Helmet requirements?
 

I have an out dated helmet, if u run a car that runs 7.3 in 1/8 does it matter if it's out dated?

Depends on the track

It matters on my track, they would not let me run w/o an in spec helmet.

I didn't know you owned a track.... Lol

Pretty sure it all depends on the track. I know a guy that ran 14s in the quarter with his Mustang wearing an outdated motorcycle helmet. He got to laughing because he didn’t even realize there was a date on it.

14 seconds and 11 seconds are different classes?

I would say all NHRA tracks would check the helmet (and jacket among possibly other things depending on ET)

I would find someone to loan you a current helmet when teching in. After tech'd in they rarely recheck for a helmet?

:eek:

One of the first things we would check in the SCCA Tech Inspections of the drivers: "IS the helmet of a current date?"
If not the person DOES NOT race until they have a current helmet or can borrow a current helmet while racing.

Instead of playing games, on the track with an out-of-date helmet, find a friend who has a current helmet that fits and borrow it for the day. Rarely do two drivers match up for the same round of racing and wear the same size helmet with only one helmet "in date".

The ? after the statement "After tech'd in they rarely recheck for a helmet?" is a good reason why Tech Inspectors "Scruiteneers" in SCCA used to do a follow-up inspection when the cars were on the grid before the race started. Bad Advice there John.

Tom V.

If you come east to NH I'll let you run on it as long as your helmet is within spec.

I have one current helmet and two or three outdated ones. I don't believe is skirting safety rules generally speaking. Some of it is a money making scam though. Belts are FOR SURE! If you have an accident they should cut them on the spot. Otherwise it's overkill.

A Snell 2010 helmet expires in 1/1/2022. So ya got 12 years out of it.
What's your head worth ?

The whole person your cheating on safety related is yourself.

Some good advice from others.

Say you have an accident and you break a arm. A arm can be reset and after healing you are back to square one.

If you have an accident and you suffer a serious head injury due to a crappy or out of spec helmet, now your brain is screwed up,
possibly forever. Screwed up when you did not follow the rules, screwed up when you tried to play games with the rules, and screwed up
forever in a worse case condition.

It was screwed up once when you listened to bad advice and the second time because that bad advice (wearing a out of date helmet) MIGHT cause you much more serious issues in the future. Chit can happen mighty fast.

Tom V.

If a helmet has never taken a hit. Been taken care of, kept out of the sun, just how does it "go bad" ??
Same with belts. There should not be a replace your belts after 2 years rule. 5 years at least.
Its a scam. NHRA folks in bed with the safety equipment companies. You scratch my back, I will scratch your back.
I have had to buy A LOT of helmets and belts. Every single time they are replaced they are as good as the day I bought them.
Scam. I have stacked boxes of belts, perfectly good.

Its legal to run this car with 52 year old lap belts. An expired helmet that's still in like new condition is the least of my worries if i wreck. Lol

Looking at various helmets at summit, it doesn't say WHERE they are made ?
Any ideas ?

The slower classes don't have a helmet requirement at all, so what et the cut off point?

13.99(NHRA) is the point at which you need a helmet.

I like to protect my noggin'...just sayin'.

I remember a customer of mine took his Navy flight helmet with him to the drag strip thinking it would be okay to use for his twelve second street car. The track wouldn't let him race. The helmet was good for Mach 2 or better but not for the NHRA. One is naive to think seat belts go bad sitting in a car not being used or a helmet becomes unsafe because a tag expires.

Totally different application for the helmet. Navy Jet vs Drag Racing.

You rarely run into guard rails or concrete walls in a jet.
You might run into another aircraft on the carrier if your plane is shot up.
Most would say flying on a carrier, if properly trained is less dangerous vs a 200 mph
drag car. So I would say your example needs work. A lot of work.

As far as looking like brand new. 300 passes in two years. 10.0 seconds for each pass. 3000 seconds divided by 60 seconds =
less than one hour on the helmet in two years with a lot of racing 150 passes each year.

Now you take the Road Race Guy, runs 4 sessions of 20 minutes each racing weekend. 80 minutes for a weekend.
He runs every month for 6 months. 480 minutes in a year. He wears his helmet for 8 hours in a year.
Now if he runs a nascar race we are not talking 20 minute sessions, we are talking hours for each race.

So I can understand why the Drag Race guy with a 8 second or 9 second car has a helmet that looks like new.
He is sitting in the trailer or on a bench 95% of the time he is at a race track.

I guarantee that Eric will get a lot more time on his helmet road racing vs the minimal wear and tear from running a few 6 second
passes each year.

But keep posting about Drag Racing, Helmets are manufactured for all forms of racing. The Baja 1000 races being another example of wearing a helmet for hours vs seconds.

Tom V.