cre8fun

Given this is a "suit" thread, figured I'd attach this info here. I've see a few comments about buying from Demon Tweaks. Some raved about it, but given the discount I was surprised there were not more "rave reviews." I bit the bullet and decided to give it a shot and the experience was excellent.

Called and ordered the OMP One Evo (http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motors...-evo-race-suit) - $1800 here in US about $1200 from them.

My costs were as follows:
- Demon Tweeks - $1164 with 2day UPS shipping
- when it got here, UPS had me pay $38 import tax (because the value was over $800 US imposed limit).
- then my credit card charged me $32 "international conversion fee"

so all in all, I was in $1234 and had the suit in under a week start to finish.

as far as suits - I tried on a bunch last time I was at an actual brick and mortar store. I thought the two top sparco's would be what I wanted based on numbers (superleggera and Extrema). Once in them, I found I didn't like the way they wore. they did not have any shape and the liners had almost a terri cloth feel that seemed to grab undergarments. not to my liking.

once I ruled them out, it was basically between the Alpinestar supertech and the OMP One Evo. very similar, but I thought the diagonal stitching on the OMP made the leg material fall more naturally when seated. so that's my two bit review. hope it helps.

911Königin

Paul Solk

Funny, I got the A-Stars suit from them and they were phenomenal. Suit showed up in NJ the next day. I was actually skeptical at first but even ordering the wrong size and shipping it back I think I saved $400 over anywhere on this side of the pond. I am a pretty small guy and A-Stars suits always fit like a glove on the bike so I am brand loyal...
Great experience though!

93 FireHawk 968

When I was only doing DE's I wondered why some of the advanced drivers/racers wore a suit. Now that I do some racing and hyper focused on safety and driving in the exact mode I will race, the suit's a must. Watch a video of someone's track purpose car catch on fire, you'll see why a suit a other under garments should be worn. Why invest in all the other safety items and forget one of the truly important pieces?

Paul Solk

This was one of the biggest differences coming from bikes to cars... Heck the ATGATT (All the gear all the time) conversation is debated by some on the street however even on the street I wore a full suit.

On the track however, there is no debate, full one piece leathers, boots, gloves, back protection and helmet all required at all times, there are no exceptions. Rentals are provided at the track to make the right safety gear available to everyone.

I came to find it is not just about protection though, it is also about setting the right mindset. Jumping in your car with jeans, sneakers, in some cases t-shirts and a helmet imho doesn't differentiate enough from going for a drive on the road or frame your mindset properly for the track. Putting on a suit, zipping it up and taking that moment to check you and your gear are all good to go imho puts you in a mindset that you are getting on a track and not going for a Sunday drive. There is something about your mind and body aligning with what you are about to do and to me a suit or the right gear for what you are about to go do just helps frame that mindset for me personally. Visualization is a big part of it for me and being in the suit and gear is all part of that visualization process.

fstockcarrera

I've been in a burning car twice at the track. I would not get in my car without it and coach all my students the same.

johneecatt

Wow!! Good call.

grrrmonster

Yep. Had a students Ferrari race car catch fire. It had taken me ten minutes to get in the car and belted up. Car on fire- he asks which corner station has a fire bottle. As he approaches- car still rolling (and burning) he undoes the belts and bails out the window. And I'm thinking- great- it took me ten minutes to get in!

I have the suit. And use it.

996tnz

I upgraded to an OMP One too a year or so back. Sparco suits tend to suit taller thinner drivers better apparently, whereas an OMP sized to my broadish shoulders didn't sit too much looser and longer elsewhere than need be. Custom sizing would be better of course but it did the job and this 3-layer was much cooler than the cheap suit I'd come from.

I find the same. For me, the magic moment comes after clipping my helmet onto my Hybrid, and slipping on my gloves. Once I'm on the dummy grid or on the start line, I interleave the fingers of both hands pair by pair to push those gloves home before flexing my hands a couple of times. That is my ritual and it really locks me in the zone. The odd race where car problems saw me racing to make the start (or even starting from the pits onto the tail of the field on lap one) it might take me a lap or two instead to complete that mental gearchange.

As for 'who wears a suit and when', my suit is so comfortable that the only reason not to wear it would be image-related. Accidents can happen anywhere and it's one less thing to think about alongside registration and driver's briefing so I usually even wear it driving to the track and back, with my race boots. Also no risk of leaving them at home that way. I just have some extra big work overalls I throw over the top if I need to get under the car to work on something. And a spare change of clothes with toiletries along with me in case the evening after looks like becoming a social one. Gloves and Hybrid still only go on for track though.

LuigiVampa

So, you obviously survived, but did you make it out in under ten minutes?

RJFabCab

Agreed

grrrmonster

Yep! Extra motivation to get out! Had some corner worker help- getting out in less than a minute

stownsen914

I saw a video a few years ago of a guy who bailed out a burning car in 10 seconds (the fire started while the car was moving), and he had a firesuit on, but still sustained burns over a significant % of his body. I put on all my safety gear every time I go on track.

rlm328

While I do not want to start a war on here, I am going to put my 2 cents in. My car has been on fire twice the fire suppression system worked on it both times, and I never had fire in the driver's compartment. For those of you with front end gas tanks you may really want to look at ways fuel can get into the driver's compartment, i.e. do not run fuel lines through your cabin, seal all of the penetration holes through your fire wall, consider driving a car where the gas tank is not in front of you.

Most cars used at DEs especially for newer drivers are new cars that have a significant amount of safety built into them and after over a decade I do not recall seeing a non-modified car ever catching fire. I have seen modified 944s catch fire either due to fuel rail failure or the oil filter seal failing, I have seen older modified 911s catch on fire and they were usually more catastrophic then the front engine cars due to holes through the fire walls, gas lines through the cabin, the hose connection at the fuel pump failing.

You should be able to get out of your car in less than 10 seconds. I am old an out of shape, fire is a great motivator and I was out of the car in well under 10 seconds.

Gofishracing

http://www.vasracingsuits.com/