As a dealer I have dealt with three lines of helmets. Pyro, HJC, and Impact. IMPACT IS MY FAVORITE. BY FAR. And it is almsot all we sell anymore.
I can give you some generic rules of thumb/comparisons based on my experience.
All three will protect your brain and you get what you pay for. This area is a good place to spend a little more on comfort and safety. You won't regret "getting the better one". Save a few bucks somewhere else.
All three have various levels of models and as you get nicer prices do increase (just like a new car).
Carbon fiber is awesome but it is spendy also. A CF helmet is about half the weight of a regular one. After 8 hours in a race car you will notice the difference in comfort and fatigue the CF helmet gives you. If ya have the coin, get a CF helmet. Its a long term investment you wont regret.
My personal preference is again very much with the Impact brand. They are on the higher end but its all quality and its all I carry on the SDHQ Race support trailer. our actual store has other brands.
Going back to my car comparison lets say that all helmets are Chevy Trucks. They are all safe and they all have airbags and will all protect your brain.
The Pyros I have had seem to be the base model. The HJC is a nicely equipped Tahoe and the Impact is the Escalade. The Impact has a much more luxury interior. Its a few bucks more but once you have driven one it becomes all you want. Impact is almost all we sell anymore.
If you go outside the three above mentioned brands you will find it to be a challenge to get shields, visor pivot kits, HNR hardware and tear offs. I meet person at every race who saved a few bucks on a helmet and while it seemed like a quality helmet to me, it is un-serviceable. No one in the village of race vendors at any event has the parts to support it. If you lose one little screw that holds your shield in place, you are hosed. Realize your Visor is scratched and ya want a new one. You're screwed. That's just the way it is. By long and far Impact themselves and guys like myself and PCI have outstanding trackside support with IMPACT products. As a sales guy I don't like telling someone what they want but, for real, YOU WANT AN IMPACT.
ProTip- Get the Cruz Armor upgrade for your shield. Clear film that self heals scratches and is anti static and hydrophobic. You can literally take a wire brush t your lens and it will be fine. Its Sorcery. It is also now becoming "the way"
Suits-
I wanna sell ya an impact also. Buying off the rack is less expensive than custom and off the rack for a quality multi layer suit starts arond $280. We call that a Paddock suit. The next level is the racer suit. It is way lighter making it way more comfortable and usable and those are about 600 bucks. Then there is full blown custom and I cant tell ya those prices but once you have worn one its all you're ever gonna want.
Gloves.- Crow are cheaper and still good. Impact has nicer ones of varying levels. 90-200 bucks. Sparcos are expensive and really nice.
Take into consideration touch screen capabilities. Do you need to use your phone or tablet? Do you wanna be the guy who took 200 dollar gloves and cut a finger tip off?
Neck restraint- I like the Simpson Hybrid but lotsa people like the Impact Necks gen. The new model (the rev) comes with lifetime re certification which is nice.
Shoes- They either fit or they don't. They are all the same but out of brand loyalty I really only stock Impact. theya re all kinda thin on the sole. like asphault racing shoes. There used to be ones with a boot style sole but I never see those anymore. Those are nice when your out of the car and need tio kick the tire into place or are walking across the desert in defeat and don't want sharp rocks poking your feet. Good luck finding some though.
Please note- A non nomex jacket is bad if youre on fire. You can layer underneath with nomex long underwear for warmth. It will protect you instead of melt. Dont use mechanics gloves. In a fire your hands need to be useful to save yourself and whoever is in the car with you and maybe even the car. I have spoken with people who made this mistake with mechanics gloves. Have fun unbelting yourself or opening a widow net with burnt hands. Don't forget nomex socks either. Especially if you don't go with race shoes. If you race in boots (which I am not even sure is legal) make sure they aren all plastic. Leather is better and real racing shoes is best. And regarding HNR devices, they only work if your belt set up is correct and your belts are tight.
If you want to speak with any of our sales people please call 480-633-2929 and we will be happy to help you. You can also email
team@sdhqoffroad.com and do things that way. We have a large inventory and experts on this stuff on staff six days a week. Besides that, I am at almost every race.
D200
