Brian J. Nelson

Take A Look Inside The Bell Helmet Hayden Gillim Was Wearing When He Crashed Into A Wall

The team at Bell Helmets took a saw to the Race Star Flex our Man in a Van with a Plan was wearing during a horrific crash

Cycle World's Man in a Van with a Plan Hayden Gillim was attempting to pass fellow MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Jake Lewis on lap 12 of an 18-lap race this past August at Pittsburgh International Race Complex when he found himself with a little too much speed and too little track.

Gillim ran off the track and fell, tumbling through the grass and bouncing off a tire wall in one of the worst crashes of the 2017 season. Those who attended the race said the collective gasp from the crowd sucked oxygen from the atmosphere as Gillim lay in the grass, his Suzuki GSX-R1000 having flipped over the wall.

Hayden Gillim at Pittsburgh International Race ComplexBrian J. Nelson

Gillim eventually climbed to his feet and walked to a waiting ambulance under his own power. He was taken to Heritage Valley Beaver Hospital, where he received treatment. The Kentucky native returned to competition two weeks later at New Jersey Motorsports Park and earned two top-five finishes.

In the weeks since the accident, Bell produced this video that shows some of the abuse that Gillim's Race Star Flex helmet took in the crash.