I need a recomendation for a helmet for racing in the MINI. Should I get an open or closed faced helmet. I've seen some post claiming both was better. Has anyone out there wrecked, with one or the other if, so what would you prefer?

I'm wondering if

a) a closed face helmet would trap too much heat in a closed car like the MINI?

b) Is the airbag an issue with closed face helmet? I saw in another post that there is concern this could result in a broken jaw.

Please advise, the only racing expierience I have so far was in an open wheel car. In that case the open face helmet wasn't an issue. I think i'd still prefer a full face, but I'm concerned aobut the ventilation and saftey issue.

 

If ventilation is your main concern its not a problem. I have a closed face helmet and I found more of a problem with it fogging the shield when it was cold out than the helment being too hot when it was warm. By the way I just took the shiel off.

I think maybe I might have gotten an open face if I had to do it again.

I seriously doubt there will be any big difference what helmet you are wearing if you crash hard enough that a helmet will fail ( any up to date quality helmet )

Just my opinion for what its worth.

 

What does the sanctioning body for your racing have to say about it?

I've raced door slammers with both open and closed face helmets. FWIW I preferred an open face helmet as I found it collided with things less when I was turning my head inside the car than an open face did. OTOH if I was running anything at all with racing tires I'd probably go with the full face if just as a nod to the level of seriousness involved when you're competing at that level.

And as the poster above mentioned, if the face shield fogs you can always remove it.

 

Full face is always safer, no matter what you're driving. Strange things have been known to fly through the windshield and bust up one's face. Odds aren't that high of it happening, but it has happened.

 

I use a full face helmet. Ventilation isn't a problem because you will have your windows open.

 

What type of racing are you talking about?

Any type of racing I'm aware of is going to require that you disable and/or remove the airbag so that's not an issue. At a minimum, you're going to want something covering your eyes, whether it's a visor or a good pair of glasses.

For track days, I love the Bieffe Integral GT



I wasn't trying to be cheap when I bought it... I just liked the openness of it. There's extra room around the mouth area, and the visor is very handy.

Were I actually racing though, I'd wear something with a shield.

 

In talking with some of the guys that race pro, they sya go open face. The reason a full face is not a good idea is the potential for airbag deployment which could hit the base of the helmet and force your head up and back.

I am no expert on this and am purley going on what I have heard from these guys who really spend a lot of time on the track in their cars.

It makes a lot of sense thoug if you think about it.

 

If you wear glasses you may have a problem with full face. I had the problem of getting the helmet on and then getting my glasses on.

Earl

 

If I had to do it again it would be open face. Reguardless of what you decide make sure it is (snell 90 approved) most racing bodys require the snell approval above and behond the dot approved.

When in doubt power out.

 

bostoniannu

By the way, Welcome to NAM, just noticed it was your first post

Comes aboard and is ready to race

Earl

 

It depends on your sanctioning body, like someone else mentioned. If you're planning to actually 'race', you better check with them first...

If you plan solely on autocrossing, an open face is fine...

If you are going to autocross and do DE's, I'd suggest at least a hybrid - I recently bought a Bell SR Pro and really, really like it. I really think the protection you get from a full face is much, much better than that you get from an open face.

If you plan on racing, I'd really only go full-face... You'd be ripping the airbags out, anyway, so that's not a concern. You can always take the visor off for DE's and autocrossing.

The whole full-face and airbags thing is really up in the air - while the SCCA made a preliminary judgement on it, their discussion was centered on testing done for F1 race cars. The F1 testing was done on high G sleds, and pit an airbag system against the HANS (among other things) device. Personally, I'd still rather have a full-face or hybrid helmet.

 

I've got an open face. There was a lot of discussion on another thread about closed face being a problem with airbags deploying (i.e. could result in a broken jaw), but little hard evidence that applied to a mini. Depends on what type of racing you are doing. For driver ed and track days, open face is a little cooler here in the Southwest (although you will have that nice 110mph breeze with the open windows), and it is easier talk to passengers and instructors. Really comes down to personal preference-I see about 50/50 at track days.

 

Deffinitions. (if I have these wrong please correct me!)

DOT = Department of Transportation
Snell = Private rating company.
M= motorcycle (sliding impact, not fire resistant liner)
SA = Specific Application (?) (higher impact, not sliding, fire resistant liner)

Poster competes with a sanctioning body that is NOT SCCA.

I have closed face helmet. I wear glasses so I remove the face shield when using the helmet in the car. I have seen the notes on being hit by the air bag. The idea is that when the bag hits the chin guard, it will roll the helmet down and the chin guard will strike your lower jaw. This might be, but when in my MINI, the helmet is already firmly against the head rest, I don't know how much it will move.

I find helmets hot and sweaty in the summer. I use a fire resistant head sock (Balaclava) because I can wash it after each event. A season of Motorcycle, or Car use can make a helmet smell like an old sneaker if you don't use a liner.

High speed autocross with some sanctioning bodies is a "run what you brung" event, and at the ones I attend the airbags are in service on all of the "driven to the track" cars.

We accept Snell, current and two prior, which means that a Snell M90 is good until the Snell M2005 rating comes out.

(For wheel to wheel racing our club requires SA, rating., but you need a roll cage for Wheel to Wheel and most of those cars have the air bags out.)

In Low speed Auto cross (Solo II style parking lot racing), our club accepts any DOT or better helmet. I have an open faced Snell M90 that I occasionally use for these events.

I don't mind the risk of the broken jaw, in exchange for the better head protection in most cases. If I did wreck the car, deploy the air bag, and break my jaw, not being able to yell back at my co-owner (wife) might be an advantage!

John

 

i wear a closed face in both my open and closed cars. ventilation has never been a problem in the closed top. air bags are disconnected. as stated above, if you're racing, you ought to disconnect them as your roll cage and other safety equipment should be far better protection. if you're autocrossing, then maybe not.

i wear the full face as i have had stuff flying in the window while driving.

another point. twice it was mentioned sa90. that helmet rating expired 5 years ago. typically, the only helmet rating approved for car racing is an sa95 or sa00 (m rating is usually not acepted). the sa95 will expire when the sa05 comes out later this year.

 

I stand corrected.

I have a old rule book for MCSCC and this 2003 GCR allows SA 1990 for wheel to wheel ( and probably Solo) racing.

My 2004 section of the GCR for High Speed Autocross (SCCA calls it Solo I) Specifies M or SA 1995 or later.

Our 2004 GCR "highly reccomends" full coverage helmets.

I have not seen our 2005 rule book yet.

John

 

Excellent insight.

I used to go to Willow Springs in summer and it was HOT. I was probably too scared to notice how much my helmet stank, but I bet it did. So if I take it up again I will definitely wear a Balaclava.

One reason I gave up the track was lack of vision. The face shield was transparent, but not optical quality. The distortion made me nauseous. Or I think that is what made me nauseous. Maybe it was the odor all along.

Thanks.

 

I had the unpleasant experience of having an airbag go off in my face as a result of a serious accident at an autocross.

I was wearing the full-face helmet. I was very glad I had it on because every place where the airbag touched me was either bruised or burned.

I'm very happy the full-face helmet protected my face. Just going on my experiece, I would only wear a full-face helmet.

 

With a full face helmet, it's much easier to identify you by dental records,and you will look much better if you want an open casket. If your like Me and already ugly enough, it should help to keep you from getting any uglier!