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.
- ^ Norman, Brad (January 5, 2015). "About Fire Suits, Fuel Cells". NASCAR.com. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "Clothing". Formula One. January 13, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NHRA-FightingFireswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
ESPN-UniformStandardswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "History of F1: 1950s and 1960s Safety". Formula One. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
- ^ "History of F1 Safety: 1970s and 1980s". Formula One. Retrieved November 13, 2016.[permanent dead link]