bowmanm98

I just got my helmet in the mail, pretty sweet. Do you think gloves are worth it? Do they help? Do you wear them for DE?

TT Surgeon

Yes, get some, I had blisters on my hands after my first time (track that is).

karlooz

definitely! i only wear them for DE. actually my local PCA requires gloves. not the fashion driving gloves but nomex race gloves. i got the sparco x-pro. very nice but pricey. very comfortable and, to me, worth it.

leedav

definitely Nomex. Leather burns. As you amass driving regalia, you might as well make sure they meet current SCCA etc. specs. Horse collar is nice too if you are going to spend your day in a heavy helmet, and if you don't have a window net, arm restraints will save you the embarrassment of having your arms flap out the window if you roll it.

Not trying to scare anyone...however there were 2 track day fatalities this week...safety equipment is the number one mod for tracking IMO

earlyapex

I've got a pair of Alpinestar gloves. They give me a consistent feel and grip of the steering wheel. Without gloves, your hands sweat and this is not something you want to worry about.

TD in DC

Not crucial (you should hold the wheel lightly), but definitely very helpful. I would buy some before if you can.

rdstemler

If nomex racing gloves are not required by your PCA you can still get nomex if you get Military style flying gloves. They are nomex and leather but they are thinner than racing gloves. They now come in colors other then grey and olive green. I think black is now an option.

I have even used leather police search gloves( wrist/palm length all leather). They are thin, too. While the RAF also uses an all leather flying glove they, as was mentioned above, have problems when exposed to fire.

All the above mentioned gloves will prevent chafing and allow your hands to grip even when wet with sweat ( that is only on your very first run....then you'll be an expert and never sweat again).

The thin leather police search glove will also allow you to pickup something sharp or hot if something were to happen. Other then grip this is why you may wish to use them as a cheap alternative to the racing glove. The best thing is the racing glove however.

LVDell

Def get the gloves. Your hands will get sweaty, etc., and it makes the wheel that much more manageable. Preferably get a set of Nomex gloves. Youcan get a set of G-Force gloves at their entry level for about $30-40.

Palting

Nope. Not for the first DE, or even for the next several. You need all your senses to "feel" what the car is doing when you're a novice. The gloves insulate you a little bit from that feel. As you get more proficient with more seat time, or rather, as the "seat of your pants" get's more sensitive as well as your other senses, you can lose some of that tactile sensitivity from your hands.

I may be a minority here. I'm on my 4th year of DE, and run in black or red group. The only extra safety equipment I have on my car is a fire extinguisher in front of the passenger seat. I think it's cool that I go out there with the cars with lots of decals, wings, racing slicks, trick suspensions and drive my bone stock C4S in jeans and cotton shirt whole the others are in racing suits, balaclavas, HANS, you name it, and I can hang in there with the best of them. Is it wise? Probably not. My wife finally gave me Pilotis and gloves for Christmas, and I'll probably get a racing suit later. Then I'll get some decals and wings for the car .

Safety is always a concern, and as you get deeper into the track addiction, by all means start accumulating safety clothing. I'd start with nomex shoes and gloves first, and go from there. Are any of these absolutely necessary, or do you "need" them or the first 10 or so outings? Nope.

C4 Pazzo

If your hands sweat like mine do, you'll be glad to have gloves. I picked up a pair of Ringers CarbonX FlightX gloves (they cost half as much as their RacerX gloves and looked very similar) for my first DE. They are very thin and very light. I never noticed they were on while on the track, and didn't have to wipe any sweat away.

bowmanm98

Nice, I think I am gonna get them. Right now I am looking at the OMPs.
Here is the description: Medium gauntlet, 2-layer Nomex, entirely padded palm and thumb, padded knuckles, entire glove sewn inside-out so you don't feel the seams, special extra soft white leather, elastic opening and elastic wrist. Designed for Ayrton Senna. Available in red or blue.
Not a huge fan of so much white with the blue but they look really nice. Getting a huge discount.

Cool thanks for your input everyone.

damianc4s

Gloves are essential with the narrowness of the 996 steering wheel. I've got a pair of Sparco X-Pro's and they are great, the trouble is I want to wear them all the time when driving, such is the improvement in comfort.

Damian

Bill_C4S

One other advantage of gloves...as you give a point by....and a rock chip comes the direction of your hand..there's at least some defence.

TT Surgeon

They are also easier to see when you give a signal, red is ideal.