Month: May 2017

By David G. Firestone

Memorial Day is a day to honor the sacrifice of those who paid the ultimate price keeping our freedoms free. Our servicemen should always be the focal point of Memorial Day. From Saratoga to Afghanistan, from Gettysburg to Vietnam, throughout the history of our country, our soldiers have fought for us, and will always be ready to fight for us. Never forget their sacrifice, and the sacrifice of their loved ones.

Memorial Day is also known as one of the most important days in auto racing, with the Grand Prix of Monaco, the Indianapolis 500, and the Coca Cola 600. With the television contracts, and internet coverage, it seems a world away from 1964. 10 days in 1964 would set the ball rolling.

With the current safety culture in auto racing, we take driver safety for granted. Yet recent incidents, such as what happened with Aric Almirola in Kansas, and Sebastien Bourdais at the Indianapolis qualifying spotlight that not every safety system is perfect. Yet the culture of auto racing safety is so much different than it was in 1964. Events over the course of 6 days in May of 1964 changed the culture, cars, and uniforms of auto racing forever. Three deaths in two races over those six days demonstrated that current safety methods were ineffective at best, and 3 talented drivers lost their lives. The 1964 World 600 and the 1964 Indianapolis 500 helped introduce reinforced fuel tanks and Nomex driver suits, among other things. 50 years later, those events are still being felt

The World 600 began in the early afternoon on May 24, 1964. For the first six laps, it was business as usual, but on lap 7, on the backstretch, Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett wrecked, and Glenn “Fireball” Roberts swerved to avoid them, and wrecked. He was trapped in the car by the pedals, and his car caught fire. Ned Jarrett ran and pulled Roberts from the car, and paramedics took him to the hospital. 39 days after the wreck, while still in the hospital from his injuries, he died from pneumonia.

NASCAR had rules concerning “fire retardant” uniforms but these were inadequate at best. These uniforms were cotton coveralls traditionally used by workmen that had been dipped in a number of fire retardant materials including Borax. These were not only ineffective, but were extremely uncomfortable to wear. They were known for inflaming the skin, and aggravating asthma. Fireball was not wearing these coveralls during that race, because he had a doctor’s note stating he should not wear them. There is some debate over what the doctor’s note was for, either for asthma or skin hives. It illustrates why these uniforms were not popular, they were so uncomfortable to wear that drivers did not want to wear them.

6 days later, on May 30, the 48th Indianapolis 500 was held. Dave MacDonald started 14th, and Eddie Sachs started 17th when the green flag dropped. MacDonald was racing a car built by racing innovator Mickey Thompson, which by all accounts was badly built and difficult to drive. The first lap led into the second, which saw Dave MacDonald lose control of his car and smash into the inside wall. The fuel tank instantly ignited and the car went across the track, and collected a number of other cars, including Eddie Sachs car, which also exploded on impact. Sachs was killed by the impact, but MacDonald was seriously burned, and his lungs were scorched, the lung damage proved to be fatal.

The writing was on the wall. There needed to be a change in racing uniforms. A material needed to be used that would be either fire resistant, or fire proof. One option was asbestos, which was used in auto racing uniforms, but that led to mesothelioma. In fact, Steve McQueen claimed that the asbestos suits worn for racing gave him his mesothelioma . There seemed to be no effective solution. However, events in Florida would change everything.

Nomex was created in the 1960’s for NASA. Its main use at the time was for the Apollo Command Module parachutes. NASA needed a material that could stand up to the heat of reentering the earth’s atmosphere, and still remain fully functional. While parachutes were a good use for Nomex, it soon became clear that this new fire retardant cloth had many more uses. It was also used in space suits, and eventually found its way into the public, being used for fire fighters, cooking gloves, and race car uniforms.

Depending on who you ask, Bill Simpson is credited with introducing Nomex to driver suits. The story goes that Simpson started making Nomex suits after learning about the material from astronaut Pete Conrad while Simpson was working as a consultant for NASA. One of the pivotal moments in the history of the suit was when Simpson had heard that a competitor had been badmouthing his products, and so, in something he said later was “the dumbest thing I have ever done,” challenged the competitor to a “burn off.” Simpson put on his suit and lit himself on fire.

Why did it take so long to make critical changes to driver uniforms? The events that took place in 1964 were tragic, and it clearly illustrated why the old system didn’t work. The only change made immediately after the events was the rule that fire retardant suits were now mandatory, regardless of how it made the driver feel. In today’s sports safety culture, there would be focus groups, meetings within the sanctioning body, and changes within a few months after the event. But by 1964 standards, just rigidly enforcing the rule was the best course of action, even if said materials either didn’t exist or weren’t publicly available at the time.

Remember that in 1964 race car drivers were seen as somewhat expendable. Driver deaths in racing were stunningly common back then. As such, while there was a need for improvement, it was not a priority for sanctioning bodies. The sad fact is that back then, driver deaths were part of the allure of racing. People would go to these events and hope to see a fatal crash, as crass as that sounds. As for the suits themselves, the only other options besides chemical dipped cotton were asbestos suits, aluminized cotton or aluminized Kevlar, which was not more comfortable, as it was like wearing aluminum foil.

There were a handful of drivers wearing Nomex suits in 1966. However, these were in more of a research and development aspect. Yes we have this new wonder material, yes it’s better than everything we have now, but will it work in a real-world situation? That was the question that existed in 1966. Competition Press reported that “During the past season, experimental driving suits were worn by Walt Hansgen, Masten Gregory, Marvin Panch and Group 44’s Bob Tullius; these four representing a fairly good cross section in the sport. The goal was to get use-test information on the comfort and laundering characteristics of Nomex. The Chrysler-Plymouth team at the recent Motor Trend 500 at Riverside also wore these suits.” The test was a success.

With the success of 1966, in 1967, Nomex suits were unleashed on auto racing. While more expensive, the suits were safer than anything ever seen in auto racing up to that point. The early suits seem primitive compared to the 3-layer breathable suits worn today, but even the most important uniform advancement in the history of auto racing needed a humble start. 50 years after Nomex was unleashed on auto racing, it still the best material for auto racing uniforms. It says a lot about a material, when nothing better comes along to replace it for 50 years.

Sadly, while Nomex was one of the greatest innovations in auto racing safety, it wasn’t enough. There were many other advancements, from new car design, to the HANS Device, to SAFER Barriers that has led to auto racing being as safe as it is today. The culture of the sport has changed to put safety at the top of concerns. Drivers are no longer expendable, they are the focal point of all safety changes.

For 50 years, Nomex has been the best and most reliable material for firesuits, and I can only hope that another material comes along that is more comfortable and fire resistant than Nomex. If there is such a material, and it makes it way to auto racing, the sport will only get safer. Here’s to a good Golden Anniversary for Nomex!

By David G. Firestone

I’m not a fashionista…and that’s putting it lightly. I wear my work uniform to work, and when I’m off duty, I wear t-shirts, and shorts, especially while lounging around the house. When I go out with friends and/or family, or when I go to races, I will wear pit crew shirts. I will pair these with baseball stirrups, shorts, and a baseball cap.

Pit crews are proud of what they do. They get to work on race cars for a living, which many fans would love to do. Sponsors are proud of their race teams, and want their crew members to represent the brand. As a result, teams and sponsors create pit crew shirts. These shirts are designed similar to the driver suits. Like driver suits, they are sold to collectors after the season. These aren’t as valuable as other race-used memorabilia, and while some collect them, others, like me wear them.

There are many kinds of materials that pit crew shirts are made of. Some of the older ones are made of polyester with heavy patches. Then there are newer shirts that are made of a light, breathable materials, with the logo sublimated on the material, like this 6Xl Dollar General Truck Series shirt. The shirt shows some light wear, but is in great condition.

The shoulders have epaulets with DOLLAR GENERAL logos present. The sleeves have logos, the right sleeve has SUNOCO and SAFETY KLEEN, the left has NASCAR, TOYOTA RACING DEVELOPENT, TUNDRA, and SIRIUS XM logos. This is one of the newer shirts, and it has a jocktag. The shirt was made by ESM of Indianapolis.Sticking with the Camping World Truck Series, this 6Xl shirt was worn by the crew from Venturini Racing, when they were sponsored by ZloopIt in 2014. It has a combo of thin polyester, and breathable mesh. It is in great condition. The shirt has blue epaulets on the black material, and the epaulets have ZloopIt logos. The sleeves have logos, the right sleeve has NASCAR, TOYOTA RACING DEVELOPENT, TUNDRA, and SIRIUS XM logos, and the left sleeve has a SUNOCO logo. There is an Outer Circle tag in the cowl, indicating that the size is 6XL.Moving on to the Xfinity Series, this is a Nike-made example from when PPI Racing was sponsored by Albertson’s. It is in great condition. The shoulders have no adornment at all, the chest logos are all embroidered. The sleeves have patches, the right one has a 57 patch, an ALBERTSONS logo, and a NASCAR logo. The left sleeve has a FORD logo, an ALBERTSONS logo, and a NIKE logo. The cowl has a classic Nike 3Xl tag present.This example, from when John Andretti raced for Braun Racing, with Camping World as a sponsor. The shirt is made from a slightly thicker polyester with sublimated logos. It’s in great condition. The blue shirt has yellow epaulets, with CAMPING WORLD logos present. The sleeves have the same set of logos on each side. First is the Impact Z logo, then there is a CAMPING WORLD logo, followed by a FREEDOM ROADS, and a TOYOTA. The cowl features an Impact crew tag, no size tag is present.Sticking with Braun Racing in the Xfinity Series, this Berringer Wines pit crew shirt comes from that team as well. This is also a thicker polyester in great condition. The shoulders have no epaulets, or adornment, and the logos are sublimated. The sleeves have sublimated logos. The right sleeve has ABF, FOE, OGIO, SEM, and NEW BALLANCE logos. The left sleeve has HAAS AVOCADOS, TOYOTA, NORTHEASTERN SUPPLY, SEYMOUR and BRAUN ABILITY logos. The shirt is made by Vicci, and there is a size 4XL tag in the cowl.One of the best designs in pit crew shirts is Texaco Havoline, as exampled by this Juan Pablo Montoya shirt from his days with Chip Ganassi Racing. It is in great condition. The shoulders have epaulets with HAVOLINE logos, and the chest has logos as well. The sleeves have sublimated logos, including, NASCAR, HAVOLINE, WRIGLEY’S BOSCH, LINCOLN WELDING, and SUNOCO logos on the right sleeve.  The left sleeve has NASCAR, HAVOLINE, COORS LIGHT, TARGET, FREIGHTLINER, and SHERWIN WILLIAMS Logos. The cowl has a tag from Revi, but there is no size tag present.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a two-time Xfinity Series champion, and while with Roush-Fenway Racing, he was sponsored by CitiFinancial, and this pit crew shirt was prepared. It is in decent condition. The shoulders have epaulets with CitiFinancial logos on them. The sleeves have sublimated logos. The right sleeve has a MAC TOOLS logo and a DUPLICOLOR logo. The left sleeve has a NASCAR logo and a FORD logo. The shirt is made by The Winning Team, and a tag is present in the cowl. There is also a size 5Xl tag as well.One of Greg Biffle’s sponsors in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series was the National Guard. This shirt, made of dress shirt material, with heavy patches. The shoulders have epaulets with NATIONAL GUARD logos embroidered into them. The right sleeve has MAC TOOLS and JACKSON HEWITT logos, and the left sleeve has NASCAR, FORD RACING, and LABOR READY logos embroidered into it. The cowl has a tag from Apex designs, and size XXXL tag.Front Row Motorsports has a few different sponsors, so, like many teams, they have team-branded pit crew shirts. This is one example, and it’s in great condition. The shoulders have unadorned epaulets. The sleeves have sublimated logos. The right sleeve has SUNOCO, SHERWIN WILLIAMS, SEM, LINCOLN WELDERS, and THE PETE STORE logos. The left sleeve has NASCAR, FORD PERFORMANCE, RACING ELECTRONICS, DR PEPPER, and K&N logos present. This is one of the newer shirts, and it has a size 3XL jocktag. The shirt was made by ESM of Indianapolis.Bob Vandergriff is a former driver who turned into a team owner. For many years, he was sponsored by CJ Energy Services, This long-sleeve pit shirt was prepared for a crew member. The sleeves are a thin polyester, the rest of the shirt is a thicker material. The shoulders are completely unadorned. The sleeves have black on the outside, but gray flame materials on the undersides. The right sleeve has VANDERGRIFF APPAREL GROUP and SPLIT SECOND SPEEDSTERS logos The left sleeve has THE VANDERGRIFF FOUNDATION, and HEDMAN HUSLER HEDDERS logos. The Vandergriff Apparel tag is printed directly on to the back of the collar. It indicates the size as 4XL.The fan appeal of pit crew shirts hasn’t been lost on teams, and there have been replica shirts made in the past. But for some seasons, replica crew shirts are made, but other seasons, they aren’t. Fans do like these, but for some reason, they are not as prevalent as replica driver suit jackets. I can only hope that these shirts do start getting made again.

Next week, we discuss the 50^th Anniversary of the introductory of Nomex.