Future new Rush owner
- Intros & Car Photos
- 7 Replies
Hey Shawn. I am also a future Rush owner (should be getting my car within the next couple of days). I have already purchased all of my driving gear and used it during my demo drive. I went with a Stilo st5 FIA 8860 ABP helmet that I purchased from Harris Race Radios out of New Zealand. I had to fill out some customs forms and wait quite a while but still saved about 800 bucks vs buying it here in the States. Regardless of what manufacturer you choose, I would not go with anything that is not a ballistic rating for an open cockpit car. Especially after both seeing the footage of Felipe Massa's 2009 crash caused by a ballistic impact (and sparked the creation of the ABP helmet standard), and the Willow Springs incident in which a fellow Rush driver was killed after being struck in the head by debris from another car resulting in an accident. Out of respect for the driver and family, I do not believe it was ever officially confirmed whether the blow to the head was fatal or the resulting crash, but it is nearly indisputable that the catalyst for the crash was the ballistic impact. There are numerous comments from others who are not a part of the rush community on other websites confirming that they also saw the flying debris, and Rush's official statement also notes that the car was visibly undamaged after the impact to the driver's helmet and before the resulting crash.
I know that others may not want to spend that kind of money on a helmet, but personally, I would not get into any kind of open cockpit without a ballistic-rated helmet.
I also have had the trident fitted to protect from larger debris or entire cars. Both measures may be more expensive, but I would rather spend the money now so that I am alive and hopefully able to continue racing if, god forbid, I got into that serious of an accident.
I certainly hope that at some point all open cockpit drivers will have ABP-rated helmets either through reduced cost as the tech becomes less new and manufacturing scales, or through mandatory regulation so that we never have another similar tragedy.
I know that others may not want to spend that kind of money on a helmet, but personally, I would not get into any kind of open cockpit without a ballistic-rated helmet.
I also have had the trident fitted to protect from larger debris or entire cars. Both measures may be more expensive, but I would rather spend the money now so that I am alive and hopefully able to continue racing if, god forbid, I got into that serious of an accident.
I certainly hope that at some point all open cockpit drivers will have ABP-rated helmets either through reduced cost as the tech becomes less new and manufacturing scales, or through mandatory regulation so that we never have another similar tragedy.