1960’s Hayden Proffitt Race Used Helmet

Proffitt was one of the most successful racers in national event and match-race competition in the 1960s and 1970s. Skilled as an engine builder and driver, Proffitt also built up a strong following of fans with his easygoing, gracious personality. Proffitt’s first drag car was a six-cylinder ’53 Plymouth, which was followed by a ’54 Buick and new Chevrolets in 1955 and 1956. He began running a ’57 Corvette out of Bill Thomas’ shop and was doing well enough to earn a parts deal from Chevrolet. Proffitt drove his ’62 Bel Air 409 to a Stock eliminator victory at the 1962 U.S. Nationals for his only NHRA national event title. When Chevy pulled the plug on factory support at year’s end, Proffitt was recruited to run Chryslers in 1963. In 1965, at the behest of Mercury officials, he built a pre-Funny Car Comet for the A/FX class and then built a Corvair Funny Car for 1966. In 1967, he joined the AMC team and fielded one of his most famous cars, the Grant Piston AMC Rambler Rebel SST Funny Car. This helmet is very rare and belongs in a drag racing museum or in a knowledgable collector’s collection in our opinion.