Driver Suit: Sparco Dealers, Safety, Colors and Care

[Sheldon Potter]

Howdy – I’m starting to “accessorize”, as they say, w/ driving gear – you know, suit, shoes, helmet, perl necklace, flowered purse, etc. and wondering about a couple of driver’s suit related matters.

1. I’m leaning toward one of the Sparco karting suits. Any local dealers? Best/worst of the Web sources? I’ve already determined that one model I like seems to be hard to find in stock, so am wondering who, if anyone, seems to keep pretty good inventory? What about return/restocking policies and charges? One outfit wants a 15% restocking fee, which seems pretty high considering you can’t know which size will fit until you get a couple in hand to actually try on.

2. Are any of the karting suits necessarily better than the others when it comes to protecting the driver – e.g. from abrasions, etc.?

3. Although two color (e.g. black bottom/white top) suits are nice looking, I’m wondering about the practicality of any light color, white or other. I understand the karts blow a lot of fluids, and of course there’s the on-track mechanical work that’s likely to be needed, grease and all…. Thoughts?

4. Fabric protection. I’ve read that you should Scotchguard your suit before using, and I’ve also heard about a product called Molecule Protector. Or maybe I could use some Armor All? Do any of these (or others) really protect the suit from grime, oil, beer, etc.?

Thanks.

Sheldon Potter

[Curt Kistler]

Sheldon,
Be sure whoever you purchase your Sparco from does have a return policy. The sizing charts are all different from one mfg to another and your first attempt will not fit you well if you purchase over the web or through a catalog. Second, you don’t need to spend alot of $$$ on a flame resistant suit for karting. Lean more twords the abrasion resistant nylon and washer/dryer friendly factor over everything else.
Every track and kart shop locally, and over the hill, have driving suit selections. You may not find the exact style or color you are looking for, but you will be able to try one on to see what the correct size for you would be prior to purchasing.
One last suggestion, check with the mfg of your chassis and look into a team driving suit. You do not need to be on a team but you will be able to represent on the podium and around the pits.
Just a couple of suggestions to think about before you scratch a check.
Hope to see you out there soon,
Curt

[Troy Smith]

SJP:

Agree 100% w/ Curt. I would add this; to keep your suit clean, plan on washing it often. Spray & Wash w/ a cold-water wash will get most of the track grime out of the suit. Also, my team GM made a great suggestion to me…buy a practice suit and a race suit. I know this can be pricey but on a hot race weekend it is always nice to pull on clean, dry attire! You can get a great K1 suit for under $100 at http://www.k1racegear.com.

I’m one of the few guys who actually wears nomex under his suit (at least that I’m aware of). You can get many brands of nomex if that is a concern of yours. My attitude is this…they’re called “accidents” for a reason and a little nomex is a small price to pay for the piece of mind I get when driving around w/ 2 gallons of highly-flamable race fuel lodged between ‘the fellas’. This being said, I don’t have a nomex suit (cost upwards of $1,000) but I do, as stated, wear the fire-resistant ‘undies’.

When it comes to the oil, there will be little splatter marks on your suit but they will be lessened by the washing. Once you wash it, turn it inside out, zip it up and hang it to dry on a plastic or wooden hanger (most of the driving suits have a type of terry cloth interior)- about 3 hours to dry here in CO. Also, take Greg Welch’s advice from the last seminar…don’t put any tools or parts in your seat when working on the kart; the leftover dirt/grime will then be ground into your suit. Lastly, get into the habit of taking off your suit to work on your kart between races or sessions. When you do, hang it and pull the legs and arms inside out to dry and air out…you’ll thank me for this little tidbit mid-July – late August. A little drying will go a long way!!! 😀 By removing the suit to work on the kart, it will help you to keep your suit MUCH cleaner and keep your mind focused that when you put on the driving suit it’s time to do just that, drive (this sounds trivial but it makes a difference…when you put on the suit and helmet it’s time to think about nothing but driving).

Best,

Troy

[Sheldon Potter]

Thanks, guys, for your replies.

One other item – what’s the various ratings all about? For example, I see an Alpinestars karting suit w/ “CIK FIA Level 2” indicated, then I see an OMP karting suit with this: “Homologation: CIK-FIA 2001/45/level 1 2001-1 Regulation”.

And, how much do I care about this?

Thanks – Sheldon

[Troy Smith]

Maybe one of the more experienced guys can speak directly to the ratings; I don’t have the knowledge base.

The CIK/FIA is the European governing body for motorsport. The ratings levels relate to different protection levels provided by the various equipment including driving suits. In Europe, more so than here in the US, the different racing levels carry different equipment requirements for everything from Professional Racing all the way down to entry level Karting. If you stop to think about it, it’s almost a necessity as many European countries are about the same size as many of our states…so in Europe races are frequently attended by drivers from many different countries and they all must have the same set of rules & regulations. In the US, Karting is either regulated by a national, regional or local organization. As a new karter looking to race locally, no you need not concern yourself overly with the ratings.

[stacey cook]

Sheldon,

We carry both the Sparco and K-1 suits.. Let us know what you are looking for and if we don’t have it we can sure get just what you want and of course will make sure you are happy with the size or you can return it….

GJMS
970-256-0107

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