[ohsmily]

I have only one day on the track and it was with an instructor with Hooked on Driving. I plan to go 2 to 3 times per year and wanted to purchase a helmet of my own rather than rent as I did the first day.

I know this isn't a track forum per se, so i'll loosely tie it to the sub forum by asking if you can recommend one that is suitable but also fits well in the driver's seat of a ZL1 1LE. My budget is max $1000 unless there is a good reason to go higher.

I was looking at this:


Sparco 0033442M Sky RF-7W Carbon Racing Helmet Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXF37LI..._mE9gEbMV81R1Q
Thank you in advance.

ETA See additional question regarding duck bill feature in post 13 below.

FINAL EDIT: I went with the Stilo ST5. Did the electronic comms model and bought an extra headset for instructor/ passenger. Bought in person from Wine Country Motorsports. I was passing by on way back from work in Marin Co.

[Sakudog]

I love my Simpson Devil Ray, but it's Carbon Fiber and a bit pricey. I'd recommend the Stilo ST5 is a great helmet. I'd also ask you to up your budget and add a Simpson Hybrid-S with the helmet.

https://store.windingroad.com/stilo-...BoCKcoQAvD_BwE

https://store.windingroad.com/simpso...ved-p2193.aspx

[Stephen12ZL1]

The helmet you selected is obnoxiously expensive for a Snell SA2015. You could easily save a few hundred dollars and have similar protection.

[Road Pressence]

Id check out the racequip helmets for a nice budget helmet that you can use for local track days.

[Rnovrit]

Pyrotech makes really nice helmets. I have one I use for racing and it is super comfortable. Their customer service is great as they are a family run operation.

[Dixie ZL1]

I really like my Bell open face. Inexpensive at $300 and comfortable.

[amolaver]

For an occasional track day, gforce SA helmets are great.

http://www.gforce.com/category/helmets/

Hell, I've been using them for more than a decade of road racing. Reasonably priced and well made. Don't have the bling factor of an Arai or stilo etc, but work. My first one survived a near 100mph impact into a tire wall while tethering my HANS. I replaced it with another gforce

Also keep in mind the SA standard will be updated in 2020, so the SA2015 helmets should be dropping in price. https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/do...ocID=TECH00153

If you want to drop serious coin, the high end helmets are great..but for an occasional track day, you absolutely don't have to. If you really want something that provides more protection, look into FIA 8860-2018 helmets...but be prepared for sticker shock.

ahm

[ohsmily]

I'm surprised at the variety of suggestions. There clearly isn't a consensus on helmets for my type of use.

One poster mentioned Pyrotect. The helmet I rented seemed similar to this and seemed to work and was comfortable.

https://pyrotectstore.com/product/pr...en-face-sa2015

Is full face preferable for safety? Anything wrong with this helmet? I don't mind spending a grand or a bit more if I'm getting a meaningful benefit from getting the more expensive option.

[amolaver]

Pyrotect makes good stuff too. I'd strongly recommend a chin bar model like https://pyrotectstore.com/product/pr...h-visor-sa2015 I use a GForce like that - 'full face' but no visor. In a closed cockpit car, I almost always wear sunglasses while driving and I find a visor to be annoying; almost everyone runs with it up, so why have it. In an open cockpit car (or a motorcycle), a visor is a necessity.



If you can wait till April/May, the SA2020 helmets will start to be stocked and the SA2015's will be significantly cheaper.


I'd strongly recommend you find a retailer and test-fit any model you want. Helmets are made in slightly different shapes, but small differences can be hugely annoying/uncomfortable. For example, I can wear one style of Arai (round oval) for hours on end, while their 'long oval' style i find massively uncomfortable inside of 15 minutes.



ahm

[UFDUB]

I recommend Pyrotech as well. Comfortable, reasonable, fit well, not overly expensive. Very happy with mine and I use mine for occasional track use as well. If I ever track more often, may upgrade but I don’t see any reason to at this point.

[PROMETHEUS]

Originally Posted by ohsmily

I have only one day on the track and it was with an instructor with Hooked on Driving. I plan to go 2 to 3 times per year and wanted to purchase a helmet of my own rather than rent as I did the first day.

I know this isn't a track forum per se, so i'll loosely tie it to the sub forum by asking if you can recommend one that is suitable but also fits well in the driver's seat of a ZL1 1LE. My budget is max $1000 unless there is a good reason to go higher.

I was looking at this:


Sparco 0033442M Sky RF-7W Carbon Racing Helmet Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXF37LI..._mE9gEbMV81R1Q
Thank you in advance.

No reason to spend that kind of money on a helmet, especially if you first getting into this hobby.

[Junkyardspecial]

Racequip, zamp, Pyrotech, all very good budget helmets. as long as its SA2015 and ap roper fit and comfortable for you, that should be all that matters.

[ohsmily]

I noticed that many of these helmets have a duck bill option that has the protrusion below the chin area presumably to prevent or reduce neck injuries from the head being slammed forward during a frontal collision. Do you guys recommend that duck bill design or does it restrict movement too much for my purposes?

Here is an example:

https://pyrotectstore.com/product/pr...ill-white-copy

[ssmofo]

Pyrotect or Bell is all I ever use, make sure it's an SA approved helmet, most driving places wont let you wear a motorcycle helmet either. I would never wear an open faced helmet either.