earlyapex

I plan a full season of autocross sprinkled with a few DE's that I can get to. I'd like to get a set of driving gloves but my hands are on the small side. Any recommendations regarding brand, model, and where to purchase? There are no race shops in the area to try on gloves.

Mark in Baltimore

I bought a set of Sparco Speed gloves sight unseen from OGRacing.com and got lucky with the fit. They work just great.

84-944

I use G-Force, Kangaroo skin, very, very soft. Haven't found any better.

jerome951

If you're only doing a few events and cost is a concern, go to a sporting goods store and buy some all-leather golf gloves. Thinner, softer, and cooler than driving gloves.

earlyapex

Thanks for the advice. I want gloves that will give me better grip on the steering wheel and that I can continue to use as I become more involved in Porsche motor sports. I eventually plan to go the route of a specific track car so I plan to find a nice set of fire resistant gloves. Unfortunately, I have small hands and I have a difficult time finding gloves that fit well without having excess material and looking like my big brother's hand me downs!

Chris Campbell

I think the common wisdom is to shoot for a suede-on-smooth-leather contact between glove and steering wheel, for best grip. In other words, the palm area of the gloves should be one type, and the steering rim the other.

I currently have a Personal/Nardi "Fittipaldi" steering wheel - smooth leather - and Sparco suede palmed gloves which are very nice but I forget the exact model.

Best advice given your desire for great fit and comfort is to find a local race accessory dealer so you can try them on personally!

924RACR

Believe it or not, I've been very happy using Mechanix gloves (not used for wrenching) as driving gloves - like when I'm driving my turbo during the cool months, and want something to keep my hands warm but not ski gloves. Even wierder, I keep them in the Glovebox! Upside, they're only $20. Downside, to even get small (my size, you'd probably be XS) you nearly need to order them; for XS, I'd expect you'd have to order them from Pegasus etc. I love the grip quality.

For fire retardant gloves, I've tried many, and I hate to admit it, but it seems like a real "get-what-you-pay-for" deal; the less expensive ($70 or so) racing gloves are OK, but the high-end ones really are sweet. They have sizing guides in the catalogs which are pretty accurate; Pegasus's website, for one:
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/

I've used everything from the $30 Autopro's to the top-end OMP's; I just got (for Valentine's Day ) a new pair of the top OMP F1 design gauntlet gloves for racing this season. And yes, they fit awesomely.

911

I really like the Alpine Stars' glove. I bought some for a friend and I thought the fit & feel was nice.

Tom W

Eric, if you want racing gloves you'll need to try them on to ensure the fit. I have some Stand 21 gloves that fit great but the same size from another vendor (can't recall which) does not fit. You will probably need to drive up to Frey Racing in the east bay or Wine Country Motorsports at Sears Point to try them on as Laguna Seca lacks an on-site shop.

earlyapex

Guys, thanks for all the great advice. I'm going to make a trip to Frey Racing to try on some gloves before I order anything. I'm disappointed that there aren't any shops closer to me that can help. I called Extreme Performance in San Jose and they don't carry small gloves in their store.

JPhillips-998

Fit is primary and comfort is a close second. I bought some new Sparco's w/outside seams. They look pretty screwy but they are VERY comfortable.

rdstemler

If you have a friend in the military, you could tryto get some of the nomex/leather flight gloves. They come in mucho sizes to fit nearly everybody....since that what the military does.

You get leather palms and fingers and nomex for the rest. They are cool enough and thin enough for "feel". They still grip when moist/wet.

They may have them at police supply stores in all black. The military ones are green and grey.

As an alternative you could try the thin leather police gloves. Good feel but the dye comes off on your hands for a while due to your sweat...Well I sweat, you may not! Down side...they don't cover your wrist. These would only be for DEs. They wouldn't be worth much if you were using a race suit, since your wrists would get crispy!!

earlyapex

I just got out of the Army and I have a set of flight gloves in the garage with my flight helmet. I've never used them as driving gloves, but I don't see a reason why they couldn't be used in that manner. They are very popular with the soldiers who use them to protect their hands in the field.

rdstemler

I got mine in the AF and have used them since I got a used nomex drivers suit. Now I have more "safety". I used the leather police gloves when I was wearing "street" clothes. I did it more for the ability to grab some thing sharp or hot if I was unlucky enough to have an off track excursion.