Dutchie in NC

I am going to sign up for my first Drivers Ed and am in need of a helmet... not sure if I will continue to do DE's, so would prefer not to pay a couple of hundred bucks at this stage.

Any recommendations re renting one in the Charlotte area, or a cheaper alternative than buying a new one? Thx.

himself

Check with the track you are going to and the organization you are running with. Some rent out helmets for cheap. Our local track rents helmets for $10.00 a day (and racing suits for $20).

-td

Dutchie in NC

Already did... unfortunately they don't rent helmets

sjfehr

Snell M2005 helmets start at about $100 and are fine for autocross, but not for DE. You'll need a Snell SA2005 (or SA2000) helmet for DE. Which track are you going to, can it be open-face or must it be full-face?

Are you in PCA, SCCA or any other car clubs that frequently do HDPEs? Have you asked your local club if anyone has a helmet in your size they'd be willing to loan you for the weekend?

Edit: I should qualify this with "usually" I suppose- every track/event seems to be different! Club loaners vary, too- the clubs around here have helmets so clean, you'd think you're the first person to have ever worn in. I wore a loaner pretty much all season because there was no incentive to buy my own!

If you're planning to do the PCA Zone 2 DE at VIR in March, SA2000 or later is required.
http://zone2.pca.org/drivered.htm

gota911

Dutchie, talk to Jack and get one of these. You'll have to leave the top down though.

ivangene

wierd, I just checked our rules:

"A helmet minimum standard of Snell Memorial Foundation 2000 or later is required; M or SA rating is acceptable. SA is recommended for increased fire protection. A limited supply of loaner helmets will be available for a fee."

This is for DE... are you sure they require SA2005?

rotokim

Just my 2 cents - I tried the same route, Dutchie. But, I was unable to find any used helmets after hours/days of searching. The guys in my group of Porsche friends who are experienced with DEs reminded me that a full-face helmet usually has some history of sweat and breath, which didn't appeal to me. So, for $250, I was willing to bite the bullet and buy my own for my first DE. After the fact, I was very glad that I did.

I bought a full-face, flat black helmet from Apex for $250 and a pair of driving gloves. Both were great. Another piece of advice from my Porsche friends - Don't skimp on your head.

Bob

pongobaz

Depends on the PCA chapter, but mine is okay with M2000. Some guys have gone to bike shops and rented M2000 or M2005 for about $15 a day. Don't spend the big bucks on a helmet if you're only going to try a DE once.

sjfehr

He's in Charlotte NC so I assumed he was talking about the upcoming DE at VIR, which requires an SA2000 or newer helmet for DEs. Honestly, I always thought the "fire resistant" requirement was a bit silly, considering nomex suits and face shields aren't required, and an M2005 or K2005 helmet burning through is probably not an appreciable added risk. But SA helmets ARE built to different requirements than M helmets (SA withstand multiple impacts as your brain bucket bounces off every piece of metal in the car, for example, while M are rated only for a single large impact), so it's not unreasonable to require one for a DE where the risk of a high-speed rollover accident is elevated.

http://zone2.pca.org/drivered.htm

For autocross, seatbelts, airbags and slow speeds seems to make helmets completely superfluous, so any decent helmet is sufficient.

Dutchie in NC

This is the deal, for the PCA Carolinas Region the following helmet is required for DE:

All drivers are required to have a SNELL SA2000, SNELL M2000, SNELL SA2005 or SNELL M2005 approved helmet

They basically require the most current certification (Year 2005) and one earlier (Year 2000). This means that in 2010 when Snell comes out with their 2010 standard, they will not allow the 2000 anymore. Hence, I should at least get a helmet that is 2005, so that I can get 6 years out of it (assuming I will buy one versus borrow).

I am hoping to do the late feb DE at Carolina Motorsports Park.

jimq

+1 on Apex. Not only quick personable service but a Rennlist discount when I bought mine.

Dutchie in NC

How much discount do they gave Rennlisters?

LVDell

I have NEVER heard of my region (Carolinas) allowing a motorcycle helmet for an event. I am going to talk to our DE chair and CDI to verify. If that's the case it needs to be changed ASAP! A moto helmet offer a completely different level of protection than one for cars.

**yes I realize that it is in the acceptance packet**

Dutchie in NC

Dell,

I went to the Carolina's Region Winter Track Seminar at CMP yesterday and there were some detailed questions re helmets and Brian Powell (DE Chair) and Marty Barrett (Chief Instructor) both confirmed that M2000 and M2005 helmets were allowed.

I'm a first timer at DE, but given your reaction, it sounds like you would definitely recommend getting the SA type helmet? Any recommendatios on where to get one? I want the best protection for my head (I only have one of them), but not sure how often I will use the helmet after this DE weekend (will I catch the bug?).

granracing

M & SA deal with fire protection. In a stock car, you should be more than fine with a M rated helmet. To summarize what the two ratings are, the M rating is for motorcycles where SA is geared for racecars. Basically the M rated helmet will burn or melt after less exposure to heat than the SA. If you plan on racing w2w, then you'll need and SA helmet. There's more to what helmet is safer than just SNELL ratings. Do some research on www.SMF.org and other sites. In the beginning, I'd suggest that a basic M rated helmet that fits well and you've prepped your car (brake fluid) and learned as much as possible be safer than just spending money on a SA rated helmet.

edit: I didn't come onto this site for this reason but did write a resource for people just like yourself (and once me too) www.GoAheadTakeTheWheel.com . Since I'm a negative profit effort, thought it wouldn't be too bad to post it. <sigh>

Dave Gran