Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track Helmet recommendations wanted

Thanks Moxnix, you're just the guy who'd know about the autoxing too!

Dug up...

I wanna get a helmet.
Wally world has full face motorcycle helmets for less than $80. These should be OK, right? That's probably cheapest place to get them, right? Thanks.

I'll never understand this but all things considering why do people want to be cheap when buying a helmet?

Make sure it is SNELL rated not just DOT.

DOT would be fine for riding a motorcycle but when doing AutoX they require SNELL M95 or greater.

If you ever want to get into Track you would need a SNELL SA2000 or greater helmet.

Either SA or M rated helmets are fine for AutoX and M ones tend to be cheaper.

I think the wal mart ones are only DOT. At the only auto-x I've been to, they didn't check helmets, other than to just see that you had one on. Do most clubs tend to check?
Also, are open face helmets allowed as long as they are rated m95 or better? Is m2000 allowed? Sorry for all the questions. I just want to find the cheapest helmet I can, since it will most likely only be used once a month or less.

Most places I run check your helmet. I don't know how the clubs in your area are but I would go with a M rated helmet anyway.

M95 or better means M95 or M2000 or starting this fall M2005.

Open or closed face is a personal preference and both work fine.

If you want the cheapest I would figure out your size and order something like this online.

http://www.helmetshop.com/items.asp?CartID=98-EVEREST-30649GRWLZ818&cc=TK110&tpc=

The memo was based on a study of putting airbags into F1 cars.

The forces at play in an F1 car are completly different than in a standard car. The seating position is also was different.

It is more CYA by the SCCA than anything to worry about.

I still have my full face helmet and am not worried about it.

Yes, that warning was a lot of hullabaloo. And there is close to no chance of hitting your head when autocrossing, if you don't have a rollbar/cage. In my cage-less car raced at low speeds I feel that a HJC M2000 helmet is plenty of protection. My car has a lot of factory safety features like airbags and crumple zones, and the helmet is not really a big part of the crash protection picture. So I feel that $60 was a fine amount to spend. When I start doing HPDEs at Watkins Glen in a caged car, I'll be running a 6-point harness and a $400 helmet because the safety system will be very different than the stock version. It's dangerous to try to mix and match safety components, by the way: the total system is what need to be considered. I run 4-pt harnesses that are designed to act just like a 3-point in a crash, and let the airbags do their job. This lets me stay seated tighter while racing, and keep the factory safety system intact.


Now, is a $600 helmet better than a $60? Yes. But will you ever encounter a situation where the difference could save your life, in a street car on an autocross track? I don't think so. Going full-face is a good idea if you can go off the tarmac into woods/brush/dirt, or roll the car, but only because it may save you cuts and bruises, not head trauma.