Race Driver Interviews
Castle Combe Rally Day
CASTLE COMBE RALLY DAY Race Collective spent an action-packed day at Castle Combe Circuit, soaking up the atmosphere and performance of some seriously impressive machinery
Recently we looked at the helmet and racewear regulations for British motorsport competitors (link). Club racing is really all about having fun, racing competitively, but doing so within a budget. After speaking with lots of drivers over the past few months, a name which has been appearing more frequently, is Zamp! As Race Collective is all about helping the club racing community, we delved a bit further and were surprised at some of the deals on the market. So, we thought we would find some of the best kit from their collection and showcase it in one of our posts.
Zamp is fairly new to the market and hasn’t had the benefit of major world marketing campaigns its counterparts have. The company was started by David Zampierin 22 years ago, someone who has worked on the frontline in the helmet business since 1985, so he knows his stuff! The mantra has really been about offering great protection for reasonable prices, which is perfect for the likes of club racers and track day goers. Marketing of the Zamp brand in Europe has been strengthening and more and more club racers have been shouting their name.
The European distributor for Zamp is based in Cheshire in the UK and offers both sales and aftersales support. We’ve popped their details at the bottom of this post, so you can contact them if you’re interested in getting one! Learn more HERE.
Before we begin, lets take a look at some of the regulations for helmets in British Motorsport.
The FIA standards primarily govern events which run under the FIA banner. These FIA standards are often thought of as the benchmark for competitive racing and offer a high level of protection for the driver. There are a number of standards which are applicable to European motorsport.
8859-2015: FIA 8859-2015 is the current ‘Premium Helmet’ standard set by the FIA. It is the baseline approval and certifies helmets for use in motorsport with HANS/FHR. The FIA 8859-2015 approval is widely used by drivers who race in FIA classes across the UK and Europe as HANS/FHR use is mandatory. As of January 2022, the standard has no expiry date.
The Snell Memorial Foundation was established in the United States in 1957 after the tragic death of Pete ‘William’ Snell. Since then, more commonly known as Snell, the foundation has been an organisation that dedicates its time exclusively to head protection through scientific and medical research, standards development, helmet testing, and public education. Snell standards are more relevant in the United States than the UK. The FIA standards above overrule the Snell standards, so bear this in mind when purchasing a helmet.
Snell SA-2020: This is the latest Snell standard, it currently has no expiry date.
Snell SA2015, SA2010 & SAH2010: These are standards coming to their end, they expire 31 December 2023.
Zamp have a detailed section on homolgation and what it means HERE.
We spoke to multiple race winner Fred, who races in the Caterham Championship and talks to us about how important it is to keep costs down while racing competitively.
Fred finished 2nd in the Caterham Academy Championship, only losing out on winning it on the last lap of the last race! Throughout the year, he had 10 podiums from 11 races (5 wins, 4 2nd’s and a 3rd) and set 2 lap records! Fred says, “Cost is important, which is one of the reasons for choosing Caterham over some of the other entry series like Ginetta. I was lucky to have a lot of support from my dad, but we still tried to keep costs down which is hard when you want to do as many track and test days to get quicker”.
In terms of racing equipment, keeping costs low without sacrificing protection is high on the agenda, “Id never heard of Zamp, until I started looking for helmets for racing. I came across them and liked some of their designs and the fact they were very reasonably priced (I just have a matte black helmet with red visor)” Fred says. Certainly looks snazzy, Fred!
Chris is another who has purchased Zamp equipment recently. Chris races a Clio Cup Sport and does so fairly briskly at track and event days.
He got into Motorsport a few years ago, “So it all started with my Megane R26, I did a few trackdays in it and got the bug. I wanted to make it more track focused, the problem being, I had too much love for the car and didnt want to wreck it. So, after driving a mates Clio 197 and seeing how well they handle in stock, I kept my eye out and after a few months one came up and I bit the bullet.” says Chris.
Along with his new Clio, Chris bought a helmet and has combo. “I saw Zamp items advertised on Instagram and thought I’d take a look, after reading some reviews I just couldn’t say no to the bundle offers. I’m so glad i got it, the quality of Zamp is amazing”.
Since then, Chris has since competed in Javelin Sprint Series and managed to get 2nd in class in his first year! Nice work Chris!
The initial point that stands out to us is the Zamp mantra “It is our belief that racing does not have to be restrictive and prohibit participation due to price, we want to make participation for as wide a group of people as easy as possible.” To us, this is what club racing is all about, allowing those who want to compete in Motorsport to be able to do so without requiring enormous budgets. This is the reason we back clubs like the 750 Motorclub and Track Attack, to promote reasonable costs in Motorsport. Motorsport should be not be exclusive to elites and those who provide cost effective support get a big thumbs up from us!
As you’ll see below, there are a number of really cool helmet designs as standard, spraying a helmet is again expensive to do and we think that for a little extra, you can get a really snazzy design right out of the box. We think the RZ 44CE looks great in carbon with the green accent.
There are also a massive array of accessories. Let’s start with visors, there 9 colours to choose from, which more than covers all the driver/ car colour combinations. Who doesn’t love a smokey iridium visor?! On certain helmets you have the option to add in communication and drinks systems, both reasonably priced and allow you to have a proper endurance style helmet without spending thousands of pounds.
These are some of our favourite products we picked out, all offer good value and comply with FIA standards. Check out the below and let us know what you think?
Zamp RZ 70E – From £390 ex vat
A slight step up from the 35E is the 70E. It offers the same FIA compliance but offers more airflow to the driver through the DDAIR-SYSTEM, a new dual-density air integration relief system. This particular model is also customisable for different racing setups. Both communication or hydration can be added to this helmet and it is available in 3 colours. Check it out HERE.
Zamp Carbon RZ 44CE – £540 ex vat
The daddy of the Zamp helmet collection is the RZ 44CE. Previously carbon fibre helmets have been enormously expensive, but not anymore! This is Zamp’s first carbon fibre helmet, adhering to the FIA8859-2015 standard. It goes without saying that this is a lightweight helmet, great for all forms of motorsport. The Tri-Tech air system is designed to increase airflow, keeping you nice and cool on those hot race days. The RZ-44CE also has earmuff and ear pad configuration which enables you to control the level of noise inside the helmet. It also comes with a hydration plug for easy drink tube installation making this a great purchase for those competing in endurance events. With all the features of a high end product and available in 3 different colours, this is a very reasonably priced at under £550. Check it out HERE.
Snell compliant helmets will be suited to a track day goer, karter or hobby driver who will not require an FIA approved helmet.
Zamp RZ 59 – £199 ex vat
This fibreglass composite helmet is dubbed the most affordable helmet on the market, at just £199. It complies with the latest Snell-2020 regulations and is a new model by Zamp. This helmet provides great ventilation and comfort with a sleek and simple design to aid staying cool and prevent fogging in extreme racing conditions. We think this a great looking helmet for small pennies. Check it out HERE.
If you’d like to have a browse, feel free to contact the UK team:
+44 (0) 1625 586 660
sales@helmet28.com
https://zamphelmets.eu/
Have you got any stories or thoughts to share on racewear, helmets or buying experiences? Comment below to let us know.
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