Good/Cheap helment

[geo3@earthlink.net]

Derrenbacker,  L. Jonathan <JDerrenbacker@KSHGS.com> wrote:

>I need to get a helment to do autocrossing in. I'll also probably start
>doing track days. Anyone know of a cheap helment that meets the
>requirements?

We just went through this discussion on the Porsche racing list.  First of all
you should be thinking of personal safety before thinking of simply *meeting*
the requirements.

For autocrossing and open face helmet is probably fine.  For any sort of
on-track activity, whether driver education (DE) events or actual competition,
get yourself a full face helmet.  You don't need one with the flip up shield -
Bell and Simpson (and probably others) make helmets that are full face, but
instead of a flip up shield, they have a visor of the sort normally found on
an open face helmet.

You might say that for "only" doing DE events you don't need a full face
helmet, but I will strongly argue otherwise.  There have been drivers who have
badly messed up their faces in race cars with full cages and 5 point harnesses
with *no* failures.  I repeat, *no failures* (of the belts or seat).  The
belts and human body stretch enough for many people to make contact with the
steering wheel.  It's even worse with a road car with OEM belts.

BTW, you will also want to get a Snell SA00 rated helmet (SA95 is still good,
but the discount really isn't enough not to justify a SA00 IMHO).  You don't
want to get a M00 rated helmet.  Many organizations will only accept the SA
rated helmets.  There are difference in construction, but for autocross and DE
it doesn't really matter.  None the less, organizers care, so get the SA
helmet.

George Roffe