The 2007 racing suit of Formula One driver Fernando Alonso (left), and the 1990s suit of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt (right).

A racing suit or racing overalls, often referred to as a fire suit due to its fire retardant properties, is clothing such as overalls worn in various forms of auto racing by racing drivers, crew members who work on the vehicles during races, track safety workers or marshals, and in some series commentators at the event.

In the early days of racing, most racing series had no mandated uniforms. Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, specialized racing suits were designed to optimize driver temperature via heat transfer, and later to protect drivers from fire.[1] By 1967, the majority of competitors in Formula One, NASCAR, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), United States Auto Club (USAC), and Champ Car (the predecessor to modern IndyCar) began wearing specialized fire suits.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Most modern suits use Nomex, a material developed in the 1960s around the time fire suits emerged.[2][3] The suits are also known for prominently displaying driver sponsors.

Design and use

IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves wearing a Shell-branded Nomex firesuit and head sock

A racing suit is designed to cover the entire body of a driver, crew member, or marshall, including long sleeves and long pants legs. Typical driver suits are one-piece overalls, similar in appearance to a boilersuit. Other fire suits are two piece, consisting of a "jacket" and pants.[8] The suits consist of a single or multiple layers of fire-retardant material.[3][8][9][10][11] The suits also have special epaulettes or yokes on the shoulder area that act as "handles" in order to lift a driver strapped to a racing seat out of a vehicle. This is mandated under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) safety standards.[3][12]

Most suits use fabric made of Nomex, a synthetic material produced by DuPont that retains its fire-retardant properties with time and use. Other suits consist of cotton treated with Proban, a chemical manufactured by Rhodia, or other substances. These suits can lose their fire-resistant properties over time, particularly after washing. Other suits are made of Kevlar, polybenzimidazole fiber (PBI), or carbon fibers, but are less widely used due to lack of comfort and color variety.[12][9][10][13][14][15] Newer suits, such as those produced by Sparco, have inner liners treated with menthol to create a cooling sensation and fight odor.[9][16] Additional accessories, including fire-resistant long underwear, gloves, shoes, and balaclava-like face masks or "head socks" are also worn.[3][8][10][11][17][18]

When Nomex material is exposed to flame, instead of burning or melting it develops a carbon char. The char thickens the section of fiber exposed to the flame, preventing the spread of the fire to the rest of the suit and inhibiting the transfer of heat to the wearer of the garment.[19][20][21] CarbonX is a different fabric for fire suits made of oxidized polyacrylonitrile (a precursor to carbon fiber). It is created by heating material until it oxidizes and chars, with the finished product able to last for two minutes exposed to fire. It is frequently used for racing undergarments and gloves.[21][22][23] Using multiple layers of the material, and quilting of the fabric, meanwhile, create pockets of air which further insulate the wearer from heat.[19][24][21]

The suits are not entirely fireproof, but rather fire retardant for a period of time, allowing an individual to escape an incident or be rescued with minimal injury.[13][25][26] Bill Simpson, an innovator in racing safety, estimated in 1993 that a person has "20 to 30 seconds" before a fire suit begins to burn.[25] The mandated minimum level of protection for uniforms in different racing series varies, as does the minimum standard for drivers, crew members, and officials.[8] In the NHRA drag racing series, for example, suits are designed to last 30 to 40 seconds before the wearer suffers second degree burns. This is a higher benchmark than that of most other series, due to the high risk of fire from nitromethane and alcohol-fueled cars.[12][8][17][4] SFI Foundation, Inc., formerly part of SEMA, dictates the suit fire protection standards for numerous sanctioning bodies particularly in the United States, including NASCAR, IndyCar, the NHRA, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and the United States Auto Club (USAC). The FIA determines the standards for most of its series such as Formula One and the FIA World Endurance Championship, excluding the standards of its drag racing competition which are determined by SFI.[3][12][17][18][27] SFI and FIA standards are used by other organizations outside their jurisdiction, such as the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS).[28][29]

Both SFI and the FIA use the Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) test to measure the effectiveness of fire-retardant clothing. This test, created by DuPont in the 1970s, measures the amount of time in seconds before the wearer of a garment suffers second degree burns. For example, a garment that lasts three seconds before second degree burns occur receives a TPP value of 6. Under SFI standards, this would receive a rating of 3.2A/1, the lowest possible SFI rating.[12][8][17][30][4][24]

Non-fire retardant suits

Suits in several other classes of racing are similar in appearance to fire suits, but are not designed to be fire resistant. Suits used for kart racing are not typically fire retardant, but rather are made to be abrasion resistant using leather, nylon or cordura.[28][29] Suits used for motorcycle racing, called motorcycle leathers, are also designed to be abrasion resistant. They consist of leather or a similarly-strong material, with nylon and spandex fabrics prohibited.[31] Fire-resistant undergarments are optional to provide fire protection.[31] The Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK) and FIA regulate specifications for karting suits.[28][29] The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) regulates suits for numerous racing series such as MotoGP and the AMA Supercross Championship.[31]

Branding

Since the 1980s,[1][5][10] racing suits have been customized to prominently feature the sponsors of drivers and teams, leading to designs similar to those of the race cars.[1][5][10][32] For fire suits, the material used to make the sponsor patches must also be fire proof, adding additional weight to the suit.[5][3] Many modern suits, however, use printed logos in order to reduce weight.[3]

History

Formula One mechanics (top) and a NASCAR pit crew (bottom) perform pit stops in fire-retardant suits.

Prior to the advent of fire-retardant racing suits, there were no mandated driving uniforms in most racing series.[1][2][33][30] In NASCAR competition, for example, many drivers and crew members would wear jeans and other typical street clothes.[1][2][34][11] American firm Hinchman had manufactured specialized racing suits since the mid-1920s, worn by drivers Babe Stapp and Pete DePaolo.[30][35] In the 1950s, NASCAR Grand National (NASCAR Cup Series) driver Tim Flock began wearing a specialized racing suit, which became popular in the 1960s. At this time, the suits were designed with an inner liner meant to keep drivers cool.[1][2] Soon afterwards, in several series racing suits or any driver clothing used in competition were soaked in chemical solutions to make them fire-retardant long enough for a driver to escape an incident. In NASCAR, a baking soda solution was typically used, while the SCCA mandated racing suits treated in boric acid or borax.[1][2][33][34][11][36] Boraxo, a brand of powdered soap largely composed of borax, was often used as treatment.[37][38]

The catalyst for developing racing suits that could effectively resist fire came in the late 1950s and 1960s, when several fiery crashes occurred in the motorsport world. In 1959, Jerry Unser died from burns suffered in a crash practicing for the Indianapolis 500.[39][40] In 1963, NHRA Top Fuel driver and Division 7 Tech Director Chuck Branham died after suffering burns in a crash.[25][4] During NASCAR's 1964 World 600 (today's Coca-Cola 600), Fireball Roberts was involved in a crash on lap seven while avoiding two other cars, passing away five weeks later. Roberts had asthmatic reactions to the clothing treatment used by NASCAR, and had received a waver against using it.[1][2][11][41][42] One week later during the 1964 Indianapolis 500, drivers Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs were killed in a seven-car crash on the second lap of the race.[41][43][26][38]

Following the incidents, Jim Deist and Bill Simpson, who developed some of the first drag parachutes, released the first racing suits designed to be fire-retardant. Both suits were "aluminized" in order to be flame resistant. Simpson's suit consisted of a modified cotton boilersuit.[2][25][14][4][44] In 1959 after the death of Unser, all Indy 500 competitors were required to wear fire-retardant clothing.[39][40][30] In 1963, the FIA assumed responsibility for driver safety in its series, and mandated fire-retardant suits for Formula One drivers.[6] In 1964, the NHRA mandated fire suits for its competitors.[4] By the fall of that year after Roberts' crash, nearly all NASCAR competitors began wearing fire suits,[1] although no official rule was in place.[5]

In 1966, Simpson met NASA astronaut Pete Conrad, who introduced Simpson to the Nomex material used in spacesuits for the Apollo program.[25][14] Around the same time, DuPont also approached the Hinchman company about producing Nomex racing suits.[30][35] In that year's Indianapolis 500, driver Mel Kenyon wore a Nomex fire suit produced by Hinchman.[30] Later that year, several drivers began testing experimental Nomex suits for Simpson, including F1 drivers Walt Hansgen and Masten Gregory, NASCAR driver Marvin Panch, and SCCA Trans-Am Series driver Bob Tullius.[26] Simpson's company Simpson Performance Products released the first commercial Nomex racing suit, called the "Heat Shield Firesuit", in 1967. The suits were worn by 30 of 33 competitors in the 1967 Indianapolis 500.[2][14][44]

ESPN reporter Shannon Spake wearing a fire suit in 2009

By 1970, the NHRA along with SEMA began developing specifications for fire suits, using the Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) standard developed by DuPont. These specifications are now used by SFI.[4] During the 1970s, racewear manufacturer Stand 21 partnered with brake manufacturer Ferodo and a french producer of firemen's suits to create single-layer asbestos racing uniforms. These suits never became popular, as the dangers of asbestos exposure became more well-known.[30] Actor Steve McQueen was believed to have worn asbestos suits when performing stunts for films, which may have contributed to his contraction of mesothelioma.[45][46][47][48] In 1975, the FIA introduced its current standard for fire-retardant suits.[3][7][30] At this time, DuPont created a new Nomex blend using Kevlar to prevent tearing and increase the longevity of suits.[14] In 1979, several F1 drivers including Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti, and Carlos Reutemann began competing in bulky five-layer suits constructed to NASA specifications.[3][7][30]

In the mid-1980s, companies began designing fire suits to prominently display team sponsors.[1][5][10] In 1986, the FIA introduced new specifications for fire suits, known as "FIA 1986" certification.[30] At the 1989 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 NASCAR event, ESPN/ABC broadcaster Dr. Jerry Punch was reporting from the pit stall of Richard Petty when a fire broke out, injuring two crew members who Punch proceeded to treat on the spot. Following the incident, in which several items of Punch's clothing were singed or melted, ESPN mandated that its pit reporters wear fire-retardant suits. Other networks have since adopted the practice.[5][49]

In 1994, the FIA mandated fire suits for F1 pit crew members, coinciding with refueling being allowed (until 2009) during pit stops.[50] By this time, crews in IndyCar were also required to wear fire suits.[51] In 2002, NASCAR officially mandated fire suits for both drivers and crew members servicing the car during pit stops. This was in response to non-fire-related incidents in the previous season, including the death of Dale Earnhardt at the beginning of 2001, and a pit road accident at the Pennzoil Freedom 400 near the end of the season. NASCAR was one of the last major sanctioning bodies to mandate fire suits for crew members.[5][51][52][53]

In other media

The members of the Red Star crew in the 2000 film Charlie's Angels wore black Momo Corse Torino firesuits.[54] The racing suits in Charlie's Angels were designed by Joseph G. Aulisi.[55]

List of racing suit manufacturers

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Norman, Brad (January 5, 2015). "About Fire Suits, Fuel Cells". NASCAR.com. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 King, Alanis (June 5, 2016). "How Motorsports Learned To Fight Fire With Fire (Suits)". Jalopnik. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Clothing". Formula One. January 13, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Burgess, Phil (June 12, 2012). "Fighting Fires". Dragster Insider. Archived from the original on February 18, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Siska, Ellen (April 5, 2008). "Uniform standards aim to protect drivers, crewmembers". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "History of F1: 1950s and 1960s Safety". Formula One. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "History of F1 Safety: 1970s and 1980s". Formula One. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "SFI SPECIFICATION 3.2A; PRODUCT: Driver Suits" (PDF). SFI Foundation, Inc. March 27, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 "Hot under the collar? Not in a NASCAR fire suit". YouTube. NASCAR. April 6, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rookie Stripe: Fourteen Facts About NASCAR Fire Suits". Skirts and Skuffs. October 28, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Houston, Rick (October 9, 2012). "Dressing the part". NASCAR. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Impact Suit Technology" (PDF). Impact! Racing. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "The material keeping F1 drivers safe". CNN, DuPont. November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Nomex". Motor Sport. April 2000. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  15. ↑ Sarah Forst (November 4, 2008). How to Build Performance Nissan Sport Compacts, 1991-2006 HP1541: Engine and Suspension Modifications for Nissan Sentra, NX, 200SX, and Infiniti G20. Covers engines GA16DE, SR20DE, QG18DE, and QR25DE. Penguin Publishing Group. pp. 277–278. ISBN 978-1-4406-5797-9. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  16. ↑ Kligerman, Parker (February 16, 2016). "A NASCAR Driver's Perspective On How Proper Technology Leads To A Competitive Edge". SportTechie. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Wolf, Andrew (March 28, 2016). "In Case Of Fire: Is Your Safety Gear Up To Snuff?". DragZine. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. 1 2 "Firesuits -- The Science of Speed". National Science Foundation. August 9, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  20. ↑ "The Facts Behind the Performance of Nomex® when Exposed to Intense Heat". DuPont. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 Diandra Leslie-Pelecky (February 14, 2008). The Physics of Nascar: The Science Behind the Speed. Penguin Publishing Group. pp. 231–234. ISBN 978-1-101-21394-0. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  22. ↑ Halford, Bethany (February 2, 2009). "Materials For The Modern Gladiator: Thanks to innovations in materials science and engineering, NASCAR drivers can crash at 200 mph and walk away from the wreckage". Chemical & Engineering News. 87 (5): 12–15. doi:10.1021/cen-v087n005.p012. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  23. ↑ Ryan, Nate (July 29, 2004). "After the Infineon Raceway incident, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finds protective clothing underneath firesuit is a necessity". The Tribune-Democrat. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  24. 1 2 Faye, Jennifer M. "SFI Foundation Specs Assure Quality Driver Suits". SFI Foundation, Inc. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 Markus, Rober (May 25, 1993). "Indy Safety Starts Before Engines Do: Fire Suits, Helmets Help Protect Drivers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 Aumann, Mark (February 16, 2011). "SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, CHANGES DEFINE RACING ERAS". NASCAR.com. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Members". SFI Foundation, Inc. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  28. 1 2 3 "Kart Suits vs Race Suits" (PDF). Scrutineers News (5): 5. October 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  29. 1 2 3 "2014 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport: General Requirements for Cars and Drivers; Schedule D - Apparel" (PDF). Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. January 1, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Overall Overhaul" (PDF). Institute Quarterly (3): 67–71. January 10, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  31. 1 2 3 "Technical Rules for Track Racing (Including Rules for Motoball): 2014" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme. 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  32. ↑ Papaserge, Ryan (June 9, 2011). "NASCAR: The 20 Most Ridiculous Fire Suits in History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  33. 1 2 McCluggage, Denise (July 10, 2008). "What We Wore Then". Autoweek. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  34. 1 2 Padecky, Bob (June 21, 2012). "PADECKY: Going 200 mph in a tomato can". The Press Democrat. San Francisco. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  35. 1 2 "About Us". Hinchman Racing Uniforms. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  36. ↑ Lew; Jeff; Carla; Chad Parks (November 8, 2011). Win from the Back: Memoirs of a Racecar Mechanic. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4634-5249-0. Retrieved November 8, 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ↑ Miller, Robin (August 2002). "Crash Course: When NASCAR Blamed Bill Simpson, auto racing's foremost safety pioneer, for the death of driving great Dale Earnhardt, the Indianapolis business owner bumped back". Indianapolis Monthly: 48–56. ISSN 0899-0328. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  38. 1 2 Roy, Roger (May 28, 2001). "'Fireball' -- Racing Star's Death Spurred Changes". Orlando Sentinel. Daytona Beach, Florida. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  39. 1 2 Williamson, Martin. "Deaths in Formula One". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  40. 1 2 Indianapolis Motor Speedway (May 3, 2002). "IRL: Indianapolis Motor Speedway safety innovations". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  41. 1 2 Hinton, Ed (February 11, 2001). "What Price Safety? Deaths in Auto Racing Appear to Be Preventable With New Features, but NASCAR Seems Unwilling to Change Its Attitude". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  42. ↑ Steve Rajtar; Gayle Rajtar (September 9, 2014). Gone Pro: Florida: Gator Athletes Who Became Pros. Clerisy Press. p. 356. ISBN 978-1-57860-542-2. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  43. ↑ Greuter, Henri (December 8, 2011). "The Indy 1964 second-lap disaster – Closing in on the truth; Part 2: Before May 30, 1964". 8W. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  44. 1 2 "Simpson Past & Present". Simpson Performance Products. Archived from the original on March 18, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  45. ↑ McQueen Toffel, Neile (1986). My Husband, My Friend. Penguin Group. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-451-14735-6.
  46. ↑ Spiegel, Penina (1987). McQueen: The Untold Story of a Bad Boy in Hollywood - Penina Spiegel. Berkley Books. ISBN 9780425104866. Retrieved January 15, 2012 – via Internet Archive. JULIA ann.
  47. ↑ Sandford, Christopher (2003), McQueen: The Biography, New York: Taylor Trade Publishing, pp. 42, 126, 213, 324, 391, 410
  48. ↑ Rong, Blake Z. (April 24, 2014). "Why Steve McQueen canceled a $3 million life insurance policy". Autoweek. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  49. ↑ Hall, Andy (April 10, 2012). "Punch's near miss led to safety gear for ESPN's NASCAR pit reporters". ESPN Front Row. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  50. ↑ "History of F1: 1990s". Formula One. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  51. 1 2 Berry, Steve (October 2, 1994). "Nascar Is Behind In Safety: Compared With Indycar And Formula One, Stock-car Racing Is Not A Leader In Safety Or Research". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  52. ↑ Hinton, Ed (November 17, 2001). "Pit-crew Safety A High Priority: Nascar Said It Is Considering Requiring Helmets And Fire-retardant Uniforms". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  53. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (September 3, 2016). "Not wearing gloves draws potential fine from NASCAR". ESPN.com. Darlington, South Carolina. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  54. ↑ "RED STAR MOMO CORSE RACING FIRESUIT CHARLIE'S ANGELS". Worthpoint.
  55. ↑ Jobe, Kenneth (May 28, 2014). "A BoJ Field Trip/Research Project". BooksofJobe.com.


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