Racing Driver Suits: Specifications and Future Market Trends
Md. Amir Khasru
B.Sc. in Textile Engineering
Department of Yarn Engineering, SARSTEC
Email: santo.amirkhasru2002@gmail.com
What are Racing Driver Suits?
The suits that are used by drivers for their extraordinary features, such as being flexible to drive, easy to evaporate body sweats, and others, are called racing driver suits. Men generally used to wear more comfortable clothes depending on the outdoor environment. For official work, men generally wear formal dress; for any kind of celebration, men wear different types of clothes. In the 19th century, after the industrial revolution, world fashion thinking to design driver-friendly apparel and finally smart driving suits is developed. Now days, many Bangladeshi sportswear textile industries are producing special apparel and smart textiles like sportswear.
History of Racing Driving Suits:
In the beginning of racing age, safety gear was minimal. Primarily, drivers were wearing leather jackets or other regular clothes to provide some protection. As well as the increase in racing speed and intensity, the drivers began to feel the need for special clothing. To prevent serious injuries, specialized racing suits become compulsory for drivers.
Leather-based racing suites are designed for drivers. Having good abrasion resistance would easily protect from critical crashes or accidents. Then leather-based racing suites were basic in design, and these suites provided limited padding and protection. As continuously the speed was increased, the designer improved materials and suite design. After some times, as the demand increased, more features like armor inserts, reinforced stitching, ergonomic design, comfort of riders, additional abrasion resistance, prevention of the risk of road rash, rider safety, reducing clash-based injuries, additional temperature regulation, various weather adaptability, and good appearance. The designers improve the appearance regularly.
- In 1920- American firm Hinchman has manufactured specialized racing suits.
- In 1950- NASCAR grand national driver started to wear specialized racing suit.
- In 1960- Racing suits become popular.
- In 1970- Thermal protective feature is added to prevent fire related dead from clash.
- In 1980- Promotional team display is added as team sponsor.
- In 2002- NASCAR mandated fire suite for both drivers and crew members.
The Materials for Racing Driver Suits:
Selecting the right material is the first step to creating a racing driver suit. To ensure fire-resistant protection from clashes of cars and ensuring water repellent, a special material is needed. Synthetic aramid fiber, Nomex materials are used as material. Nomex & aramid fiber is a well-known heat and flame resistance material, and aramid fiber is used as a second screen to protect from abrasion or other injuries. Sometimes natural fiber blended composite fiber is used in fabric to give it a it a better appearance.
Properties of Nomex & Aramid Fiber as Racing Suits:
Meta aramid fiber’s a trade name is Nomex. Du Pont company have developed aromatic polyamide resins with the zigzag-linked meta-type is called Nomex fiber.
Properties of racing suits are given below-
- High temperature-resistance up to 300 degree Celsius
- Shrinkage resistance and high durability
- Easy to care, anti-static and comfortable to wear.
- Abrasion resistance.
- UV light, radiation, insects and fungi resistance.
- During the carbonization it can easily absorbs heat energy.
Different Parts of Racing Drivers Suit:
Technical Specification of Racing Driver Suits:
- Inner layer fabric – All wool knitted
- Structure – 2x 2 Rib with successive tucks
- Mass (gr/ sq. M) – 175
- Arrange loop length – 0.6 cm
- Yarn linear density – R 44 Tex/2
&
- Outer layer fabric – 85 /15 wool / glass fiber
- Structure – 2/2 twill
- Mass (gr/ sq. M) – 350
- Yarn per cm – warp 17.3 weft 15.7
- Yarn linear density – R 80 Tex/2, All wool
- Alternative arrangement – R 94 Tex/2, 70/30 wool / Glass
The Characteristics / Properties of Racing Driver Suits:
- Layered design to guard against heat.
- Breathable Materials- Help drivers stay cool in driving time.
- Controlling moisture to keep things dry.
- Strong outer layers with abrasion resistance.
- materials that are lightweight for comfort.
- as well as ergonomic design, improves mobility.
- Resistance to Fire for protection from regular clash.
- Abrasion- and flame-resistant.
- strong and lightweight.
- Avoid static electricity which is generated during race.
Additional Features of Racing Driver Suits:
- Stretch Panels
- Full Floating Sleeves
- Ergonomic Pockets
- Pre-Formed Cut
Some Famous Racing Suits Manufacturer Company in the World:
- Dainese
- Alpinestars
- Revit!
- Held Slade 2 racing suit
- Adidas racing suits
- FervoGear
- Oakley
- FervoGear LLC
- Puma
Future Market of Racing Suits:
In 2030, the future global racing market opportunities estimated would be 1.5 billion US dollar with a CAGR of 4.8% from 2024-2030. The major driver choice suits according to light weight, safety and fire resistance properties. According to forecasting demand of synthetic fiber of suit will be increase for its extraordinary features such as more durability, lightweight and fire resistance properties.
Possibilities of Bangladesh on Racing Suit Market:
Made in Bangladesh, racing suits are playing a good role in the international market. According to news media reports, in Cumilla EPZ and Chittagong, two factories, Kadena Sportswear Limited and Finix Sportswear Limited, are producing racing driver suits in Bangladesh.
[* EPZ—Export processing zone]
Kadena Sportswear Limited started their journey in 2010, and now they are a family of more than 10,000 workers with millions of garments produced annually. Mad in Bangladesh racing suits were displayed in major international events like the Dakar Rally and Man Tourist Trophy. In 2022, Kadena Sportswear earnings were 180—190 million USD. Finix Sportswear Limited is a 2000-worker family that started its journey with USD 6 million.
Conclusion:
Bangladesh is one of the most developing countries of the world. Maximum economy of our country depends on textile sector. A huge range of national earning comes of sportswear industries and advance apparels. Not only Made in Bangladeshi t-shirts, denim but also sportswear highlights our country name in the world. So, many companies are producing international standard sportswear similarly two industries of the Bangladesh are producing internal standard racing driver suits. Day by day our world textile is moving towards the revolution very rapidly and in this situation Bangladesh textile should focus smart textiles and specials apparel like sportswear. In today’s worlds, mens likely to wear comfortable and special feature ensuring apparel.
Image courtesy:
- https://www.fyshe.com/blogs/blog/how-is-a-race-suit-made?srsltid=AfmBOopfRlRTmrquwJJOBQ_Zv5elqBduRhnHFhwxbAANwzX7xozgcTkF
- https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/lifestyle/motorsport/faithful-friends-of-an-experienced-rally-driver/
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_suit
- https://medium.com/@offpageseo503/the-evolution-and-importance-of-motorbike-racing-suits-e310310fff4d
- https://www.fyshe.com/blogs/blog/how-is-a-race-suit-made
- https://www.dupont.com/
- https://www.lucintel.com/racing-apparel-market.aspx
- From Dakar to Isle of Man, motor sports mean Bangladeshi safety suits | The Business Standard (tbsnews.net)
- Lecture sheets of Md. Zahid Murad Shuva, Lecturer, SARSTEC.
You may also like:
- In-Depth Analysis of Bulletproof Vest Technology and Attributes
- Manufacturing and Working Process of Bulletproof Jacket
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
