Clark-ApexPerformance

Over the past 2 months we have had several people question when the SA 2010 helmets will become available.
Under agreement with Snell the earliest any manufacturer can offer the SA 2010 for sale is Oct 1 2010. Many manufacturers will not have the SA 2010 available until early 2011.

Looking forward to seeing all you 944 Cup guys at VIR next weekend.

jaje

Figures...I bet SN 2000 expires long before then so we have to by SN2005 helmets!

They are also talking of revising the SNELL ratings.

DanR

I was hoping to buy a 2010 GP5 over the winter but I guess I will need to make my current lid last another year!

paradisenb

I was planning on getting a new Arai with Air this winter also. I assumed 2010 meant they had to be new for use in that year.

Maybe this is why Arai has nothing under 'Car' on their USA website.

Clark-ApexPerformance

JeJe,
You should not have to buy another helmet. Your SA2000 will be good
until the 2010s come out. Here are current sanctioning body requirements:
The current helmet requirements for road racing by sanctioning body are:

SCCA - SA2000/SA2005
BMWCCA - SA2000/SA2005
NASA - SA2000/SA2005
PCA - SA2000/SA2005

Unless something changes drastically the SA 2000 will not be considered outdated until the SA 2010s are available.
Attached is an article my wife wrote about the SA 2010 changes coming from Snell.
http://www.apexperformance.net/CartG...%20Article.pdf

Have a good weekend,
Clark

MJSpeed

What about FIA 8860 helmets like this Bell? Do they have to adhere to snell as well?

Clark-ApexPerformance

Randy,
When we became a master warehouse distributor for Arai we found out the hard way that Arai made their money selling motorcycle helmets....not auto
helmets. The auto helmet market in this country is secondary for Arai.
Although I am still using sa SA 2000 OMP Turismo...the GP5W will be my next helmet. My wife replaced her old Bell with an Arai GP5K and she absolutely loves it. My second choice would be the new OMP Gran Prix.

paradisenb

Clark,

I want the W version also becasue I wear glasses. The thing is I haven't even been able to see what the new units look like. I checked the Euro site. They are all different or the numbers are different anyway.
Makes planning difficult.

The larger helmets, like the Bell I now use, are so long in the back I have to remove the pads from my Hans to keep from running out of neck.

Clark-ApexPerformance

MJ

Helmets built to the FIA 8860 spec do not have to adhere to the Snell rating.
FIA 8860 however does meet the SA 2005 spec but will not meet the SA 2010 spec. Very Interesting. The attached is from the Snell Foundation website

FIA 8858 and FIA 8860 Issues for SA2010 Standard

SA2010 will incorporate a “head restraint” provision to test the load capabilities of helmet tether mounts. Helmets equipped with appropriate tether mount hardware will be subjected to loading tests similar to those of the current FIA 8858 standard. Qualifying helmets will be eligible for a “SAH2010" certification assuring that the tether provisions have also been met.

SA2010 is not compatible with FIA 8860, the FIA’s advanced helmet specification which describes the performance requirements for helmets currently used in Formula 1 racing events. However, FIA 8860 is compatible with SA2005. In fact, FIA 8860 certification requires also that the model be certified to Snell SA2005 or to one of the other standards in FIA Technical List 25. The Foundation will maintain SA2005 for as long as necessary to support the current FIA 8860. We look forward to working with FIA to revise the requirements of FIA 8860 and, possibly, to combine Snell and FIA test procedures for these advanced helmets to provide a simpler, more efficient certification procedure to the helmet industry.

FIA maintains programs to both FIA 8858 and FIA 8860. The Snell laboratory is one of three organizations accredited to perform the necessary testing. Please contact Gib Brown or Randy McCarty for details.