WARNING: IS SFI-5 ENOUGH?

So that everyone basically understands safety burn ratings, here are some facts: SFI-1= 6 seconds, SFI-5 =19 seconds, TPP, the Industry standard.

EXAMPLE: A brand new one layer proban (or nomex) suit with underwear might have a TPP, under ideal conditions of 13 seconds. (In reality, closer to 9.5.) ALARM, that is the awareness of heat, would occur in 3.1 seconds. PAIN would occur in 3.4 seconds, and actual BURN would start at 6.5 seconds - under ideal conditions. Cut those times in half for a worn suit, or one with oil residue stains. These are the same standards used for the Fire Fighting Industry, and the Military. The difference is, a jet pilot can hit the ejection seat, and a fireman can retreat. A race driver cannot: he must first bring his car to a stop, unbuckle, then clear the window net or cowling. (Note that even at 50 mph., all time is used just to bring the car to a stop.)

This is not to scare you, these facts are so you can make a sound judgement on the level of safety you will feel comfortable with. Do you have an on-board fire system? Is it of sufficient capacity? Is the engine in front or behind you? Fuel cell? All steel lines? No holes in the firewall? What is the relative danger of the course you are on - i.e., 1/4 mile oval with banking, or road race with all concrete barrier walls and no run off areas? Top speed? Based on all of the foregoing, my suit would be an SFI-5 with Firewear underwear and 100% cotton Tee shirt. (On days above 75 degrees, we would also soak the Firewear underwear in cold water for added comfort/protection.) That's for road or oval track - for drag I would be in an SFI-15, if I was burning any race fuel, otherwise SFI-5. (Except Stock cars.)

It goes without saying, a closed face SA rated helmet is a must. Long hair, moustache, or beard require a balaclava (headsock). For closed cars (windshield) the visor may be worn open for air flow. (On impact it will usually close to protect against flying glass and flames - or may be closed manually.) Here, we will also mention the use of a contoured collar (not 360 degrees round), that can more than double the protection against neck injury. But, let's get to the other considerations - hands and feet. Many sanctioning bodies allow leather for shoes and gloves. Leather transfers heat almost instantly, and shrinks with sufficient force to crush foot/hand bones. Any man made plastic or rubber will burn, or worse, melt and can imbed into the skin, requiring skin grafting. You must use your hands and feet in a fire, yet, they have TPP ratings of less than your drivers suit. Any scar tissue on your ankles or hands will severely limit use. Nomex socks are a must, and I don't mean dirty or worn thin. I personally would not think of driving with a plastic, leather or rubber shoe. The same goes for gloves. With the advent of fire resistant materials, and now Kevlar, no one need settle for inferior materials and take unnecessary fire risk.

A word of caution for all drivers, crew, workers - even spectators. Only 100% cotton or wool garments should be worn. Polyester, blends and acrylics burn, and when next to skin will require skin grafting. It is not a pretty sight. 50/50 Tee shirts and acrylic socks are the worst offenders. Also, check jackets and sweatshirts.

We honestly believe our gloves, shoes and collars offer as much as double the actual protection of any equipment available today. While Kevlar is expensive, we use it in all our products in lieu of leather. We only use leather as an applique for wear, and it is designed so that upon being subjected to fire, it will fall off due to the shear action on the thread caused by shrinkage. Our shoes are not constructed of nomex outer, an insulating foam heat barrier, and kevlar liner, and while rated a a "5" - approach 15. The man made "sole" of our shoes is laminated to a leather outer sole, and the inside construction is multiple layers of insulite, kevlar and nomex for extreme protection. Gloves contain one layer of nomex and one layer of kevlar. These construction techniques are time consuming, but offer lighter weight, greater feel, comfort and extreme protection.

Remember Bell's old advertisement, "If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet"? "Safety equipment is like a chain - it is only as good as its weakest link."

WHAT TO WEAR AND WHY

PRO Series VENTED SUITS

Only PRO Series vented suits can keep you up to 24 degrees cooler than any other on the market. A one degree rise in core body temperature will drastically reduce concentration. A two degree rise will tenfold error rates. This loss of concentration accounts for many errors and accidents late in a race during normal ambient temperatures. Don't consider a "fixed-arm" (unvented) style of sweat suit construction if you race under the sun or in temperatures above 75 degrees.

Our vented suits cool four ways: evaporation, air exchange, wind chill factor (which keeps maximum body surface temperatures below ambient temperature), and by eliminating humidity rise. Knit venting and arm attachment also allows maximum freedom of movement.

PROPER FIT - DRIVER SUITS

When choosing a suit, always give proper consideration to safety, comfort and price. No standard (fixed arm or unvented) suit allows you to drive with maximum concentration, or fully enjoy our sport. For all types of racing we recommend a minimum of two layers and underwear for maximum protection against fire and hot liquids.

For ready-made suits, the most important size is the chest, waist (beer belly), and trunk. To measure trunk, hold the tape exactly on the seam juncture of the inside of the pant leg and crotch. Stand in an upright position (with belly relaxed and a normal breath of air in the lungs), and measure from the crotch (halfway back) to the "V" in the collar bone (E1 & E2 ).

Make exact measurements. We will add a minimum of two inches on chest and waist size for a correct fit. To spare you the cost of a custom fitted suit, all of our better, vented suits come in both short and tall sizes. Arm and leg length may be shortened, if necessary, by any local alteration shop.

Remember: A tight fitting suit may look good, but it's useless for competition. A bulkier fit is more comfortable for driving because the extra air space keeps you cooler longer, especially in a fire.

GLOVES

Properly fitted gloves need to be snug with your hands positioned as though you were gripping the steering wheel. With fingers straightened, the glove should feel tight, the individual finger seams need not come completely to the palm, and the area between the thumb and first finger may be webbed. (Driver's gloves should only be comfortable and fit correctly when gripping the wheel.)

We consider hand safety to be of the utmost importance. You must be able to use your hands to exit a burning vehicle. We suggest using a two-layer glove.

UNDERWEAR

Our PRO Series knit is significantly cooler than Nomex. Nomex will defeat most of the advantages of PRO Series VENTED DRIVING SUITS. Knit headsocks absorb sweat and reduce "salt burn" caused by perspiration running into the eyes during competition. (If using Nomex, try placing a 1/4 inch diameter roll of cotton just above the eye opening to absorb sweat.) A single eyeport should be used, except for drag racing, as twin eye holes might shift partially blocking vision.

We recommend Jockey shorts for support and our knit underwear (wet during hot weather) under our SFI-5 suits. The top is rinsed between sessions or changed. The SFI Foundation says our underwear may be soaked in water and refrigerated prior to use. Besides cooling, it will increase fire safety. (We do not recommend soaking Nomex underwear.)

HELMETS

"SA" (Sports Application) professional helmets provide extreme impact resistance and higher fire protection than Snell "M" (Motorcycle) rated helmets. Closed helmets may reduce the possibility of spinal column injuries in head-on collisions. (The "chin protector" will strike the sternum (breastbone) and limit the head's forward movement.) For this reason, we do not recommend open faced or M-rated helmets, and strongly urge you to use a professional contoured neck collar while driving. The Dominator and Vortex's lightweight, composite construction offers ultimate comfort and safety.

For formula and open cars, the AFX PRO Series 2000 (venturi vented), or the Bieffe F1 Series are recommended. A wind buffeting design is incorporated. For off-road or dirt tracks, we suggest the unvented XFM.

In closed cars, use the lightweight, M3 PRO Series 2000 Kevlar, or the Bieffe Predator are recommended as these helmets have several degrees of greater visibility in the downward plane not required in open cars. Venting is both direct and venturi.

BELL Helmets have a 1/8 inch thick polycarbonate shield in case of flying debris. All SA rated helmets have provision for tear offs and offer clear, light, or dark tinted visors. The fog free feature is optional. Clear or tinted permanent FOG FREE liners for visors are recommended. Helmet bags offer shield protection and eliminate odor absorption by the helmet liner from used clothing in equipment bags.

All PRO 2000 series helmets are made of Kevlar for the lightest weight possible. Bieffe helmets are carbon composite. The Sport 2000 is an economy helmet suitable for all cars, but, being fiberglass, is heavier and not particularly suitable for high speed competition. A forced-air version of the Sport is cooler than any other helmet when used in conjunction with a scoop or blower.

SHOES

When standing shoes should fit tightly, with no excess toe room (you lose a half size when sitting). They are meant to wear while driving only, not for comfort or style. Safety and pedal feel are prime considerations. Width should not be cramped, or else loss of feeling (tingling) will occur from blood flow restriction. We recommend using soft sole loafers between race sessions.

EARPLUGS

Recommended for Drivers, Crew, Workers and Spectators. Exposure to race engine noise will result in Tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears and lowered ability to understand speech later in life. Tinnitus is irreversible and there is no known cure. Hearing aids will not help. Speech becomes garbled and incomprehensible. This loss is cumulative with time and exposure and decibel rating.

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