I prefer a Bell. But any brand helmet that is Snell approved.

What size helmet does that big melon of yours take? You can try on my HJC if your head will fit.

I dug through the rulebook just for some clarification, and motorcycle helmets (like the RF1400 I have) are ok provided they are Snell M2015/2020 rated, with a couple exceptions. If you go 9.99 or quicker in an open bodied car with a power adder (or open bodied electric) it needs to be an SA rated helmet, not M. Pro mod, top alcohol dragster, top alcohol funny car, top fuel and funny car also all require SA rated helmets instead of M. Everything else, the M designation is ok per the rulebook.

That being said I don't know enough about the differences in helmet ratings to know which would be better if your head contacts a rollbar in an accident, as an example.

The tech said I could use it at my et, but didn't elaborate. (I was driving a 14 second car) The concerning thing to me is that he said it is not fire resistant like a helmet rated for race cars. Facial reconstruction in the burn ward is more costly than a fire resistant helmet.

I have a carbon fiber helmet from Speedway, I am sure it is made by the same people that make G-force because that is what it looks like. It is nice and light weight and fits my big melon well. Has all the appropriate ratings.

M rated helmets are rated and tested for your head hitting an object or hard surface. SA is tested and rated for having something hit you in the head. Fire rating is also included in SA as well as eye port size.

The SA standard was designed for competitive auto racing while the M standard was for motorcycling and other motorsports. The K standard was released to accommodate helmets used in karting. There are three major differences between them:

The SA standard requires flammability test while the M and K standards do not.
The SA and K standards allow for a narrower visual field than the M standard (Some SA and K certified helmets may not be street legal).
The SA and K standards include a rollbar multi-impact test while the M standard does not.

thanks for the rating clarification CM.
i learned something new that [hopefully] will protect my old noggin as good as possible, even though i'm in a super slow class. [roughly 11.90-12.50]

Yes, that rating clarification is very useful! Thank you.

When it comes to body protection clothes and devices I buy the best I can get
I do hate that the helmet industry has gotten NHRA to limit the use of helmets, seat belts and other driver safety gear base on how old they are instead of what condition they are in

How does a vented helmet prevent fire from entering the vents?

It doesn’t.

Thee SFI spec helmets with the neck socks required are probably fire resistance

That is a scary thought.
One method might be the use of a low melt temp air supply hose to self disconnect to assist with vehicle exit and also terminate any path for hot pressurized air being forced inside the helmet.
Additionally, a crash sensor electrical cutoff switch on the helmet air supply fan might be another precaution.

This got me to thinking about a new helmet, and Speedway is having a sale of sorts.
The inner liners - often Nomex, or what's called a Nomex blend - are fire-retardant, but yeah, helmet vents supply oxygen...
So, hard to quantify, but that's what head socks are supposed to do.
But those have their limits too, as anyone who knows who Niki Lauda was can tell.

Anyway, I see Speedway's selling Zamp helmets - never heard of them, but the company has a Meridian, ID address...a couple miles from my new place.
Supposedly a Euro-centric helmet maker, owned by Bell.

A few decades back at a Miami Beach hotel Niki sat down for breakfast at the adjacent table.
It was rather sobering.
I have incredible respect the man/driver.
My concern with supplied air helmets is not so much fire, as it is breathing superheated air into the lungs, which a head sock cannot prevent.

Some say they have liners of nomex and some have liners of EPS. What is EPS? The EPS that I know of is expanded polystyrene foam. But that couldn't be a liner, the liner is cloth right?

I was looking at the impact 1320 on their website. You can pay extra to get your helmet with NextGen mounts on it. But I couldn't figure out if you don't buy them next-gen mounts, if the threaded inserts are already in there. I suppose I'll have to call them.

By all means call them, but I believe most upper end helmets have the area reinforced and the screw inserts already installed, which makes a lot of sense rather than run the risk of the buyer yanking out the liner/padding and drilling holes.
The EPS is basically Styrofoam, covered by fabric (nomex?). The padding is best if it does not rebound, causing more brain injury, and helmets in hard hits are one time use.

If you wreck a car at an NHRA race, two things happen immediately. They pull the cert sticker off the chassis and they pull the Snell sticker out of the helmet.

Does the driver first get to take his helmet off?

I did not know that.

edit: In further reflection taking off the chassis cert I can understand, but delabeling my helmet starts to be an issue, unless that is agreed to in some small print somewhere in advance. Not being able to prove a helmet was Snell approved post crash post Snell tag removal. seems to be problematic for me,

Looks like all SA 2015 and SA2020 helmets are required to have the M6 threaded holes pre-installed for the Hans device.

I think I'm going to go with the Impact 1320. I've heard only good about it, and I like that it is made in the USA. Thanks for all the help and suggestions.