Just a heads up/reminder for any racers that are required to wear a helmet. A lot of tracks are checking the date/spec on helmets. If you have a helmet that is more then a couple of years old, check the sticker inside. Many helmets will not pass tech this year. Check it now, so you don't get to the track, and be told you can't run. Just got back from buying my new helmet.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Sounds like I am going to have to "borrow" one from the track at Englishtown. You give them your drivers license to hold until you return the helmet.

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Years ago, most tracks I went to had that "loaner" program. The last few years, however, I have noticed fewer and fewer tracks haveing helmets available.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

....and while your checking that, check the dates on your seat belts/harnesses. Check your fire extinguisher. Both small items that could be easily missed in the rush to ready the rest of the car for the season.

Roger

Only helmets with a Snell 2000 or 2005 . The sticker is inside on the right cheek side or at the very back under the padding.Thats what we look for in tech.Also the the sticker will have a SA or M before the year.

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not just another 5oh

Not that it would effect any sanctioning bodies rules or perceptions, but has anyone been keeping up with the helmet studies being done in England, Austraialia, and the test articles in the motorcycle magazines in the last year or so?
Pretty damning information on Snell; as well as the DOT.
When showed how the current test standards were flawed based on years of charting head injuries of people wearing helmets, Snell came back and said, hey, we get fifty cents for every helmet that has our tag on it, we aren't interested in changing the standard. Nice to know they're looking out for us.

Interesting article, but its emphasis is on motorcycle helmets, not helmets for those racing cars. There are some differences in the protection required.
Do we have a comparable analysis of car-racing helmet standards? Seems like the subject came up in Grassroots Motorsports some time back ...

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

I don't think there are seperate Snell standards for cars and bikes; are there?
It boils down to the imapct resistance required for helmets, which if I'm not mistaken is three hundred "G"'s.
Well, like I said, I'm not trying to stir anything up, but all of the curent standards need to be re-evaluated. The head injuries most riders and racers are currently getting are the result of the liner not properly compressing in order to decelerate the mass of the head inside it; causeing the brain to be jarred excessivley. We need liners made of something other than styrofoam cooler material which can dissapate impact at less than 300 G's; and able to absorb a number of repeated hits.

Yes, there are. The Snell "M" standard is aimed at motorcycle applications, while Snell "SA" is specified for cars. Look at the ads for helmets, and you'll see the letter(s) and numbers for the years. For example, "M 05" refers to the Snell motorcycle standard set in 2005.

SNELL

Sanctioning bodies often specify which standard and year they will allow for certain events. A local autocross might allow M 00 for an autocross, while a road race might require SA 05. Some events only require DOT. Age of the helmet itself is a factor, as foams and plastics change over time. (So do metals, but that's another discussion.)

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"When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it." - Pointy-haired Boss

1964 Valiant V200, 225/Pushbutton 904
BBD, CAI, HEI, LBP, AC, AM/FM/USB, EIEIO

Hummm, I wasn't aware of the differentiation.
My last few years of racing were on a bike; so I haven't paid much attention to the car stuff. I will say I was floored when we were at one of the NHRA races last year and I picked up and held one of the new Simpson helmets. Those things are way too heavy!
My company is a manufacturing sciences company, or laboratory; when I told the President of Eric Medlin's tragic death a few weeks ago, he said he wants our design for helmet liners moved to the front burner. This is something we've been playing with for over a year now. Our biggest problem is not making it work, it is to make governing bodies look at how they evaluate their standards. Also, to make the helmet manufacturers' come around to a better way of building. I don't know if we'll get anyone to listen in the near future, but it will be an ongoing R&D project for us regardless.

SA helmets have a nomex liner.some motorcycle helmets are DOT only M & SA helmets have different testing standards than a DOT only.there was an article in CircleTrack or Stockcar racing last year about safety and they explained the diferences between the helmets and testing.

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not just another 5oh

I am going to see if I can score a copy of that, as we are gathering as much in formation as we can.
I think the biggest problem the helmets have is the use of 'cooler foam' as liners. I am aware that some companies are finally going to diferent density foams to absorb shock better, instead of just bouncing our heads around inside a padded dome. But I think we have to get to the ability of the helmet to absorb multiple impacts (in a short time frame) to properly decelerate the mass (our heads) as we're being beaten around. It's a complex issue to be sure; I just don't think we can keep the same testing standards, or material standards. We need to start looking at what is going on and adjust how we address those issues.
Anyway; y'all get your gear up to standard if y'ins want to race this year!