it. A great viral marketing slogan, but almost certainly not true. Motorcycle News, a well respected English magazine, had the British Standards Institute do side-by-side tests of 50 different helmets. Want to guess which came out on top? One of the cheapest, joined by other cheap and expensive helmets rounding out the "best" group. In the "worst" group? Some cheap and some expensive, again with no apparent correlation between cost and performance.

You don't put the price tag on your head so cost, cheap or expensive, shouldn't be any consideration. Just pick a good one that fits. And speaking from a place with high heat and humidity, if you spend any time with it on your head those removable and washable liners are just about the best thing in the world.

Really, if you can borrow one from a friend or whoever will be best until the Snell 2010 helmets are readily available. Why get an '05 now?

His belts Did Fail, otherwise his face would have never hit the steering wheel. Bill Simpson was later cleared after his name was smeared, but the the belts were altered & Failed

When you use the word "failed" it means the equipment didn't work as it was supposed to. You've correctly noted that the belts were altered, they were also installed incorrectly. They didn't fail, they were defeated. Is it a "failure" if you disconnect your airbags?

I know the Simpson people over here in New Braunfels where it's still a very sore point. I want to repeat, the belts did not fail.

Old thread, but remember for SCCA AXing helmets must be Snell rated, not just DOT. So while you can use a M rated helmet it must be a Snell also.

My 2 cents

Don't forget to put a Fancy Paint Job on it. It will make you go a lot Faster.

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Getting ready for the WCR 2011 and doug up this thread on helmets. I too will be a newbe and am confused on the ratings, DOT is not SNELL? and how do I tell a motor cycle from an automotive?
How about this one?
http://www.amazon.com/Vega-Summit-Yellow-X...d=23IYYD1CN8O86[/url]

Linkie no workie.

DOT is the Department of Transportation. As far as I know, any helmet that is sold for use on the road has to be DOT approved.

SNELL is the Snell Foundation, a non-profit group specifically for helmet safety. (Named after an SF Region SCCA driver who was killed in a race by a head injury.)

All Snell-rated helmets will have a sticker in them (rarely, on the outside) that says something like "M2005". Ones that begin with "M" are motorcycle helmets, ones that begin with "SA" are "Special Applications", which means auto racing. Look for the sticker to be sure of what you're getting.

As of several years back, there were exactly two differences between the standards: One was that the SA helmets must have a fire-resistant lining, and the other is that they must pass one extra test, a helmet impact onto a round tube. (Simulated roll bar impact.) That's it.

--DD

Thanks Dave, I had to disable the link because it had me logged in on the Amazon web site. try it now without loggin in.
http://www.amazon.com/AGV-VALENTINO-CELEBR...406&sr=1-16

or
http://www.amazon.com/Vega-Summit-Yellow-X...406&sr=1-21

I've never heard of that brand of helmet. The description does not say that it's Snell-rated, so there's a good chance it isn't. You'd have to ask the seller if it is or not.

But it is generally not a good idea to buy helmets through the mail. They all fit differently, and you want to make sure you get one that works for your head shape.

--DD

I understand the importance of trying it on first, but I'm wayyyy out in the boonies. I'll have to make a trip to Seattle to find a shop.
Thanks for the info.