I need to get a helmet for my first autocross on sept 20th. Is there one brand better than another. I wear glasses so I will need something that I can get my glasses on with.

Thanks

- Garold

Buy the one that fits you best. I run a full face'd helmet because I road race'd at one point.

I have seen a lot of pics with open face helmets (from AutoX's).. you may go that route.

B

I am looking to gat a helmet as well...
What Saftey ratings are most commonly necessary? I realize that it prolly varies from region to region but would like a good idea to start with.

I am most likely going to purchase through Pegasus racing but maybe there is a more preffered place?

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pdfs/008.pdf

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pdfs/009.pdf

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pdfs/010.pdf

army helmet !!!! lol

I'm a 4 eyed geek, too.
Open face Bell. Racers Warehouse.

A lot of people will frown on you if you take the approach of getting the cheapest helmet you can get away with. Fuck them. As long as it is up to date in its safety (Snell-2000 or 95) it will do for auto cross. I also like a full face because I like my face how it is, not split open. There is minimal chance that you will encounter such an impact when AX'ing, but I dont want to take that chance. I got a $100 Motorcycle helmet, full face, and removed the plastic visor. I wear sun glasses when I Ax, and it fits fine

Step Zero: read your local rulebook so you know the requirements.
Step One: you can't be -too- safe but you -can- spend [lots] more than you need to. i like having the 'SA' (fire-resistant Nomex) rating but it's probably not necessary for an autocross. the big difference in the pro-level helmets isn't protection level - it's weight. the pros are pullingt 3-4 g's lateral for a couple hours at a time - that's a lot of strain, and saving a pouind can be a big think in wear-and-tear. you might not think saving that pound is worth the $250 difference between "plain ol' fiberglass" and Carbon/Kevlar ...

i like the full-face concept, because if i'm at an event that requires it, or if i can score a ride in an open car - i'm ready. i also have forced-air ventilation which i bought when i lived in a hotter area...

all the reputable manufacturers - Bell - Simpson - there are others but those are the ones i've personally bought and used - make at least one model with an enlarged eyeport for glasses.

once you know your sanctioning body's standards, buy based on fit - knowing that it'll probably be a little too snug just standing there, new, in the store. you must also know if your sanctioning body will require you to wear a Balaclava (head sock) - probably not for AX - where even open-face seems to be okay pretty much everywhere - but maybe for big-track events - especially if you have facial hair. i tend to like them because they wick the sweat away from my eyes, and getting a rivulet of sweat in your eyes at 100 mph is no fun... but it will make a difference in fit, so check it out...

Take your time when trying on helmets and get something that is comfortable. You may think that you're only going to wear the helmet for a minute at a time while you're running the course, but there will be times (schools for example) where you keep the hat on for half an hour or more.

I wear glasses too. With a closed face helmet you just have to take them off while you put the helmet on and then slide the glasses on through the eyeport.

Oh yeah, a lot of clubs will have "loaners" available. If you're not too worried about cooties, you may be able to go that route until you decide whether or not you're going to keep autocrossing.

Like any of us could ever stop. After my first race my hands were shaking so bad from the adrenaline that I couldn't get my helmet off. The friend who had talked me into coming out stuck his head in the window and said "oh man, you're screwed now".

Have fun

I would recommend not buying online unless you have already gone into a store to check fit. I wouldn't use hat size as a gauge for helmet size.

I got my wife an HJC helmet new at a motorcycle shop for about $200. Its a full motorcycle helmet, and has cool graphics.

Alot of clubs won't let you wear a m/c helmet for autox. It must be a Snell SA rated. Also NEVER buy a used helmet. Buy the newest year helmet as it will last longer before it needs replacing.

Loaner helmets are OK but sticking your head in someone elses sweaty hat is no fun.

Racer Warehouse has the cheapest helmet that I have found.

Paul

which is cool until you find yourself at an event where current Snell certification is required, and then you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. know the rules before you buy.

evidently there -are- Snell-rated motorcycle helmets - this used to not be the case - and once upon a time Snell and DOT certifications were mutually exclusive and it seems this is also not (necessarily) true...

as for cool graphics, allow me to plug my own action (not really, i don't get a cut of Dave's work...) and suggest you check out some of the custom paint options available through ArtechnikA.com

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V

Advice, Don't skimp on a Helmet. Buy the best one you can afford. Getting a motorcycle Helmet is likley ok for Autocross however. When I brought my Arai Motorcycle Helmet
to Skip Barber they would not let drive the Formula Cars with one. I had to wear one theirs. I got lectured about Car Helmets taking more hits that a motorcycle helmet would with one big blow. Stands to reason to me. I didn't argue with them.

Thinking about getting a Car Helmet now. Wow!. Big bucks.

Pat

Pat touched on the difference between m/c and car helmets. Car helmets are made to take several blows, as if you were bounching around hitting the cage. M/c helmets are made to hit the ground once per incident.

Buy the right helmet for the job.

Paul

Garold,

Come down here Friday or Saturday and we can go to Simpson and you can try several on.
I think it's very important-especially on your first helmet to try before you buy. Mail Order is
ok if you know how the helmet fits, ie, replacing a busted or outdated one from the same Manufacturer.

As stated before. The on-line deals may look tempting but don't buy one untill you have tried it on. A Simpson and a Bell in the same size do not fit the same. A little tight is perfect. A little loose is not good.

How much is your head worth???
Let that be your guide when deciding what to buy.
Never skimp on safety items!

I strongly suggest a SA rated helmet.
Get a 2000. The 1995's are cheaper, but that only means you are going to have to buy a replacement 5 years sooner because most sanctioning bodies say your helmet can not be more than 10 years old.

Old thread on helmets

Dad always told me when I was growing up. "Son, they can put almost anything back together but, they can't put your head back together".

I had to find out the hard way. After a few wrecks on Motorcycles and week long headaches. I now own a 500$ Arai.

Pat

Too true. You should never spend more on a helmet than your brain is worth.

In that case my brain is worth about $179.00.

I just went to Racer Wholesale's website and they are having a sale on thier $230.00 full face helmet for $189.00.
Such a deal.

Paul

sorta. once upon a time this was an esier decision than it is now.

i don't think you're any safer in a $1000 carbon/Kevlar simpson than you are in the $350 Snell SA2000 fiberglass model. the pros spend the additional $750 (which they typically get right back by virtue of wearing the 'Simpson' patch...) because they're pulling more g's, for a longer period of time, and the 1-2 lb weight savings is a big deal.

when you're spending one minute on the autocross at under one g lateral, that $750 could probably have been better spent elsewhere. even for DE, where you're on track for maybe half an hour (still well under one g lateral) i don't think it's a big deal.

i went into shock when i went shopping $$$. no way i would ever buy one without trying on the helmet. lots of snell 95's, beware. i drove all over 2 counties. went to a motorcycle access shop 2 miles from my house. found a snell 2000, open face (in silver) for $97 and change. i don't consider this "the cheapest" route. so fuck me . more prudent. do pros have to buy their helmets? i would think they get paid to wear them.

kevin

be sure the helmet you buy is legal.

Motorcycle helmets "may" be legal for some autocrosses,
but most DE's and TT's require an SA rating, not M.

I ride a Motorcycle to work daily, a lot on the weekends and a bit on the track. I've tried a lot of helmets on and i wear them for long periods of time. The Cost is mor than weight, though that is a big part of it, it is also comfort, how it will wear over time and features.

I can definately feel a huge difference the second I put on a 700 dollar Arai as opposed to a 150 dollar HJC. Interior materials are of higher quality and they have nice features like removable padding so you can clean your sweat off of it.

Also different manufacturers fit different shaped heads better so try a bunch on. The helmet should be snug when you are buying it, it's going to loosen up over time as it breaks in to your head shape.

I have had a helmet save my face, I recomend you buy the best that will fit into your budget. Snell SA if at all possable.

-Aaron G.

I have owned both Simpson and Bell SA rated helmets. The Bell Sport III I bought this spring seems to have slightly more jaw and mouth/nose room that the Simpson I had previously. Perhaps it is because of some peculiarity about my face, but at various speeds in the Formula Ford I used to race, the Simpson would touch my lips (through the balaclava). I prefer the Bell.

Re Racer Wholesale. I have bought numerous items from them, from PBI underwear to Kirkey race seats to Bell helmets. Half the stuff I received looked like it had been returned, or was a store sample. The Bell helmet had the Bell logo stickers removed from the visor strip. The adhesive residue was still there, just no stickers. Tacky. But maybe that is how they keep the prices down. But if they are seconds or returns that should be stated up front.

Get an SA rated helmet for your automotive events. Get a helmet bag to keep it in. Don't let it roll around in the trunk between events, the heat buildup is not good for the helmet. Air it out for a couple of hours after a weekend event before you put it back in the bag. Get some 'helmet fresh' spray at a squid bike shop to help keep the funk level down.

Thanks everyone for the input. I will buy the best SA
rated helmet I can afford.

- Sean I would like to come down, but I can't this
weekend I am building a garage for my mother.
Maybe next week sometime???

- Garold

PS I will email you over the weekend a 1st draft of the
letter for the Oct 18th get together that I plan to
submit for my PCA regions news letter.

Yeah, just let me know:

We can go to Simpson, call Racer Parts Wholesale, they are here, too:
Racer Parts Wholesale

I don't know if they have a showroom.