majormojo

Hey all,

I'm going to have a go at autocrossing this year (yep, in the TSX). I've registered for a race in a couple weeks. I need to buy a helmet and so I'm looking for some advice here.

Local rules only state the helmet must be Snell '85 or better. Any recommendations? Opinions on full-face vs open? Is an SA-rated helmet warranted for autox? I wear eyeglasses, are there any models in particular I should look for or avoid?

Price isn't the top concern, I want good quality and safety, but I also don't want to spend a fortune until I know I'm going to stick with it for a while. So I guess I'm looking at USD$200-300? Does that seem about right?

Thanks in advance.

majormojo

ping

xizor

I'm interested in this too, looking to buy one someday. In my local races they have loaners to wear when you ride though.

majormojo

I just found out that my local club has some loaners available too, so I might do that for the first event and see what advice I get from other drivers there.

vwong

I wouldn't go with a helmet with a Snell rating of 85. In fact, I think it's not allowed in SCCA SoloII anymore. The minimum rating should be Snell 90, but I doubt if you can find one now because every new helmet is now rated at Snell 2000. The Snell rating changes every 5 years. In 2005, there will be a new rating that would be Snell 2005, and Snell 90 would NOT be allowed, the minimum then would be Snell 95.

IMO, I would get the SA helmet rather than the M helmet. M is for motorcycle, and SA is for special application (namely automobile). M helmets are designed to take one big impact and you'll have to get a new one. They also don't have good fire protective material. OTOH, SA helmets are designed for multiple impacts (like banging against the roll cage in a race car), and have good fire protective material (your head won't be seriously burnt in case you're trapped in the burning car after an accident). Another reason why I would go with a SA helmet is that in case you decide to do some track events, most of the organizing clubs would require SA rated helmets rather than M rated helmets.

As for the full-face vs. open-face, I personally prefer full-face. More frontal protection wouldn't hurt. Also, it would allow me to drive any open-wheel cars (open-wheel cars require the driver to have full-face helmet ONLY). There are some full-face helmets on the market that have large eyeport for people who wear glasses. I have a Bell Sport II helmet. It's a full-face, fiberglass construction helmet that I bought back in 98. It was around $300. For you, I think the Bell M2 would fit your need. It's a full-face, fiberglass construction, large eyeport, and it's about $300. Here's the website, http://www.thebellstore.com/Auto/racer.html. It would be best if you can go to a local shop to test fit it before you purchase.

Oh yeah...I used one of those loaner helmets in my very very first auto-x event. After that event, I went and bought myself a helmet. The loaner helmets are gross, especially in the summer.