I'm looking to start tracking me car and was looking for opinions from the community as to which helmets are generally best for Track. I presume large factors would be safety, field of vision, cooling? Any input with street costs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

 

Different brands typically fit various head shapes differently. For most, the same size Bell vs Simpson will feel very different and you don't know which you prefer until you try both. Find a local shop and try them out first hand. If you have friends who are into bikes, ask around and see if someone will give you an old helmet for free/cheap to get you started (assuming its not from 2004 or before and your track will accept the safety rating).

 

I'm assuming with that comment that bike helmets are premissible on tracks?

 

Yes they are but check with your local tracks on what their requirements are to be sure. And not just any helmet will do, some are snell rated, others DOT, some are both. Also make sure the helmet you get has a manufactured date, tracks have different rules on when they consider them "expired".....

Fitment will be key first, find out what brands/sizes fit then go from there on other things you will want. Just my $.02

 

Sure, thanks for all the help! Am i generally looking for one that is Snell or Dot approved? or both?

 

you can get a auto helmet for a pretty reasonable price now a days.
IMO you should get a new helmet that is snell approved.
i have a HJC AR10 its a automotive closed face helmet and priced just right. I also got a open face helmet. i'm starting to like that one better since you dont get so stuffy.

 

I bought my Bell helmet from Walmart a couple of years ago. I didn't pay too much for it, and it gets the job done. Fits very well too.

 

As with most anything automotive related, you get what you pay for...to an extent.

Up to a point you really aren't going to get a helmet that is any more safe than another. However, you will start finding lighter helmets once you go beyond $500. Lighter means less neck and overall driver fatigue. And it will be a little safer because you have cut down on the mass your neck and upper body have to deal with in the event of an impact.

G-Force, Bell, and Simpson make some nice helmets that are fairly lightweight in the $300-$400 range.

 

From what i've been reading so far i guess there are two main features that a good auto helmet needs. 1. it has to be SA rated for mutiple impacts and 2. it needs to be somewhat flame retardant.

With that, anybody by chance know if any of the Shoei Helmets fit this? Something like the Shoei Warlord?

 

I prefer to bubble wrap my head. Works great!

 

I don't know for sure, but I think the M rated helmets are not flame retardant. Pretty sure their focus is on heavy impact protection.

Which, with a SA helmet is another benefit I just thought of. They are usually a little short on top, so that can help with clearances in smaller vehicles (e.g. my 6'2" frame in my CRX).

 

yup, M rated helmets are not flame retardant. thats why you can get them so cheap.
auto helmets need to be flame retardant thus most or all are nomex lined and have kevlar chin straps.... in case... you know.... there is a fire in the cabin, you dont want the helmet to melt to your face. thats why most "upper" organizations/events wont allow you to use moto helmets.

and neck fatigue, if you use a cheap helmet it will protect you almost just the same but man if your out at the track mid summer running 20-30 min sessions it can be exhausting doing 4-5 sessions.

 

i agree with everyone saying find a road race shop and try on a bunch. if you are looking for something SA and cheap just to get started you can find pyrotect full face helmets for around $250 and open face for $150 at soloperformance and other autoX sites like it.

but sizes between brands are not uniform so try them on somewhere if you are planning to buy online. a L pyrotect gives me a headache after 30 seconds but a L bell fits comfortably. perhaps i have a fat head.

if you are only looking to autoX you can get away with an M class helmet for under $100.

 

zamp racing helmet is also a good brand and comes in different designs. they can have a pure carbon fiber lightweight one, comes with hans device attachment and is fire retardant.

 

You should be able to pick up an SA2005 rated helmet in the next few months for a good discount as the SA2010's should be released in the fall.

The SA 2005 will be good for 10 years (IIRC).

If you want to be on any type of road course, get an SA helmet as this is a minimim requirement for most DE clubs/events