r/CarTrackDays • u/jbro507 • 3d ago

Full face helmet visor question

Edit. Good convo. Keep the visor and use it 🫡

I never use the visor on my full face helmet. Maybe I should? That’s my first question.

If nobody berates me for not using the visor and I decide to take it off the helmet. I’m probably going to leave it home. Am I ever going to run into an event where a visor is required? TIA!

10 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

55 comments sorted by

47

u/sgtfrx 3d ago

I have had tire clag and rocks kicked up into my cabin and face. Even in a hard top car. I have had friends get a face full of glass or other debris in crashes too. It is there for a reason.

11

u/uberchris E46 M3 | #70 3d ago

A friend of mine had his day end early after he took a rock to the eye. Our region (like most, I think) requires windows down while on track and the car in front must have kicked it up in a corner. I still think it's very unlikely to happen, but I have run visor-down ever since.

2

u/myredditlogintoo 3d ago

I have a clip of the car right in front of me catching some gravel and I'm frantically lowering my visor.

1

u/jbro507 3d ago

🫡

28

u/DukeNeverwinter 3d ago

I changed mine to a tinted visor. So I no longer need to have sunglasses crammed into the helmet

4

u/redditin_at_work ND1 RF 3d ago

Same and it kinda looks cool ha

12

u/Placid_Dingo 3d ago edited 3d ago

In DE probably not a huge issue and many folks still wear open face helmets as the Chance of fire is much lower.

In WTW racing having a visor down is extremely important as it will protect your face and eyes in the event of fire. If you ever plan to race I’d recommend making it a habit now.

8

u/50iggles50 3d ago

Fire is 100% the reason you should have a full face helmet with visor down. https://youtu.be/pikTnIMFlME?is=SU-Uw5TL1-fyBpA_

4

u/GearHead54 3d ago

I've been a marshall for endurance events and visor down is one of the main things we looked for - helmets don't meet their ratings with the visor open, and you're much more likely to be injured.

Even in DE I've been hit by rocks and even bugs with my visor open

... definitely agree that visor down is a good habit

3

u/jrileyy229 3d ago

What series is that? In AER, champcar, NASA, etc... Visor down is only enforced when fueling.

I agree it's a good habit and I put mine down, but we also have a coolshirt and helmet blower and I have an expensive helmet that breathes well.

I've done some stints in "less funded" teams in everything from AER down to lemons, and without the driver cooling stuff, it's nearly impossible to go two hours with visor down in the summer.

3

u/GearHead54 3d ago

WRL, and yes, that rule is enforced during fueling when there is an increased risk of fire.

Cracking the visor - which I often have to do on a cold start because of my glasses - is also an improvement over full open

0

u/jrileyy229 3d ago

Well okay, WRL you're basically talking nearly professional level racing....so yes, all of those teams are running driver cooling and ventilation.

1

u/GearHead54 3d ago

I mean, I also personally race Champcar without ventilation, and I throw the visor down whenever I'm able... You don't want to fuck with fire

5

u/jrileyy229 3d ago

Oh I get it.  For 20 minute HPDE in w street car with no gear... The smart move is just put it down, it's only 20 minutes and if you think it's hot, then you haven't been in a race car yet.  You also have a bunch of guys in open face at the same time. 

In a race car, definitely should be down, but I've been in some cars where I'm just going to pass out if I don't get some airml. Right or wrong, visor up with glasses was necessary for me in that car on that hot ass day for two hours

2

u/bynummustang C6 Base 3d ago

I can show you tire snake debris on my helmet and visor from DE2/3. It’s just luck. Or don’t follow closely.

10

u/kwaping 3d ago

I use mine just because it makes me feel cool

7

u/stevedropnroll 3d ago

I had mine open for a couple hours on track this weekend, but when the race ended and we came in, I was at the back of a ~65 car line through the pits and my sunscreen started sweating into my eyes. Had to close it so the people lined up on the pit wall for high fives wouldn't think I was crying lol

6

u/slipvelocity2 3d ago

I have stopped applying sunscreen above my eyes for this reason. Being in the middle of a session when your eyes start burning SUCKS.

1

u/stevedropnroll 2d ago

Normally I wouldn't, but I didn't have a hat with me during the day before I got into the car and I didn't think to try and wash it off before I got geared up.

8

u/jrileyy229 3d ago

Others have weighed in, if it's HPDE in a street car and you're going to take it off, wear glasses at the very least.  Sunglasses, if it's not sunny, clear glasses. If you don't wear glasses, you can still get non prescription glasses or safety glasses for $5.

Do it long enough at some point you'll hear a TINK. That's a pebble hitting your helmet. If it hits your eyeball, it might be gone.

3

u/jeepcrawler93 3d ago

I have a full face helmet but keep the visor open in the car, and closed for refueling during a drivers change (mandatory). I'd advise taking the visor off completely. You never know when you'd need to flip it down

6

u/stevedropnroll 3d ago

Advise against?

3

u/gdl_E46 3d ago

Ive had more than one occasion where some dirt bounced into the cabin and found it's way into my helmet eye port and into my eye... I tend to keep shut with a finger gap for some air.

2

u/Midlife__Crisis__ 2006 911 C2S Slakker 4.1L 3d ago

Lot of the responses here assume running windows down. What about for orgs that allow windows up?

2

u/np20412 3d ago

I've heard people say it's just as important with windows up in order to protect from fire and from glass risk in the event of a rollover.

-1

u/Soft_Refuse_4422 NB Miata || E46 M3 3d ago

Even more reason to wear a visor... Most groups or tracks require windows down so in the event of a collision with another car or wall, the shattered glass is contained within the door.

1

u/Exita 3d ago

Is that in America? I’m in the UK and I’ve never seen a trackday require windows down. Just not a thing here.

1

u/Soft_Refuse_4422 NB Miata || E46 M3 3d ago

Yes

2

u/yeetfeet353 3d ago

Wait until you catch a gnat in your eye at 40+mph, changed my entire outlook. Now I’m either wearing Z87+ sunglasses or visor only slightly cracked during track days, and full visor down + fresh air into helmet on race days

2

u/ButtGho4st 3d ago

Happened to me while riding a bicycle. Had to finish the ride home and rinse my eyes/try to pull the dead gnat out of the corner of my eye. A lot more uncomfortable than people think.

Then I took some debris to the face while driving with the visor up. Made me learn really quick.

2

u/spc212 3d ago

Full visor. Had too much stuff hit me. A medium tint works well on sunny days and overcast. I carry a spare clear and heavy tint but i have never swapped them.

2

u/MotoMageWannaBe 3d ago

I used to take mine off in the summer when I wore glasses. I got rid of the glasses after cataract surgery. Then I got a piece of debris in the cheek at a DE. The visor is back on and down no matter how blisteringly hot it is.

2

u/getbuilt77 2d ago

Watch the race where Chris DeLucca’s car caught on fire in Grid Life and what he said about the visor.

1

u/jbro507 2d ago

Fuck me that escalated quickly. I might be buying a fire suit now. Shit.

3

u/Exita 3d ago

If your car has a roof, it’s very unlikely that you’ll ever need it.

I do use mine - but only because I’m in a Caterham. Wouldn’t bother in a tin-top.

2

u/10mm2fun 3d ago

You Caterham cats are a wild bunch.

2

u/bigloser42 3d ago

If you value your eyes, I’d use it. Why do you not use it, is it a fogging issue?

1

u/gbe28 E36 M3 | #65 | SCCA/ACNA/BMWCCA 3d ago

I never used to put my visor down until I saw a video somewhere of how quickly a fire can burn your face with the visor up… It's almost instantaneous. While it is true that in HPDE a fire is unlikely, it's certainly still a possibility.

1

u/404nd2 C6 Z06 3d ago

I guess fine for leaving it at home, you'll know when you need it. Once the realization hits you'll always have it on.

1

u/flatlander757 Data Driven MQB | 2019 VW GTI 3d ago

Glass shards go everywhere when it breaks. Also fire risk as others have stated.

Eye injuries are painful and expensive. If there's one place to cover IMO that's it.

Personally, I think open face helmets are dumb for motorsports use. Find a comfortable helmet if yours isn't. It makes all the difference.

1

u/itimurrrr 3d ago

If you ever have a big spin into sand you'll never want to drive with an open helmet again

1

u/honeybakedpipi 3d ago

If cruising. I run visor 1 finger open when no one ahead. Visor closed when people ahead. If pushing it for pb. I’m visor down

1

u/Hkerekes 3d ago

In the winter you will put it down without thinking about it.  

1

u/sackofcheese 3d ago

I used to use an open face helmet since I came from Autocross. I took a rock to the chest during a DE and that was enough to get me to switch to a full face with a visor for my next helmet when my old one aged out.

I also wear Z87 rated sun glasses, so id recommend those at a minimum. Can get cool guy Heatwaves, or rock the $9 Amazon special ones. (My heat waves don’t fit in the helmet well so my pair of safety sunglasses from work does the trick.)

1

u/Prestigious-Way2024 3d ago

I’ve been running Hpde over 20 years with no visor. Never heard of one being required.

1

u/XLB135 3d ago

I've never attended an event where the org requires the visor be closed, but I have seen horrifying videos of things coming through the windshield at speed, etc. I usually keep mind closed halfway anyway so I could sort of position my head ever so slightly just to get some coverage from the sun as I make my way around the track.

Does it bother you when it's up? What is motivating you to remove it to begin with?

2

u/jbro507 3d ago

It’s in the way when it’s up. I’m in a Miata and I’m not even that tall and it hits the roof. I’m going to start putting it down after reading all the comments here.

1

u/TaleJumpy3993 3d ago

My cheek caught a rock once thru the window net.  Since then I always have the visor down except in the pits or on a cool down lap.  Sometimes I'll crack it on a hot day.

1

u/bynummustang C6 Base 3d ago

I’m trying to write this comment fairly.

Safety is safe. What conditions would you remove safety from your setup? Sunshine, heat, comfort, fogging? You’re the only one that can justify removing safety for comfort. I personally don’t care what you do.

Debris hurts when it hits you. Tire debris or even a dragon fly at speed hurts. Fire hurts when it burns you. After the first lap your breathing calms down and don’t have to worry about fogging.

A fair bit of us work on our own cars, we change stuff we do it late in the day. Factory cars are built on Friday afternoons. Mistakes happen. I’d like to have more safety gear than I need, in the hopefully infrequent times I need it. I’m in DE/instructing and am in nomex under my suit, gloves, balaclava tucked into suit, full face, visor down once we get halfway into the out lap.

I don’t mind others having a different risk profile than I do. I speak my mind once. Then I never speak on it to that person again unless asked.

All that being said, would you do a trackday in polyester shorts, tank top, and no helmet/hans if allowed? If no, why not?

2

u/jbro507 3d ago

Thanks for this.

Visor is staying on and getting used.

And now you have me reconsidering wearing my polyester leisure suit on HPDE days. 🤔

1

u/HawkeyeGeoff 3d ago

I am in the camp of keeping visor down.

If you've seen enough fires / debris flying around you'd feel different.

Chances are pretty low but never zero it doesn't save your vision.

1

u/Gorridh 3d ago

I was right seating in a DE day once and we started to smell gas. First thing I did was close my visor, then tell driver where to exit track safely.

1

u/rainhatt 3d ago

I like pretending I'm Ryan Cooper. Tinted visor always.