Im looking at some new gear since we rented our first time out. I don't know a ton about them but this video scares me [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daoEWPvU1zU"]NOMEX, PolyCotton And Cotton Exposed to Flash Fire - YouTube[/ame] Im trying to keep cost in check so im not buying a $1600.00 alpinestar suit for the 2 or 3 chump car races i will do a year sorry ... Should i get a 2 layer nomex, outer layer nomex only, or a decentish (OMP?)cotton suit with some nomex undies? Its my understanding the cotton ones are generally "fine" but will wear out quicker than nomex? your thoughts? BTW next years rules will require a full fire suppression system if that means anything to you.:shrug:
+360. Get the best suit, helmet, gloves, shoes, etc that you can afford. Don't skimp. I would not want to be second guessing my choice of equipment when it really mattered.
The problem is you could easily spend $5000.00 on gear I guess im looking for "well at LEAST get ..." like a 2 layer nomex? Or stick with things FIA rated?
A simple question........You just got a drive in F1, are you going to go cheap when McClaren just signed you to 20 million for one year? The answer applies the same. Get the best of everything that you can afford. Running in ChumpCar has more of a chance of you getting burned severely than in F1. Pay the two bits and never give it a second thought after that. You will know that you have the best stuff on and you can race with confidence. Your life and health is of a far greater value than the race car. People wadded them up weekly and yet they keep making more of them.
The simple answer is buy the suit based on the SFI rating you need for your race sanctioning body. SFI 3.2A/5 is very standard. This gives you 10 seconds before a 2nd degree burn which may be why some clubs have a 10sec limit on emergency exit. You can dramatically increase that NO burn time by just wearing nomex or carbonx underwear with the suit. Don't buy a suit that is too tight because you burn easier and may want some future space for a "coolshirt." Many of us will wear our suit in the paddock with top rolled down and underwear exposed. Nomex is best for that because it comes in "cool" colors like white and yellow etc. CarbonX gives better burn resistance but it is black and very hot with your suit rolled down. CarbonX is the best because it wicks away sweat preventing steam burns. I.E. you boil like a lobster from your own sweat in a fire. Some American clubs will also allow the FIA ratings on suits and some suits like the Simpson World carry both SFI and FIA labels so you can race in Canada and Europe and the USA. After the basics of fire ratings then it comes down to features like pockets and sewn in arm restraints two way zippers etc. This will get you started Main
I have both /5 suits and a /15 Sparco suit. I wear the /15 suit all the time for peace of mind. Yes it's more expensive but sometimes one gets into life threatening situations. Money is incidental then. My 2 cents. Drake
Since it's chump, and you're on a budget, but you want quality stuff, go to RaceImage.com - NASCAR Racing Suits and Memorabilia surplus NASCAR nationwide and sprint cup team SFI rated suits, often with tags still attached.
Carson, this is the only post you're going to get from someone who has been in your exact shoes. Look at my avatar. 10+ Chump/Lemons races. I understand what it means to be budget-minded while not compromising safety. Remember the following as you choose gear: YOU NEED TO BE READY *AT ALL TIMES* FOR ALL YOUR ROLES AS A TEAM MEMBER. NOT JUST YOUR ROLE AS A DRIVER. You're at war for 7, 8, 10, 18, 24 hours at a time. You want to be dressed for everything the race is going to throw at you, especially as you get competetive. You are a driver, a member of the pit crew, and team mechanic. You need to be ready to jump into any role at any time. -The car could come in to the pits in need of repair at any time. You may be tapped to drive for a teammate who gets exhausted sooner than he expected. You may have to crawl up underneath a car to wire the exhaust up because a tack weld broke. -Looking fashionable is the last thing anybody cares about. (it's tempting to want to have the latest fashion in racing attire. don't fall into that trap) -Weather. It gets hot. It gets Cold. You want to choose gear that will be flexible for these situations. I didn't know (didn't realize) any of that stuff. So I started off with a one piece single layer SFI 3.2A/3 with Nomex underwear to meet minimum series requirements. Problems with one piece, single later + nomex underwear: -It was hot. -It was uncomfortable to get in and out of, especially when I was tired. It took forever to change out of driving suit and into pit clothing, especially after a 1.5hr stint in the car. -It never failed that I would change into shorts and a tshirt and an hour later I needed to get back into my fire suit to fuel the car, or to help make a small repair over the wall. -Any change of attire meant a 3 or 4 minute ordeal. -I was afraid to crawl around the car in my one-piece because it was a non-trivial expense to replace it if it got damaged. I quickly went to a 2 piece, 3.2A/5 Double layer and it has been great: -When I wake up Saturday Morning, I put on my 3.2A/5 pants, nomex socks, and racing shoes, and a t shirt. Or a sweatshirt if it's cold. I'm comfortable and prepared for drivers meetings, checking air pressures, changing head gaskets, whatever the morning is going to throw at me. -When the car comes into the pits, I put on my 3.2A/5 jacket, helmet, and gloves. it takes 30 seconds. I leave this gear at our pit box (for chump, lemons doesnt let you do that.) -When it's my turn to drive, I put on my 3.2A/5 jacket, helmet, and gloves, neck. it takes 30 seconds. -When I get out of the car, I shed the jacket, helmet, and gloves,and change my Tshirt. -If it's really hot outside, I will wear cotton gym shorts under my pants so I can shed my pants and as soon as I get out of the car -Hanging around the pits, If I'm hot, I take my jacket off. If I'm cold, I put my jacket on. Most importantly, I am not afraid to work on the car in my 3.2A/5 pants, or get them dirty. Because they can be replaced, inexpensively compared to a double layer, single piece 3.2A/5 suit... YMMV. Just my thoughts from the front lines. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Basically you get about 3 seconds per layer of protection until you get burned. so a 3 layer suit will give you about 10 seconds to get out of the car.
I go with Simpson, and they have seperates now, to avoid the hassle of a one piece jumpsuit. 2 layer vs. 3 layer is usually a Track or series specification.....I used a single ply, for karting.
Figuring out how much protection a suit offers is actually very difficult. There doesn't seem to be any requirement for the manufacturs to indcate how many seconds of protection any of their suits provide. The SFI/FIA raiting is only a MINIMUM rating to get that certification. Two suits can have the same SFI raiting yet still offer vastly different amounts of protection. I would, however, suggest at a minimum a 2 layer suit with a layer of underwear. That is the minimum for most racing clubs I believe. I personally wear a 3 layer suit with a layer of underwear. Even in a tight formula car, I am still plenty comfortable with it. The premium you pay on some suits is more about comfort then anything else. Some offer a slightly more breathable nomex, stretch areas in the shoulders, and things like pockets, ankle cuffs, ect. ect. One thing I did learn along the way that simpson suits actually kind of have a protection value built into their model number. For example, their two layer suits MTO.25 offer 25/2 seconds of fire protection = 12.5. Their MTO.33 suits offer 33/2 = 16.5 seconds.
I agree totally. You have got to do research! Spending more dollars does not necessarily mean more protection!
So the layers are more important than if its FIA rated? Seems like nearly everyhting is SFI 3.2/5. Some are FIA, some are not.
Do the research on what each sanctioning body that you will be driving in requires. And then speak with someone who knows about safety equipment. That person should be able to give you answers to all your questions. They should also be able to properly fit you based on info you supply them They should also be able to offer to ship you different suit styles and sizes from their inventory. You need to understand that suits are hot. Deal with it. Do not opt for a 2 piece suit for road racing. I understand that some people think that it's OK. I don't feel that it is. Fire and the resulting burns are not something to take lightly. Ask anyone who has been burned and they'll tell you. You don't have to spend $2000.00 to get good protection. Spend $260.00 and you get the same protection. What you get for more money is nicer/lighter weight material and in some cases a better fit. Sorry if I've stepped on anyone's opinions about suits, but after 20+ years in this business I try to make sure that everyone gets correct info on safety equipment. Let me know if you have any questions Bill Love OGR
I did that. Bobby Labonte and I are the same size... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I'm partial to Hinchman Racewear , not only are they one of the earliest in the business(Notice until the early 80's almost all top level guys were in Hinchman) As they make a suit tailored to you with what options you want (Like sthe flex panels of having arm restraints built in among other) And the customer service from Nancy & Co is 2nd to none ! I'm a big guy so no such thing as a well fitting off the rack suit. I prefer the 1 piece just because I don't care for the thoughts of 1) a gap beteen top & bottom of a 2 piece 2) the chance that that gap could also get caught on something in a scramble to escape a car while potentially in flames! GREAT gloves/shoes/socks are VERY important as you need hands & feet to escape! #1 thing to consider when putting a price on safety ..... Can you afford to miss work on monday morning after a race for something spending a few hundred more for safety gear might make a huge difference?
