Helmet SafetyRequirement for Auto X/Track ?
 

Hi guys, i was bout to go to a drifting event with some of my freinds but i dont have a helmet...all the helmets i can fins range from 200 - 800 dollars!!!
I barely had enough for the drifting event ticket that cost 100 ... What am i going to do?!?!?!?
Does anyone know where to find reasonable helmet prices???
Thanks!!!

Reply
 

Look at HJC helmets they go for 100$ i got 2 of them.

KOOL!!! i found some realli cheap ones!!!! thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:bigeyes:

Drifting may require the Snell SA safety rating. Check the safety rules of the people putting the event on. Snell SA approved helmets are vey expensive, but that is the highest safety rating for helmets - none better. Snell M helmets are almost as good, but the M stands for motorcycle. The Snell M helmets do not have fire resistant fabric inside like the Snell SA helmets do. Snell is not a manufacturer - they are an independant safety testing lab. Look for the words "Snell SA approved" on the race car helmet you buy, no mater what brand it is.

www.racerwholesale.com for best racecar helmet prices

$200-800 IS a reasonable amount for a helmet. About $300-400 is a reasonable compromise, with the more expensive helmets being lighter for extended use (enduro races, professional use). How valuable is YOUR head?

You aren't going to like hearing this but you really need a reality check:
Maybe you shouldn't go to the event?

If you can't come up with enough cash to pay for a helmet, how are you planning to take care of any damage that you may do to your car? I can understand someone going to an autocross to try it out and borrowing a helmet, but that person probably has enough money to buy one and take care of their car...

Your auto insurance sure as heck isn't going to cover any damage incurred...if they do cover it, your rates are going to immediately go up, and they will most likely drop you.

$hit happens when you "play" with a car on a closed course, be it autocross, track, drifting, racing...you should be prepared for that possibility with either another car to drive to work or a good contingency plan (or insurance for track days which is offered by American Collectors for a few select states).

Second the Racer Wholesale idea, and an other note on SA helmets: they have greater fire resistance, and are also tested for multiple impacts (like hitting a rollbar in a rollover situation). M helmets are rated for single impact, and the liner generally has lower fire resistance than SA. Most autocross events will allow M helmets, but track events generally require SA.

'44csp, in competition SA helmets are required, very few Drivers events require SA.
Bond007, lighten up, you are inaccurate about insurance, it depends on the company, and how you report it. Owning two cars is hardly a prerequisite for AX, or track days, true, things happen, but they are the exception not the rule. and lighten up;)

Speedturn, short of actual competition, SA is not generally required, so saying that no matter what helmet he buys, it needs to state SA, is inaccurate.
Basicly, these guys are trying to say buy the best you can afford, it's your head. HJC is a good way to go. Buy a closed face helmet it affords alot more protection for about the same price. buy an M2000, it will be accepted for 5 more years than the "closeout M95". Racer Wholsale, or Bell motorsports are two of your best sources. I would avoid the 49.95 motorcycle helmets if you can, they tend to be heavy, uncomfortable, and the lining tends to fall apart.
My .02 Carl

Every single track event I have been to has required an SA rated helmet (either current rating or one before). The SCCA and the GCR require it. This is for *any* track event, competitive or otherwise.

Auto-X can very by region. M-rated helmets are often accepted, as are earlier SA-rated helmets. However, there is a wide variation and some regions enforce stricter rules. It always pays to check with the event organizers first.

Bond007, although perhaps a bit on the, er.... "passionate side" ;-), has a very good point. If you cannot afford (or often more accurately "don't want to spend") the money on reasonable safety equipment, then perhaps you should reevaluate your priorities.

In regards to insurance, if your agency gets even a hint that you damaged your car (or another person's car) in a competitive event, they can (most likely) and will deny coverage.

-bill

In California, only sanctioned road racing requires SA rated helmets. All of the major open track groups accept M rated. There may be some that require SA, but Speed Ventures, NASA, Shelby club, Lotus club, PCA, NCSCC, Green flag, Track Time, etc require a M95 or later as the max. SCCA accepts M for AX events. Carl

G-tech SA-2000 Open face $150 or so through Summit or Jegs. That's what I use.

Snell M is for secondary impact like body then head contact (motorcycle).Snell A is for first high impact. Both M and A can be fire rated in SFI. Usually in high speed events there are safety cages.Your head can hit a roll bar first and with all the intial speed of the first impact and all the G-force.

I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't cut corners on safety. I'm just sure I'd want to be driving at the limit in a $100 helmet.

APEXL8T is close, but not quite right, on the differences between Snell SA and M ratings.

Here's the scoop from the Snell Memorial Foundation itself (http://www.smf.org/faqs.html):

"What are the differences between the SA, M and K standards?

SA Standard was designed for auto racing while M Standard was for motorcycling and other motorsports. There are three major differences between them:
SA standard requires flammability test while the M standard does not;
SA standard allows narrower visual field than M standard (Some SA helmets may not be street legal);
SA standard has rollbar impact test while M standard does not. "