steveP911

I think the Simpson Hybrid S is a great improvement over, uh, having nothing for your neck. I got one last year and although not "needing" it yet, feel much more secure with it on. I don't experience any reduction in driving visibility or comfort (and I do have it adjusted correctly). Yes, it's pricey - $1100 for me - but that seems like small potatoes compared to impact consequences.

I'm beginning to explore suits today (at OG Racing). My hope is that modern technology has improved coolness without sacrificing safety, but then again, I'm not an endurance racer. I'm in my DE car for 30 minutes tops so I think I can handle being hot for a bit. I try to hydrate a lot. $400 sounds like towards the low end, but that's about my starting target.

Steve

ProCoach

In the Southeast, the less expensive suits are very heavy and can be hot in the late spring/summer/early fall. Less expensive suits are generally those below $1000.

That said, you can often get a really good deal from OG and other vendors on discontinued suits that can save hundreds of dollars. I often take advantage of those deals.

There is a weight per square meter spec for the fabric, at or below 300 grams/square meter can indicate a much more comfortable weight in the heat.

All brands have several weights. Would NOT recommend two-piece suits.

As far as safety, the SFI ratings are a very good guide. Most competition groups used to require at least a 3.2A-5, I think the TPP of a 3.2A-10 is more optimal, but as the number goes up, the thickness does too, usually.

SFI SPECIFICATION 3 (sfifoundation.com)

Wujohn

Thank you!

Matt Romanowski

As important as the rating of the suit, make sure to get FR underwear. It essentially doubles the overall rating. Check out this video to learn some more. Racing Goes Safer has some great info and seminars.

LuigiVampa

That was hard to watch.

It just shows how wrong something can go in a fraction of an instant.

Jeff951NJ

I am lucky to be able to call Mark a friend. As an update he had an additional sugary today that was said to have gone very well.

Mike Roblin

If you can stretch your budget a little higher, I highly recommend the Sparco Hocotex material for breathability in hot climates.

ProCoach

Thats my current favorite. Really good stuff, light and with very good protection,

Yellow996

I am almost certain that PCA Club Racing does not allow two-piece suits.

ProCoach

I was talking about non-competition events. I've seen 'em...

fatbillybob

How many DE'ers drive with visor up? I see racers do that too often

De Jeeper

I wear a 2 piece suit for my de days. Its what i own and is better then nothing.

I do but i may start practicing with it down.

stownsen914

Anecdotally, I'd say many. Maybe most. I put mine down always, including in enclosed cars. I like my face the way it is (not a popular opinion possibly lol).

Quadcammer

i'm visor up most of the time, but do put it about 80% of the way down when its bright or cold out. I wear glasses so at least chances of something hitting me in the eye is minimal.

goes for DE and racing

Mark at AMT

Hi folks:

Glad someone posted the video in Rennlist and I appreciate your support and comments. I'll respond to a couple points that were raised.

Track safety is something I sorta forgot to mention in the video, and yes I wish I had spent a couple minutes on it. A friend of mine totaled his Corvette in those same trees about a year before I did. He's an NJMP member and needless to say quite pissed when he heard that I nearly died in the same place. For their credit NJMP has now put barriers around those trees so it can't happen again. What about the rest of the tracks in the country that have exposed trees? I'm not prepared to go on a war path and insist that all tracks spend hundreds of thousands to protect all trees or be shut down. However as drivers we should make more concious decisions about tracks we patronize and their general attitude toward safety. Someone here posted a video of New York Safety Track. I have the overall track record there at 1:27.8 and if you watch my video (I'll link it at the bottom) you'll see I'm very highly comitted in some parts of the track where trees are just off to the side. Having been to NYST many times, watching the flaggers literally sleeping in their towers, I'm pretty confident if this accident happened there I'd be dead in the trees probably before anyone even knew I had left the track. There are no real safety crews their either. So what do we do? Never go to NYST or any track that's a little (or a lot) unsafe? I think we drivers can still go there and force ourselves to dial it back a bit. Some places safety responsibility is shared between track and driver, and sometimes it's just you. For me persoanlly, I would go back to NYST but I think I'd be so conservative that it wouldn't be that much fun. A couple of groups have asked me to go there and coach their students about the fastest way to get around that track, but I don't know how I could do that without being a total hypocrite.

I have no memory of anything as I said in the video, but the reason I would have crowded the Miata is because he was the one who gave me the point by. The BMW had no reason to move his position and I couldn't be positive he even knew I was there. But I guess I assumed that since the Miata driver gave me the point by that he was prepared to make room. Bad choice on my part. Clearly I wish he had used all the available track and/or put two wheels in the dirt to avoid contact, and obviously I wish I had either waited 5 seconds or got closer to the BMW.

We did the video next to the fire mostly because it's a pretty background, but also to show that I'm not afraid of fire. I like fire, just not being on fire!

In regard to visor down, in the in car video from the other driver you can see a piece of my car fly in through his side window and actually hit so hard it cracked his windshield. He has his visor up and if that had hit him in the eye the weekend would have another element of tragedy. So yes visor down for fires but also for protection form **** flying through the window. I've had Hoosier track turds come through my side window and clunk me in the helmet more than once as well.

$400 is defintely a low end suit. If it has an A3.2/5 rating (which I think should be the only suit you consider) then it's going to be a welding suit! My suit was an Astars GP Tech which I believe retails for $1300. I now have a $2000 Hypertech for when I get back on track. But the GP Tech is really no hotter than jeans and a shirt, plus it's way more comfortable and it will save your life. I'm getting all the stuff from Astars and Sparco up on my site, and when it's there I'll offer a 10% discount off all safey gear for Rennlisters. HANS, Stilo, and auto fire systems included. Just give me a couple weeks to get all that stuff up there as there are a lot of products.

Feel free to ask any other questions and I'll be sure to answer them. Thanks all for your support.