Purchasing a Helmet for Track Day
01-27-2021, 07:38 PM
#46
Intermediate
Go with a closed face helmet. If you progress to racing wheel-to-wheel, it will be required. I like Stilo... top dealers (like HMS Racing in MA and NC) stock a wide range of pads and will customize the fit for you. Stilo tends to best fit oval-shaped heads, while Schuberth seems a better fit for round-headed folks. Stilo also offers headset earmuffs, which I have come to prefer over the ear molds. Stilo's comms wiring is all integrated... no extra holes drilled or wires dangling. Note that some of the less expensive helmets do not have replaceable or optional pads.
I found little difference in fit or function between Snell 2020 and 2015 spec helmets. You can get a very good deal on the 2015 spec, but most sanctioning bodies will not allow them after 2026. So, your projected racing/track day timeframe should guide you here.
Try before you buy, and if ordering online, make sure the seller will exchange it if the fit is not right.
A HANS device is a VERY good idea, provided you are using a racing style 5pt or (preferably) 6pt harness with individual shoulder straps. It wont work at all with a production car 3pt harness.
Tthe book CRASH by Jonathan Ingram (with Jim Downing and Robert Hubbard) is a good read. It details the development of (and resistance to) the HANS along with the Senna, Earnhardt and other fatal crashes. Conclusion: A HANS might well have saved Earnhardt from head whip. Too long belt/harness lengths (at Dale's insistence) and the angle of impact were contributing factors. His choice of helmet was not.
I found little difference in fit or function between Snell 2020 and 2015 spec helmets. You can get a very good deal on the 2015 spec, but most sanctioning bodies will not allow them after 2026. So, your projected racing/track day timeframe should guide you here.
Try before you buy, and if ordering online, make sure the seller will exchange it if the fit is not right.
A HANS device is a VERY good idea, provided you are using a racing style 5pt or (preferably) 6pt harness with individual shoulder straps. It wont work at all with a production car 3pt harness.
Tthe book CRASH by Jonathan Ingram (with Jim Downing and Robert Hubbard) is a good read. It details the development of (and resistance to) the HANS along with the Senna, Earnhardt and other fatal crashes. Conclusion: A HANS might well have saved Earnhardt from head whip. Too long belt/harness lengths (at Dale's insistence) and the angle of impact were contributing factors. His choice of helmet was not.
01-27-2021, 07:57 PM
#47
Originally Posted by 200mph
A HANS device is a VERY good idea, provided you are using a racing style 5pt or (preferably) 6pt harness with individual shoulder straps. It wont work at all with a production car 3pt harness.
01-30-2021, 06:59 AM
#49
Rennlist Member
Ask Dale Earnhardt Sr. He died wearing an open face helmet. Do you see ANY serious race car drivers wearing one anymore? In many cases, they're not even legal.
Right now your interest might be Porsche Club Track days, but check the helmet rules for other sanctioning bodies. Generally speaking SCCA Solo II rules allow older or lesser rated helmets, but the requirements for SCCA road racing will be more stringent. And, sometimes other groups have open track days, like your local BMW club for instance. And consider that some day you might even decide to take your car to the drag races, perhaps just to test the before and after effects of a new exhaust system. Who knows what the future holds, so do some research and get a helmet which is legal in other venues too.
Usually it's easy to find the helmet specifications for various organizations. And, since it's your head rattling around inside whatever helmet you purchase, buy a good one that really fits.
Finally, if you ever go "real" racing, especially in the South, you might consider getting a helmet with a fitting for providing cool air. I don't race anymore but I highly valued my helmet cold air supply system when I did. Full disclosure: My entire body is covered in a thick layer of fat with a layer of coarse black hair on top of that. So you might not value refrigerated air as much as I do.
Right now your interest might be Porsche Club Track days, but check the helmet rules for other sanctioning bodies. Generally speaking SCCA Solo II rules allow older or lesser rated helmets, but the requirements for SCCA road racing will be more stringent. And, sometimes other groups have open track days, like your local BMW club for instance. And consider that some day you might even decide to take your car to the drag races, perhaps just to test the before and after effects of a new exhaust system. Who knows what the future holds, so do some research and get a helmet which is legal in other venues too.
Usually it's easy to find the helmet specifications for various organizations. And, since it's your head rattling around inside whatever helmet you purchase, buy a good one that really fits.
Finally, if you ever go "real" racing, especially in the South, you might consider getting a helmet with a fitting for providing cool air. I don't race anymore but I highly valued my helmet cold air supply system when I did. Full disclosure: My entire body is covered in a thick layer of fat with a layer of coarse black hair on top of that. So you might not value refrigerated air as much as I do.
And for the thread starter you got all the good advice above. I would go for a full face big brand (Stilo, Arai, AGV, Bell,,,,) and let the form of your head decide. And do not even think of skipping a proper HANS device attached to the helmet going on tracks. Everything else is obsolete.
Last edited by Captain_; 01-30-2021 at 07:07 AM.