What The Hell Is A Snell Rating?

One of the first things I needed to prepare for my first track day event was a helmet. I noticed on the tech sheet that the helmet needed to be rated SA2010 or higher. Not knowing what the SA2010 stood for, I started doing some online shopping to get an idea of helmet types and cost. Ultimately, I knew I needed to go try on helmets before I bought one to make sure the fit was good. A friend recommended I go to Discovery Parts at Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) and I am glad I did!

The open face helmet on the Discovery Parts clearance page would have been the absolutely wrong one for me to buy.

It looked like a great “deal” online as it was over 75% off. First of all it was a Bell helmet and it turns out Bell helmets are not a great fit for my head. Each helmet brand fits a bit different, so it is critical to try them before you buy one. After trying helmets from Bell, Arai, Stand and Simpson it was the Stilo helmets that were the most comfortable fit for my head.

The next wrong move would have been an open faced helmet. I wish I had a picture of my wife’s face when the salesperson recommended a closed faced helmet so I don’t break my nose and face when I put my car into the wall. I thought my track days were over before they started! The closed helmets give me more options for driving karts, convertibles and dedicated track cars as well as offering a bit more protection.

The biggest take away from my helmet shopping experience was learning about the Snell Foundation Rating. If I had ordered that “great deal” helmet with a SA2010 rating, I would have learned the hard way that the 2010 part of the rating is the expiration date and the helmet would need to be replaced in just a few months. My Stilo helmet has a SA2020 rating and should be good for years to come. Be sure to check your local/event helmet rating requirements as not just any old helmet will do.