Hello. I've just about got my car ready for NASA H1 HPDE and I need to buy a helmet. Any advice on what I should look for? Any manufactures to stay away from? Any links to topics like this are appreciated as well

 

A certification is #1. Look for something that is Snell SA2005.
Fit is #2. Go somewhere, try them on, and buy. You'll pay a bit more than buying online, but it's your thanks to them for giving you the chance to test fit.

Welp, I reread your post and now I'm confused. I see H1 (a race class) and HPDE (driving school).

I'm guessing you're entering a driving school at Level 1. For that, you only need a helmet with an M rating (motorcycle). They are typically cheaper... If you plan on racing, you still ought to go with something with a Snell cert so you don't have to buy another helmet down the line.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/353425 has all the info you may ever need.

 

^^^ spoken like a genius ^^^

I'd stay away from the cheaper lines of helmets... while some people use them and have fine results, from what i've seen they don't fully back their product / offer replacement parts. Nothing worse then throwing out a helmet cause you couldn't get a new pivot kit for it. I love my Impact Charger, fits a hell of alot better then a nearly $900 Simpson Vudo I had tried on (its nice working at a race supply warehouse).

 

found the helmet section of that link. It answered all my questions, thanks! Just to clarify I'm hoping to start hpde this season but I want a helmet that will be good for h1 when I get there. Thanks again!

 

I got a $400 helmet for $250 when I went to The Bell Store and tried it on and bought it there. If I bought it online they would've charged me $400!!! Madness! Ofcourse the advertised price could just be wrong, I don't know. Just get a SA2005 if you feel your going to get involved with racing.

I got the HJC ar11
http://www.thebellstore.com/Au....html

Your in cali so it might be worht it to make the trip, call them up and see if they hve what you want in stock, if not, they're willing to order it for you if you want to make the trip to try them on.

 

Call up Kyle @ Helmet City.... 888-343-5638. They stock a bunch of stuff and they are right out of Oakland CA. Good Guys

 

For HPDE's, get a Pyrotect SA2005. Only $250

http://www.soloracer.com/pyrofullfacesa.html

I rock the M2005 version of the same helmet for autox and karting, and LOVE it

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BauleyCivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">For HPDE's, get a Pyrotect SA2005. Only $250

http://www.soloracer.com/pyrofullfacesa.html

I rock the M2005 version of the same helmet for autox and karting, and LOVE it </TD></TR></TABLE>

You know the shape of his head?

&lt;--- has tried on dozens of helmets in his time, but only found 2 that fit.

 

bell or simpson are the standard id guess (like husky and craftsman if transpose to tools )

generally, 300-400 range is good for a starter, more expensive ones are more comfortable and showy, but i dont think provide all that much more security. like someone mentioned, should be certified.

Also, being a rally guy, i would (just in case) get an open face - so it was easy to run an intercom in case you ever decide to participate in something that requires a navigator

 

Pyrotect is the closest thing to taping a wastebasket to your head and hoping for the best. I should know, I used to be their NE rep. Theres alot of confusion that ALL SA2005 helmets are the same or better yet, provide the same level of protection... well its like an SFI rating on a suit. A G-force $200 2 layer fire suit and a $480 Impact suit will both satisfy SFI's 3.3/5 rating... but the Impact, while still having the exact same standardized rating, will have a TTP (time to penetration (burn)) of nearly 50% more. I personally have nothing good to say about Pyrotect. I know some people live and die by them but if its my skull... no thanks.

I sell both Impact and Simpson, and must say by far that even tho Impact goes in letter sizes and Simpson uses fitted hat sizes (7 1/4, 7 3/8, etc).... It is MUCH easier to get one of my customers fitted into an impact then a simpson. Don't know why, maybe its something in the foam they use, but I've had more then one guy try on 3-4 simpsons and then love the first impact he slides on.

Be careful with open faced helmets, alot of sanctioning bodies are eliminating use of them due to the obvious fact of smashing your mouth.

Not to be a dick but a helmet is no place to skimp on spending money... its only as worth as much as the head its protecting


Modified by ComeOnKip at 1:21 PM 3/7/2008

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike_C &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You know the shape of his head?

&lt;--- has tried on dozens of helmets in his time, but only found 2 that fit.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Dustin's goal: spend as little as possible.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kreat0r &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would (just in case) get an open face </TD></TR></TABLE>

I understand where YOU are coming from, but unless he has ANY kind of rally aspirations, a closed face helmet is better for track use. I don't know how many times I've had **** fly in the window and hit my helmet/visor. Stuff that would really hurt, like rocks, beetles, and rubber.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kreat0r &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">more expensive ones are more comfortable and showy, but i dont think provide all that much more security. </TD></TR></TABLE>

They are usually lighter though. When you factor in crash injuries, the less weight you can have on your noggin the better. That's just physics.

 

Helmets vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
No matter which you choose each is going to have something you like or dislike about it. Price, fit, features etc.
My preference is Bell.
The Sport 3 is a great lid for the price about 350 bux.

http://www.bellracing.com/publ...il/13/

Although not shown in the pics this helmet has pre-drilled holes for a Hans Device.
Since your racing Nasa your going to need one of those anyway.
Shop around... be patient. I lament the comments of the previous posters in saying dont scrimp on something that isnt going to give you adequate protection.
With me when I get a helmet I have to have a good feeling about it before I buy it.

 

Nasa mandates Hans devices now? Thats a new one on me. Alot of helmets are coming with not pre-drilling, but dimples as where to correctly install hans posts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ComeOnKip &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Pyrotect is the closest thing to taping a wastebasket to your head and hoping for the best. I should know, I used to be their NE rep. Theres alot of confusion that ALL SA2005 helmets are the same or better yet, provide the same level of protection... well its like an SFI rating on a suit. A G-force $200 2 layer fire suit and a $480 Impact suit will both satisfy SFI's 3.3/5 rating... but the Impact, while still having the exact same standardized rating, will have a TTP (time to penetration (burn)) of nearly 50% more. I personally have nothing good to say about Pyrotect. I know some people live and die by them but if its my skull... no thanks.</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL, go figure, you sell different brands so its no wonder you trash Pyrotect. When were you their NE Rep? We've been selling Pyrotect for years, and they are our best selling helmet. Interestingly though, we have never dealt with a Pyrotect "rep"... I don't even think they have them. We deal directly with the company headquaters in Oregon and they are probably the BEST company I've ever had to deal with in terms of service. Customers seem pretty happy with the product as well.

Our main customer base are the autocross and HPDE crowd...most of them are not going to spend $400-500 on a helmet, so the $250 Pyrotect is a perfect price point, and its definitely better than "taping a wastebasket to your head" as you say.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ComeOnKip &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Nasa mandates Hans devices now? Thats a new one on me. Alot of helmets are coming with not pre-drilling, but dimples as where to correctly install hans posts. </TD></TR></TABLE>

For racing, yes. For track events, no.

 

I was giving my honest opinion... and it has nothing to do with what i do or do not sell. I'll tell you that I wouldn't put a base Simpson helmet (china made and it shows) on my head either.

I was just sharing what I've seen being at the track and from my own personal experiences selling helmets and what I've had my customers tell me.

Also, if you notice, i didn't plug my company or anything of the sort.

And I was a rep for Pyrotect through a company called Scott Lewis Associates Inc out of Baldwin, NY from April '06 til December of '06 when I left the company. I still have some demo stuff of theirs at my house actually.

Just trying to give honest help, not plug anything

 

For racing it is..... Your in luck though.. Hans has a sport series is about 695.00 depending on the tether options you want.
Mine cost me 1000.00 for the Professional series

http://hansdevice.com/shop_onl...Sport

 

The vision tether system is a really nice option. The sports are few oz. shy of doubling the weight of the standard 'extra' model, but when your in the car w/ belts on the difference is negligible.

Is the mandate for NASA specifically for the hans device or any SFI 38.1 head restraint?

 

SFI 38.1, so there are a few choices.

 

I carry ZAMP Helmets and they are very nice and have SFI and or FIA rating.

These helmets are very affordable and so far my customers have been very happy with them.

 

I had a budget of ~$300-500 for a new helmet since my old one was an SA95 helmet and wasn't legal for competition use. I spent ~2 hours trying on helmets, found and tried on the HJC Si-12, lightest helmet I've ever tried on, and by far the most comfortable as well...I found it on sale for $629 the same week my tax return came back, and I decided to buy the helmet. After 1 weekend of using the helmet(this past weekend), I can say that I'm completely 100% satisfied with the helmet. It's ~2lbs 14 oz, anti-fog/anti-scratch shield, HANS device pre-drilled, R3 compatable, and it comes with a pimpy little helmet bag.

I'd highly recommend the helmet to anyone out there. I barely knew that I had the helmet on.

I bought it locally since it was on sale, and the staff was kind enough to spend a lot of time with me, however Brett @ Soloracer has them at a damn good price as well.

Austin