Fashion advice?

[Dave Diamond]

Increasing thoughts about safety have led me toward the purchase of additional equipment, starting with a racing suit. Though not required in 944 spec for TT events, it seemed like a good idea. So I bought a suit over the holidays. I tend to get overheated easily and sweat a lot, and some of you may know what a stripped-out 944 is like inside: you sit next to the tunnel near where the exhaust pipe runs (whose idea was it to put the motor in the front?) and can burn your arm if you’re not careful. So I found a 2-layer SFI 5 suit that was advertised as a cooler one (GF-545) and didn’t break the budget. I figured 2 layers ought to be cooler than 3, right? I wore it at Chuckwalla this past (quite cool) weekend, and though I looked “cool,” (so my wife said), temperature-wise I was anything but. Even in the mild weather I was getting overheated and uncomfortable. I can’t imagine what it would be like in really hot weather. Yet I always see lots of racers sitting around between sessions with their suits on and zipped up, relaxing and not dripping with sweat, obviously not using their cool-shirts while eating lunch. Did I make a mistake with this suit? If I paid twice as much, could I find a suit that’s half as hot? Do I have to add yet another piece of paraphernalia (i.e., a cool-shirt system?) Maybe it’s just my physiology and I’m stuck with it; even back in high school I would sweat off 6-8 lbs every football practice, and it’s pretty much the same way in a race car, even wearing only thin cotton sweat pants and a t-shirt.

So what do the rest of you do? You must know something about suits that I don’t. I’m now thinking that maybe the risk of fire is less than the risk of heat exhaustion. (I’ve had it, and it’s not good.)

Another time I’ll ask about driving shoes – like whether any of you wear size 14 or 15, and if so, what kind and where did you get them. I’m not having much luck with that either.

Thanks.

[Jad]

Racing suits are hot no matter what you pay for them. Cool suits help a lot and when you get out of the car nice and cool, sitting around isn't bad. The heat bothers some more than others.

[mrondeau]

944's tend to be warmer than 911's due to the front engine, torque tube layout. Invest in a cool suit, you'll be glad you did.

[c4s4pcs]

I invested in a Stand 21 breathable suit a couple of years ago. Quite expensive, but far cooler than my previous Momo suit. YMMV...

[martinreinhardt]

I absolutely love my custom Stand21 race suit it's much cooler than my previous suits, it's the Rolex or Tag Heuer of race suits in every way. Previously, I owned OMP, Momo and Sparco suits, they are also very fashionable and very good race suits and I would buy them again in that order. The one I would not buy again is the Alpinestars "Carbon X" suit, I used it for a few years and didn't like the cut, the quality and the material was terrible.

[Dan Chambers]

Dave, I'm with a ya on the heat issues. We have similar physiology issues: I sweat and over-heat a lot, too.

Here are a couple of ideas:
1) Buy a pair of nomex boxers and wear them directly under your suit. (No sweatpants, long pants, jeans under the suit.)
1b) Where short pants and a short-sleeved T-shirt under your suit ... peel the suit off as soon as you get to the pits to cool down.
2) Wear a cool colored (white, light blue) short-sleeved T-shirt under your suit (or, a nomex SS T-shirt). When you get to the pits, peal down the top half of your suit and tie the sleeves around your waist to cool off between sessions.
3) Invest in a Cool Shirt system when driving.
4) Use a nomex balaclava under your helmet, soaked in cool water before putting on your helmet.
5) Take my old "freezer Pac" vest system off my hands, (I'll let you have it for cheap) and wear it all the time (freezer pac's are pressed up directly to your chest and back. Very cooling).
6) Avoid drinking a lot of coffee/energy drinks in the morning. Caffeine and guanine are vaso-constrictors that hinder cooling by capillary blood vessels in the skin.

Finally ... and I say this with all respect to you and everyone else... get in top physical conditioning with good to strong cardio fitness to help your body regulate heat better. The higher your vascular tissue near the surface of your skin, the quicker the body gets cooled down when hot. The quickest way to increase vascular tissue growth in the body is hard cardio workouts, followed by a day of rest, recovery, and re-build. - Bike. Swim. Run. Row. There are plenty of fun options for cardio work-outs. (Ectomorphs manage heat better than endomorphs.)

You can PM me for my number if you're interested in my cool vest system.

Hope that helps. Stay cool.