What is a Nomex race suit?

Car racing suits. When you look at it from a manufacturing point of view, car racing suits are very much similar to a kart racing suit. But car racing suits are made of NOMEX instead of cordura for further protection and safety. Nomex saves drivers from 2nd degree burns. Straps are also compulsory on the shoulders of their suits to pull a driver out of the car in case of an accident.

Within Europe car racing suits, are all manufactured according to the specifications of FIA, strictly following the standards of FIA 8856-2000.

What is Nomex? Nomex is the most recommended fabric for the manufacturing of car racing suits. Nomex is inherently flame resistant. In fact, it actually carbonises and becomes thicker when exposed to intense heat, forming an additional protective barrier between the heat source and skin.

Singles vs Multi Layer? Typically, more layers mean will more protection. A two or three-layer suit is more resistant to flame and heat transfer and therefore will give you extra time during an emergency situation versus single layer suit.

Types of Racing Suits: There are two types of car racing suits i.e. One piece and Two piece.

One piece provides increased safety over multi piece garments. The reason is simple. There can sometimes be a gap between the jacket and under garments on two-piece suits, exposing the user to possible burns. Still, many two-piece auto racing suits meet 3.2A/5 specifications and are often used by drag racers. Advantages of a two-piece suit include increased mobility and easier removal when comfort is a factor.

What about racing under garments? Choosing the right undergarment is very important. You can not use athletic undergarments you often see used in football, basketball and other sports as the nylon, elastane, or polyester used in these garments will melt when ignited. So the use of nomex undergarments provides an added level of security, especially in the case of single layer racing suits.

So what's the difference between single, double and triple layer car racing suits?

Single layer suit - Single layer suit consists of woven nomex.

Double layer nomex suit - The outer layer of the racing suit is made up of woven nomex. Whereas inner layer is made up of knitted nomex, hence providing increased safety and protection.

Triple layer nomex suit - A triple layer suit consists of three layers. The outer most layer consists of woven nomex, the middle layer consists of nomex and innermost layer consists of knitted nomex. This is mostly used in professional racing as it is provides high level safety for drivers.

So as you can tell, there is a lot to consider when choosing the right race suit for you, but all for good reason. For any further information on which race suit is right for you, please don't hesitate to ask one of us at Custom Racewear.