Open Face Helmet Questions??

JP1738 · 04-08-2024, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith 944

Can’t believe no one has even mentioned what about a fire?
an open face helmet is not gonna protect you at all.

Very true. I use a really nice Simpson full face helmet anytime I'm going <8.00 in my SST car. Stock firewall and a stock 305 going 82 mph does not have me terribly worried about a fire while wearing my open face helmet running stock, NHRA doesn't even require me to wear a suit at those speeds, just long pants and close toed shoes. I'm sure others would agree. If it's hard for me to get a speeding ticket on the interstate, I honestly don't feel the need to have a $500 helmet. I suppose anything could happen though.

1347 · 04-08-2024, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP1738

Very true. I use a really nice Simpson full face helmet anytime I'm going <8.00 in my SST car. Stock firewall and a stock 305 going 82 mph does not have me terribly worried about a fire while wearing my open face helmet running stock, NHRA doesn't even require me to wear a suit at those speeds, just long pants and close toed shoes. I'm sure others would agree. If it's hard for me to get a speeding ticket on the interstate, I honestly don't feel the need to have a $500 helmet. I suppose anything could happen though.

How about God forbid a150+ mph stocker piles into you for some reason.
You don't have to worry about safety until it happens.

JP1738 · 04-08-2024, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1347

How about God forbid a150+ mph stocker piles into you for some reason.
You don't have to worry about safety until it happens.

I've thought about that too, that's why I added the caveat "anything can happen". With all this talk, y'all've bout scared me into wearing my nice helmet all the time. Nothing wrong with it, I like wearing it, just can't smoke my stogies while I stage with a closed face helmet.

Adger Smith · 04-08-2024, 10:38 AM

Ken Etter is correct.
I had a WOO customer crash without his neck collar and he is paralized from the neck down.
I crashed in 1999 at Cordova wearing a Simpson closed face Helmet. The one with the small eye opening. A piece of guard rail post got inside the opening and broke my eye orbit and damaged the eye socket.
I'm lucky that University of Iowa was able to do a good repair on it.
I would advise against racing with an open face helmet.
I was torn up pretty bad, but I feel the safety equipment kept it from being worse. Buy good safety equipment and use it.

04-08-2024, 10:38 AM	#4
Adger Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texarkana Ark/TX Posts: 2,446 Likes: 575 Liked 880 Times in 311 Posts	Re: Open Face Helmet Questions?? Ken Etter is correct. I had a WOO customer crash without his neck collar and he is paralized from the neck down. I crashed in 1999 at Cordova wearing a Simpson closed face Helmet. The one with the small eye opening. A piece of guard rail post got inside the opening and broke my eye orbit and damaged the eye socket. I'm lucky that University of Iowa was able to do a good repair on it. I would advise against racing with an open face helmet. I was torn up pretty bad, but I feel the safety equipment kept it from being worse. Buy good safety equipment and use it. __________________ Adger Smith (Former SS)