Getting the VAP tune and crank pulley next week. I've been looking at local tracks to start learning the ropes. Thinking about a local drag strip to learn the 1/4 mile run then there are 2 NASA races this year at road Atlanta. Looking to start in their beginner race learning series. None require harness but all require a helmet. Anyone have do's and don'ts for helmets? Some go to brands? I'm already worried about the reduced visibility. Appreciate any help.

Thanks

 

 

Unhinged is right on target, you can save some money going with the an older rated 2010, but are likely to be banished when the SA2020 standards come out in 2020ish. A couple of other comments:
* many club events and tracks rent helmets
* Helmet sizing is something that CANT be done over the internet - go in person and try them on. Wine Country / Apex / or other race shop. Buy in person.
* The lighter the helmet, the more expensive they tend to be.
* It should have the ability to add a HANS device which are secured to the helmet with a fastener - so either a pre-drilled plugged hole, or the fastener installed. And, finally,
* ONLY SPEND AS MUCH AS YOUR HEAD IS WORTH!

 

The price of the helmet seldom relates to how safe it is; it's a measurement of weight, comfort and features. Google it; there are tons of articles on the subject. Get one with the appropriate SNELL rating that fits you and is in your budget

JMHO as a motorcycle racer for the past 35+ years. Oh, and I've also had good luck with HJC in the past.

2 cents,
Dave

 

Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Just not that interested in diving into the perfect helmet rabbit hole. But the Snell rating, HJC, and fitting in person all great advice.

 

Nice tuna in your avatar, I know what I'm having tonight!

 

As noted above:

- They all meet the same standards. More money means lighter, better ventilation, more comfort.
- My auto experience is limited (motorcycle racing much less so) but the second most recent specification is generally accepted, with a year or so grace period added on. New specs come out every five years, so an SA2010 helmet will probably be usable until 2021. I've been told that year is to allow the new spec helmets to become readily available.
- I think that any SA2105 will be drilled for HANS-type devices, but if you're using a street 3-point belt, you don't want to use a HANS designed for 4, 5, 6-point harnesses.
- If there is a place nearby that carries them, go there and try on lots of helmets. The forms for different brands are shaped differently. Also, a trained sales associate can assist in getting proper fit. What feels "comfortable" might be too loose for safety. The helmet I got for NASA and LeMONS was SA2005, but the same brand and model SA2010 did not fit properly. I got a deal because it older, but now it's out of certification :-(

 

you also need to decide between open face and closed face. either are allowed. i got a closed face, as i just liked the look better honestly. open face is probably a little less hot (depending on where/when you will be driving). i see just about an even mix of both in my track and drag strip days...

 

Get the full face. One, you need a mouth almost as much as a brain and two, some events will require a full face (particularly if you get hooked on speed and head off to a professional racing school).

 

I suggest you look into race track racing, not drag racing. There is a lot of skill required for a drag race, but not if you are driving an automatic car with launch control - you just mash the pedal in that case and the car does everything else.

If you take up race track driving, you get to do a lot more things - line up your car for corners, apply brakes smoothly, and understand how car responds to all the inputs.

 

+1. Buy a Dodge Demon for the drag strip...the F-Type is not the right tool. The fun with the F-Type is in the twisties. Not as good a tool as some of the Porsches, but more fun/$.

 

The original post notes a 1/4 mile event, followed by a pair of NASA ones. I think he's on the right track (pun intended).

As for open versus closed face, I've always used closed (my decades on two wheels) but I've heard that for cars equipped with airbags, open is preferred but not required. If you never expect to attend an event where closed is required, you might be more comfortable in open.

 

I think one must learn to go fast straight before one learns to go fast and turn grasshopper. As a novice to any track was thinking a straight line was a better place to begin. Obviously both drag and track can be dangerous but seems like less going on in my head to drag. Unless I'm mistaken, the R does not have launch controll and will take some skill/finesse to go fast. Would like to feel and time true 0-60mph and 1/4 mile time as well. Then head to the NASA events once a bit more comfortable. If anyone shoots, it would be like starting out skeet shooting to learn the basics but really getting into sporting clays.

 

I disagree. First you need to learn how to stop fast. Then you need to learn how to turn fast. Then and only then should you attempt to go fast in a straight line.

If you are interested in racing, going to drag strip will get you comfortable driving very fast without also getting you to understand how to undo or control all that speed in any other situation but a straight line. That is outright dangerous combination.

---

To put it another way - drag racing is about putting your car's power down while controlling for very obscure mechanical situations (torque steer, bogging and so on). You rarely, if ever would encounter such conditions on a race track and would almost never encounter such conditions on the street. In drag racing, your car determines 90% of your outcome. This is why it requires custom setup to be competitive - you can't take street car and expect it to be anywhere near adequate. A novice in a super car could buy his way into beating any drag race veteran on a budget.

Track racing is about controlling your car, understanding how car's shifting dynamics affect your inputs, and mostly about understanding how to reach but not exceed traction limits of your car. The same principles apply to every-day driving, so you will be safer (or faster) driver in your everyday life. In track racing, your car determines 30% of your outcome. You don't need a custom setup to be competitive, and it is very possible to take a street car and do well. It is also possible to take a slow street car and beat novices in expensive super cars.

 

My turn to disagree. First you need to be predictable and safe, i.e. follow the rules and directives from officials, such as flags. Then, smooth and consistent. The fast comes after (or with) that.

EDIT: I don't disagree that drag racing won't help on a road course.

 

Always make sure your helmet is well covered and protected at all times. Ladies can get pregnant just getting in to a Jag!

 

Okaaaay...there's another term for our English/American dictionary.

 

All makes sense and I appreciate the feedback. But I'm just talking about making a few runs, maybe post a decent time and move on. I want to feel the 0-60 and 1/4 mile just for what they're worth. Then off to the track for lessons with the NASA folk. And really that's just to experience what the car can do and how to manage it around a track. I might love it and want to continue or a few times may be enough but safety will be first. Thanks again.

 

I learned to race on a motorcycle, in an organization that runs a race weekend exceptionally well and where safety is paramount. I was a little nervous going to a car event because I was concerned about how well the event would be controlled.

I was extremely impressed with the way NASA ran the event and after the first session didn't give it another thought. They are extremely professional. I've done two full HPDE weekends (been in groups 1, 2, 3) with them and both times they sent at least one driver home because they didn't follow rules or instructions, or missed flags. They're serious about safety and control. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. Just watch the flags! They tend to throw a yellow each day sometime around the third session to make sure everyone reacts appropriately.

 

Thx all.