By David G. Firestone
Every so often, I like to revisit articles I did previously, and fix mistakes I made. For the next couple of weeks, I’m going to to revisit an article I did called “Every Great Uniform Needs Gloves and Shoes To Match.” This concerned a pair of Hut Stricklin gloves and Scott Riggs shoes. This was my first foray in to racing gloves and shoes. I made a lot of mistakes, so I’ll fix them. First, the Hut Stricklin gloves.
Since the fire risk in racing is as high as it is, it makes sense that driver uniform includes fire retardant shoes and gloves to go along with it. Although they are frequently overlooked by many fans, they are just as critical to driver safety and comfort as the suit and helmet. Gloves and shoes have, like the suit and helmet, become fashion forward in recent years.
Gloves in racing are typically made of multiple layers of Nomex, and feature a textured layer on the palm, which is designed to help the driver grip the steering wheel. Gloves may be waterproofed for open cockpit racing, where rain and other inclement weather may not impede the race. The gloves give the same amount of protection that the suit does, and are certified by FIA and SFI, depending on where they are being used.
Hailing from Calera, Alabama, Hut Stricklin became the final member of the famed Alabama Gang when he married Donnie Allison’s daughter Pam. In his racing career, he won the 1987 NASCAR Dash Championship, and in his Cup and Xfinity Series career, while never winning a race, he had a total of 11 top 5’s and 37 top 10’s.
From 2000 to 2001, Stricklin raced for Junie Donlavey. In 2000, he raced 7 races with differing sponsors. In 2001, he raced 23 races with Hills Brothers as a sponsor. He scored a top 10, at Michigan at 2001. This pair of Simpson SFI 3.3/5 red gloves were worn by Hut Stricklin sometime after between 2000 and 2001. He has autographed both of them, and they show great use. 
The outer part of right glove features some wear on the white stripe, Stricklin’s autograph near the stripe, and a SIMPSON logo with an A written in Sharpie.
The inner part of the right glove features heavy staining on the palms, a Simpson warranty label, and a size L tag inside the wrist.
The outer part of left glove features some wear on the white stripe, Stricklin’s autograph near the stripe, and a SIMPSON logo.
The inner part of the left glove features heavy staining on the palms, a SFI 3.3/5 certification label, and a size L tag inside the wrist.
As I mentioned above, gloves have evolved to be more visible on in-car cameras. These examples, worn by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson show how these new customization can take a simple safety equipment item, and add some visual appeal to it.
Next week, a pair of Scott Riggs shoes revisited.
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