Racing Suit Question

[Howard Jones]

I am looking into a racing suit and since it will be my first I have a question abut the different materials.

I see that "Proban" seams to be less expensive than "Nomex" type suits. I also have seen reference to "find out if you sanctioning body requires "nomex" material before ordering a "proban" suit.

For you racers out there. What do you think about "proban" material in compairson to "nomex". Is their a issue with trackday type sanctioning bodys and the use of proban suits?

What are your comments on these two types of suits.

I plan to have a fitted two layer suit made and I would like your comments before I spend any money.

 

[Ron Earp]

I also faced that choice but bit the bullet and bought a Nomex suit because it is accepted everywhere, no questions asked. I additionally went and bought a 3 layer suit. For SCCA, if the suit has three layers you do not need fire retardant underwear and t-shirt. If it only has two layers, you do have to have this stuff. The additional third layer in the suit doesn't hurt at all for mobility or heat retention, the blasted things are hot as hell anyhow unless it is a single layer suit.

If it were my money I'd buy the suit once, a three layer, so it can be used for everything, track days and real racing, so that you're prepared for the future. Get a good quality suit, it is worth it, probably expect to spend north of $600. They make great Christmas presents, Santa Claus brought might.

Ron

 

[dave harris]

Howard,
From personal experience - - there's two things you don't scrimp on;
1 - helmet - get the best - pray you never find out how good it is - but get the best
2 - Nomex - 3 layer suit, or Nomex 2 layer and wear the underwear (I prefer 2 layer and underwear as the suits last longer if you're not cleaning them so often - and the underwear can be cheaply replaced if you should "expense" it during an unscheduled manuver).

I've had too many accidents and too many involved fire, even a little fire is too much to chance cheap protection on.

just my .02

 

[Ron Earp]

Hey Dave,

Hope I am not doing anything illegal but I wear regular underwear under the three layer as I thought that was legal. That way I don't have to wash it as much and I don't have to wear the nomex stuff, which I don't have a lot of.

R

 

[dave harris]

Hi Ron - you're ok (at least you were when I was actively racing - don't know if anything has changed in the last 5 years or so). With a 3 layer suit - you did not need the underwear - only for 2 layer. But you should check the latest SCCA regs in your book.

Hell, when I first started we got away with single layer suits!!!!
cheers

 

[wpeter]

I've always used Nomex and don't know anything about Proban. I bought a 3 layer suit thinking that having all the layers together would solve all the problems. I forgot that you sweat in these things and it made it very difficult to get off.So I ended up putting a T shirt under the 3 layer. I now use and prefer the 2 layer with underwear. I think it is a little cooler as well.
Bill

 

[Pat]

Proban is treated cotton or other material and with time (and lots of washings) can lose its effectiveness. The SCCA allows PROBAN underwear but you need NOMEX or other similar outer material with a patch that certifies it at least as SFI 3-2A/1. Of you have SFI 3-2A/5 you don't need the underwear. One note about helmets. Each one has a Snell certification of SA for special application i.e. fire retartant lining and other materials. You can buy an older SA95 helment but in 2007 SA2000 wil be required. They have also shortened the wear date on most belts to two years. So don't get caught out should you get checked.

 

[ChrisL]

[ QUOTE ]
I wear regular underwear under the three layer

[/ QUOTE ]

Whatever underwear you choose to wear, make sure that any clothing that touches your skin is pure white. As described in the literature provided by the Australian sanctioning body (CAMS), burns victims often survive the burn injuries, only to be later struck down by blood poisoning caused by the dye in the clothing.

Another "must" in my book (although very few seem to realize it) is a neck collar. The most common form of race fatalities are cause by the head snapping forward and breaking the neck in an identical fashion to being hung! A neck collar is cheap insurance.

PS. Sorry if I am sounding a little gruesome here, but it is almost impossible to talk safety without sounding a little alarmist.

 

[Howard Jones]

I have been looking at nomex suits and since I have a set of nomex underwear I an fairly sure I will be buying a 2 Layer single piece 5 rated suit. I completely agree on the helmet comments. I have ruined a Bell full face against a 4X4 post racing bikes. The helmet had a near perfect indentation of the aformentioned 4X4 accross the top that was about 3/8" deep. Didn't feel a thing.

My neck on the other hand has had a sort of snap crackel and pop in it since 1975.

Lets keep this thread going and expand to safety equip as needed to trackday verces racing etc.

I have also installed a on board fire system. I thing this is something we all should do if for no other reason that protecting the investment against a engine room fire. Of course there is the matter of saving your own ass too.

Good information on white clothing. Does this include died nomex? Would you wear anything else other than nomex underwear, nomex socks, gloves, hood and helmet? I got the part about the neck collar. How about a HANS device or other similar devices.

 

[ChrisL]

[ QUOTE ]
How about a HANS device or other similar devices.

[/ QUOTE ]

The HANS device is still a new product and you will find many arguments for and against. In my opinion, the HANS device is an excellent product and will probably become as common as the safety harness eventually. However, its current cost can make it prohibitive to some (in the thousands of dollars here in Australia by the time you convert/buy a helmet that suits) but cost-per-safety is a personal decision. The collar though costs less than what you probably have in your wallet right now so there is no excuse there.

The major racing category here in Australia (V8 Supercars) has recently introduce a new rule that makes it mandatory to wear a HANS device. That was, as expected, followed by some grumblings from various drivers. The most common complaint was that it allowed less neck movement so it would result in the drivers having restricted vision. This turned out to be true in some cases and a few incidents were blamed on the driver’s inability to see a car in their blind spot. A more recent concern was raised by one of the V8 drivers (Brad Jones) who found himself sitting in his car while on its roof twice. He described the incidents as the most terrifying moments that he had ever been in. The HANS device apparently restricted his movement so much that he could not release himself from the racecar, all the time the smell of fuel vapors getting stronger. In both cases, he relied totally on a rescuer to arrive at the scene to release his HANS device and then his harness.

The final word on these devices by the governing body was that there were significant issues with HANS in some cases (and they would be looked at) but on balance, it was better to have them than not… not dissimilar to the original argument for wearing a seat belt.

 

[Ron Earp]

For SCCA racing (reason I say that is I *think* professional sanctoining bodies are stuck on Hans and won't consider others) there is another device that is quite popular, the Issac restraint system. Issac is pretty neat and has never been bested in a crash study, even by the Hans system. The group/guy that developed it is a racer/engineer of course and it was designed pretty well I think. I've seen both on racers, never tried either myself, but to me the Issac system appears to offer more mobility and looks to be easy to get off in a crash.

http://www.isaacdirect.com/html/works.html

Right now I just have a little neck donut, but I'll be getting one of these two devices in the future.

Ron

 

[Scott]

Isaac freaks me out. Two more things a worker has to release to get your unconscious ass out of a burning car. That's if I'm interpreting the website and mounting instructions correctly... HANS at least comes out with the driver, though I admit it looks bulky and awkward, and you see sedan drivers struggle to get out the window with it on.

Scott