i went over to a local shop and they told me i would need a roll cage (didn't say how many points) and a helmet which i knew already... but they also said i need a scatter shield for my transmission, a racing seat with racing harness, and a suit and some shoes...

my question is what exactly do i need so i can buy that instead of wasting my money on cosmetics for my car???

Depends on the track, i belive NHRA is 11.99 or faster and IDRC is 11.44 or faster(correct if i am wrong). But what they said is true, rollcage,scattershield,ect. all needed.

IHRA tracks- 11.49-rollcage, etc..
Most tracks-13.99-faster-helmet needed