Helmets.,for track..What do I need to know?
 

Since I would like to take my car to the Track,I thought a helmet would be appropriate to have.( I dunno what it is Protecting..haha.)
So,my question is what Do I look for in a Helmet?.
CSA approved,etc...
any info would be Great.

it depends on the sanctioning group that is running the event.
race city/ secret street requires the driver of any car running 14.99 or faster must have a DOT approved helm. cars fater then 9.99 must have full fire gear and Snell approved helms with visor.
the WCMA requires that all drivers and passengers must have a helmet that meets DOT and Snell M2000 certification or better. visors are recommended.

Snell certifications update every 5 years, this year being 2010 I believe that WCMA will amend the rules for helms to be snell M2005 or better.

proof of certification is as such, DOT is a sticker on the back of the helm. Snell is a sticker on the inside of the helm usually covered by the inner liner.

Study the track that you want to go to. I am sure there are aerial views and/or youtube videos of people driving the course.

It will help you get a bit more familiar with the course and the lines that people use.

On my one outing I did not do this but I think it would have been helpful lol

I bought a G Force racing helmet 300 bucks and its DOT approved and what not.

I've used a HJC snell sa2005 certified helmet for three years now....it's ok, cost around $300.
Any good name in the helmet industry will have what you need if you have the funds, I don't think you will get a good Snell appoved helmet for less then $300 and expect to pay up to $600 for a top of the line...you can even get up to $1000 and more for the real hi end stuff.
Look for these brand names....Bell / Simpson / Arai / HJC they all offer certified hats.

What kind of racing are you thinking about doing?

What are you trying to protect Dave, I thought your small head did all the thinking? :nod:

One can usually rent helmets at driving schools and open track days. If that's an option, I'd reccomend doing that for now. In October there should be a new Snell standard and over the winter there should be some Snell SA2010 helmets coming out. If you get a 2010 rated helmet, it'll be legal for 11 years, whereas if you get the current 2005 rated one, it'll only be good for another 6 years (there's a 1 year grace period for most groups). I'd reccomend getting one that's SA rated (ie SA2010) vs. a cheaper M rated one (ie M2005), as that's the usual top standard and should be accepted anywhere, whereas with only DOT or even with M2005 or what not, it might not be accepted everywhere.

Awesome. Another rotary to hit the track!! Hope to see you out there.......

Like everyone said before me. Look for the Snell sticker, it's gotta be no older than 2005 for you to compete, but you can get on the track with most driving clubs with an older helmet.

I use a $30 ebay helmet. I also don't run a roll cage. Shows how much I care about whats in my head :)

thewird

If you are going racing with a sanctioning body (CASC Regional) you will need a SA not a M rated helmet. SA is for car, M is for motorcycle. They are constructed very differently, dont mess around with safety.

I recommend a Snell rated cup for your protection needs my friend. :P

^^What he said :) SA helmets (sport-auto) are rated to withstand multiple impacts - think collision followed by rollover, where your melon could hit the cage or other objects more than once, where M helmets for motorcycles are designed with one major impact in mind - dump the bike, hit the pavement, you're done hitting your head (maybe). M helmets will be cheaper for a an otherwise comparable open-face or closed-face helmet, and are usually all that are needed for autocross or lapping day or other non-competitive lapping. Solosprint/Solo1 or any other timed or competitive lapping will likely require an SA helmet, but you'd need to check with the sanctioning body/club.

Me and my wife's Snell2005 open-face SA helmets (G-Force 750) ran about $225 each in early 2006. An open-face M helmet can probably be found for 125.

Don't mean to thread-jack but Black91 N/A what track do you go to in BC?

DOT stickers are easier to make anyways :D

"think collision followed by rollover"???..WHAT?..haha.,NO!..just a Sunday Drive Dude!
.and Jim.,they do make "small" helmets too!..haha!
Ok..I need an SA helmet,preferably Snell..if not ,I need a DOT approved ..correct?

i bought a hjc s2005 and dot, from honda power sports just off huntclub dave $200 + 40 for black visor

Oh wait, I forgot to mention I bought a $300 HJC helmet for my passengers! Because I care about my passengers! LOL

thewird

Not coaching you to have an accident, just trying to summarize why the different helmet categories, lol. SA are also rated for some measure of fire protection. Pretty much forget the DOT rating, almost anything gets a DOT sticker, look for Snell or SFI certification. The current Snell is still 2005 for SA (special application, not sport-auto as I said earlier, just looked it up http://www.smf.org/cert.html). If you're not going to be a track regular, many clubs do have loaner helmets for autocross at least, although that's less likely for a lapping day.
I got my helmets from Shawn at rallysport.ca; he's local to me, but sells racing equipment online across North America. http://www.rallysport.ca/safety/helmets.htm

Some track day organizers require SA helmets, so I'd consider it a MUST, since it's highly unlikely that things will get more lax, but entirely likely that things will get more stringent within the life of the helmet.

Some people say that they get an expensive helmet because "hey, you don't have a $200 head, so why put it in a $200 helmet" or something to that effect. I'm sort of in the other camp, they all comply with the same regulations, so the cheap ones will be safe too. A 5 star crash test rating is the same in a Kia as it is in a Mercedes.

There's one road course in BC, it's in Mission, but I've never been there.

Guys.................seriously, have you ever met anyone with a brain injury?? You spend $1000's on mods for your car, but cheap out on your melon? The one thing we don't mess with safety equipment. Years ago I was testing with 23Racer from this forum in his car. It was a sweltering hot day, I wasn't going to wear my drivers suit cause is was so hot. He told me "do what you want, but whenever your on the track dont set yourself up for failure". Well on the back straight the hood flew up, smashed the windshield, covered me in glass. The roof came down far enough to hit me in the helmet, rang my bell pretty good and cracked the hat. The full face helmet and visor kept the glass out of my eyes, and the suit kept the glass from cutting me, not to mention the helmet and my lid. Even if your in a street car stuff like that can happen, someone else can hit you etc. If your on the track regardless, dont take stupid chances and set yourself up for failure.

And to my friend thewird, if your running 1:32's at Mosport, your are really tempting fate by not having a proper seat, cage etc even if your just lapping. When something goes wrong at those speeds the results will be nothing less than catastrophic. We buried enough drivers over the last 4 years we don't need any more

Al, you are right. I find it almost crazy that you have guys out there doing laps in the low 30's without the proper safety equipment. Sometimes you just can't control everything. I know how hard you are going to pull a 1:32 out of a 3rd gen. The full race turbo 3rd gen out of Ottawa barely gets below 1:34 most of the time, so Thewird is really really cronking out the laps. Congratulations man you are going really well. To get a 1:32 at Mosport, you have to be pulling around 250 at the end of the straight going into Turn 8 and well over 200 going through 4. You must have brass ones man. I took out 20 feet of wall in turn 1 at mosport doing about 150 kmh. I have no idea what would happen if a tire went down on the exit of 1. I get all shibberry thinking about it.

Please for all of our sake, so lapping doesn't get "controlled", at the very least buy a good helmet and wear some decent cloths, even a single layer, shoes and gloves at a minimum.

You can buy a decent helmet and cheap stock car suit from G-Force and it will offer you some level of protection.

Guys who have taken it to the track have taken the first step in being responsible, spend another $500 and be that bit more safe. I would be happier with a full cage and everything, but you take what you can get.

I still am amazed you are doing 1:32's in a street car. Wow.........

Eric

By the way Al, what is that in your avatar..........

You have really really gone to the dark side, LOL.

Eric

Looks like a Toyota Craftsman (NASCAR) Truck... eek!

Oh, I know that. Its just about as far as you can go from an RX7 and still be road racing.


If Al gets it I have some names for it;

The Obsidian Tundra or how about Darth Tundra (thats been done already), how aboutIce Cold Tundra.

I know, lets start a poll on a new name for Al's Craftsman Truck Tundra. Best answer gets a kiss on the lips from Al, gagggg, uuurp, blech.

Eric

Hey its still carburated lol