Learn Me: Driving suits

Simple enough, I know very little about them and what to look for.  Kart suits I know, automobile, not so much....

What I've learned so far: 

1. There's an SFI rating of how long it'll take you to get a 2nd degree burn.  Higher is better but more expensive
2. You can also get fireproof underwear as an extra layer. 
3. There are multiple layers.  If you get a single layer, do you have to also wear the fire retardant underwear?
4. Prices seem to vary quite a bit.  Summit has SFI 3.2A/1 (single layer) suits as cheap as $100, but underwear is another hundred.

I understand the old adage of "if you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet", but cost is always a concern for something that may

or may not get used very often.  Can you run a single layer with no fireproof underwear or will you need both so it might be

cheaper to just buy a 2 or 3 layer suit?  Is fire rating the only safety part?  Difference between 1 and 2 piece suits?  etc.

Series would be anything from Chump to Pirelli World Challenge.  Both closed cockpit and open wheel.  (Yeah, a broad range).

-Rob

I started with a cheap multilayer suit and since I was racing a fair amount I upgraded to a multilayer Nomex suit. OH MAN the Nomex suit is a thousand times better. I would stretch and buy one. You're in the off season so you should be able to get one on clearance or a used one. You can get used ones at http://www.raceimage.com/ . The single layer suits do require the underwear in most series. The specific series you run is going to dictate that so it's impossible to give a blanket answer. Generally though you will need the underwear if you have a single layer suit.

The 2 piece suits are easier to put on and easier to take just the top off for comfort. But the one piece offers more protection (no seams or openings!) and if you spring for the Nomex it breathes well enough that you won't need to take it off unless you're at a really hot event. I'm able to lounge around in my Nomex suit all day, even after driving 2.5 hour stints. I think I got it for $300, second hand but unworn. It's an OMP and is awesome. My old suit was a Pyrotect "FR" material - meaning really fire-resistant treated cotton. And it was like wearing a quilt. Nice in the depths of a winter race but awful, sweaty, and stifling all the other times I wore it. It's been downgraded to fueling and backup duty.

If you're running in a race series that requires a fire suit, the answer to many of you questions is simple -- read the rule book.  That will specify the required rating, number of layers, etc.  Be aware that suit ratings expire after a fixed number of years, so don't bother buying a suit for a race series that's 5 years in the future.

My impression is that 2-piece suits are pit/fuel suits in NASCAR/etc.  People use them as driving suits in LeMons because they're cheap, but I don't know of anywhere else that it's accepted.

You definitely want Nomex, not the treated cotton.  Additionally, even within Nomex suits, a more expensive one will breathe better and be more comfortable than a cheaper one.

Another point....SFI ratings on suits don't expire like helmets.  As long as they're not oil stained (compromises retardant effectiveness) or holy/ripped you're good

Every sanctioning body I've raced with requires underwear if using single layer.  If you have facial hair a balaclava is usually required.

I have a G-Force quilted looking multi-layer one piece suit. Good bang for the buck and has held up well. But if I were to do it over again I would buy something that is lighter/cooler. This thing is HOT and is fairly unpleasant without a cool suit underneath.

Codrus hit the nail on the head. Go by the rule book. 

Rules aside, I'd recommend a minimum of a 2 layer one piece suit. (SFI -5 IIRC)

Fire suits really just keep you from being physically set on fire during egress or waiting on a safety crew to put the fire out. They don't necessarily keep you from being burned by radiant heat. (Unless you're in a -15/-20 alcohol/nitro drag suit.) -3/-5 suits only have like a 5 second rating, so unless you're already on the way out...

Single layer suits are cooler, but they do almost nothing to resist radiant heat, especially if you've been sweating. 

You will want to try on several brands of suits as they are not anything even close to equal. Not in build quality, and definitely not in comfort.  

If you can afford it, I'd personally get the appropriately rated Sparco. I'd probably get my ass beat for betrayal if my old circle track friends saw me in one, but OMG they are nice compared to the US made stuff. Fortunately, they're well out of my price range. 

Also, follow. care. and. washing. instructions. to. the. letter. 

Improper washing can destroy a suit, and ruin it's fire retardant ability. Especially with treated cotton suits.

Speaking of treated cotton suits, don't. Get a Nomex suit. 

I don't know if Carbonex ever became a thing for driving suits, but I got to play with some of it when it first came out, and that E36 M3 is plush as berkeley! It was also like 4 times the price so I don't know if it ever got used enough to knock the price down. 

Look for weight. The lighter, the cooler. Obvious but weight is expensive. I have a low end spark for cold weather and a high end for warm weather. 

Woah... Speedway sells a Sparco -5 for $200. 

That's quite a bit less than they were when I still worked in the industry. 

I don't know anything about the suit though. It may be some kind of new cheapo model suit at that price point. 

Ebay is your friend here.  You can find relatively newer but used NASCAR firesuits for under $200 all day long.  I've had my suit for a few years now, but I bought it for around $150, IIRC and it was only a year or two old.  Sure, I now am sponsered by Hamburger Helper and Cheerios and I'm bright yellow and red, but the suit is fantastic.

When shopping raceimage keep in mind what color you pick.  Crown Royal suits look cool but don't reflect many of the suns rays.  Plus their suits are custom made to someone so you shop by measurements and they fit real well.

My only regret is that I didn't get a sweet Stroh's suit that was new but needed a recert because there was no tag on it.  That would have cost like $25 plus shipping to the manufacturer.  I just didn't want to deal with it.

They have a pretty cool looking Audi R8 OMP suit in my size.  Tempting.....

Wish they listed the suit model tho.  Sparco and OMP make a lot of different models

Call Raceimage for info, from what I understand these are very high quality custom made suits.  Way more comfortable, look better and you can wash them, compared to treated cotton.

Thanks for the info, y'all.  My son might have the chance to graduate from karts to cars.  It's probably a ways out and he may end up borrowing for the first few times, but typical me, I'm trying to get educated ahead of time.  I'm not pulling the trigger on it until he's done a few shakedown runs in a car and we've figured out who/how/if on cost. 

Sounds like, in this case, there is a different in safety when the cost goes up.  As opposed to helmets (in theory) where a SNELL2015 helmet is a SNELL2105 helmet and the different in prices are related to name brand, weight and fitment. 

-Rob

Absolutely read the rule book.  Most of the time, 3.2/5 is the spec.  Make sure the suit is a bit taller than you think it should be.  I had one that fit perfectly, ordered the very same suit to replace it, and it was not even close.  I now have a Sparco, and it's is about an inch too short on the body.  Doesn't bother me getting dressed or in the car, but I really fight getting it off my shoulders after I'm hot and sweaty.

I also like the leg openings to have exposed cuffs.  I could lace my shoes up over them, and they would stay in until I undid the shoes.  My new suit has open legs with a cuff higher up inside, and I don't feel as well protected.

Underwear and Bella clavas are an excellent addition, and kinda help keep the suit and helmet fresher inside.  Two or three bella clavas to rotate remove some of the ick factor of putting a cold wet helmet back on, too.

I'm XXXL, I had no luck finding used suits in my size. European sizing is not the same as as North American.

I picked up a brand new G-Force multi-layer for under $300 shipped to the GWN. Yes it's hot but a $700 suit was not in my price range. The TPP rating on the G-Force is 26. One of the highest ratings out there, so cheap is not = to less protection.

YMMV

You can always drink more water. A 3-layer suit,  plus underwear, socks, glove liners, and balaclava on a 100*F race day is not nearly as uncomfortable as would be a finding yourself in the center of gasoline/fluids fire with only a basic 1-layer and no under stuff.

NGTD said:

I'm XXXL, I had no luck finding used suits in my size.

I feel your pain, Im in the same boat.  I got lucky and was able to get a suit in "put down the cheeseburger" size from Race Image.  Luckily some of the Nascar pit road guys are beefy (some dude named Rueger in my case).

Check out the gForce factory outlet store on eBay. They have demos, seconds, returns, discontinued and open box deals at reasonable prices.

Go with a name brand suit or well known vendor who has a house brand made by a reputible manufacturer.

One (great deal on custom suits on eBay) turned out to have a counterfit SFI label on it, good thing I didn't need it (and I have been on fire in a race car). Not all custom suit makers are scams, I've had a custom kart suit from VAS suits in NY for years.

Treated cotton will give you longer burn through time but it's hot for everyday use. I've had a couple of these, replacing them every couple of years when they got ripped or oil soaked.

The ~$250 Sparco Jade suits are good, but warm. They're boot cut which may look good when your standing around but I had issues with the brake and clutch pedals in my Spitfire race car. Sold it for another suit with cuffs at the ankles.

I just picked up (Thanksgiving week sale) a GForce 745 SFI 3.2A5 multi layer suit from the gForce outlet on ebay. It was an unused showroom / demo model in a box. New they're $449, currently at the outlet they're $324 + shipping. During the black friday sale it was $246 + shipping. (NFI)  I just checked and they currently have ~ 110 different SFI suits / jackets / pants listed.

Shop around, especially just after Christmas, the new models will be coming out and you'll see good deals on last years model. Don't wait until spring, the deals will be gone, except for maybe that XXXL pink suit someone returned.

mike h