Newbie, again. I am gathering my gear to get started. Do I need a 'head sock' (balaclava)?

It's only required if you have facial hair, though not a bad idea for everyone.

At my first race experience (VSCCA-Pocono), I aired out gloves/headsock and peeled the upper half of suit back between runs. After getting home, a quick sniff indicated a handwash of the suit and balaclava was needed. I must have sweated more than I thought when in the car (and I did end up drinking a lot of water over the 2 days). So, I'd say if nothing else the headsock is easier to clean/wash than the helmet padding/lining. Also, I saw "Senna" on TV last night and in the unlikely event that I get to experience a fire, I'd like to come out at least as good as Lauda (was he wearing a headsock at the infamous crash?).

John

Yes he was. Also, one of the main reasons his helmet flew off in the crash was it used different foam than other helmets which compressed too much, allowing the helmet to pop off.