Its time to upgrade from my current horse blanket to a 'real' racing suit. I am looking at OMP, Sparco and AlpineStars suits. Outside of the differences in fit and sizing, I've not been able to track down any reviews that are usable. I'd love to see some real world test data in regards to what these suits are supposed to do - namely protect us from burns in the event of a fire.
Any opinions on what you like/don't like about your current suit and does anyone know of a good source of detailed suit data??

Many thanks,
Matt

As far as fire protection, compare using SFI and/or FIA certifications. When it comes to fit, your best bet is to have your suit custom made to measure. As for overall comfort, well, comfort costs money -- how comfortable do you want to be? I can add is that, when it comes to underwear, for comfort you can't beat Carbonex or an equivalent material; much more comfortable than Nomex on a hot day.

Matt,

Other than my poor choice for a color, I'm very happy with my Stand 21 suit. I decided on it after reading some of the suit related threads on the apexspeed.com safety equipment sub-forum.

Ed

I purchased some carbonex underwear from Oakley. While it is cooler than nomex, the Oakley product leaves much to be desired. Beyond shrinking 3 sizes in the first wash, the stitching is rapidly unraveling.
I've replaced it with Sparco's Carmyth underwear. Its a bit warmer than the Carbonex, but its not too hot and the construction seems pretty solid, although the cut is pretty baggy.
I guess that I should have been more specific in regards to comfort - I really want something that 'breathes' a bit better than my current suit. July and August in Texas can be brutal.

I've worn Sparco and AlpineStars, both on the higher end of the suits they make, and they are amazing in the Texas heat compared to my original suit (neither of those brands).
The downside is this ... I would recommend that you spend the bigger money to get one of the higher end lighter suits. They really do make a difference at say, the TWS race every Memorial day.

Also, I don't wear undies under my 3 layer-equiv Alpinestars suit but I bought some Oakley Carbonex socks. They are complete and utter junk. I'm thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed with them and will not by another Carbonex item. Just my experience.

Denny

The SFI ratings are pretty self explanatory, but I've seen some suits advertise higher TPP values.
Without naming a brand, the suit was rated SFI 3.2A/5 ( nominally, a TPP of 19), and the manufacturer claimed a TPP of 23. How real is this claim?? I don't know of anyway way to verify.
After reading about some of the quality issues at Impact racing, it would be nice to see some good third party test results on racing suits.

I have an OMP (double layer) that I bought in 2010 on a bit of a clearance ($400?). It's not light or thin, but it really has impressive workmanship and tailoring. It really is incredibly comfortable. I've only got one season on it, but it still looks new. In a perfect world, I'd get something lighter for August at Summit Point or VIR, but for now I'll sweat my arse off and put the dollars elsewhere.

I did forget to mention about the Carbon-X is that you should order it at least one size up as it does shrink. Other than that, I am pleased with the comfort.

Suit data is almost as hidden as head restraint data.

Here's the best I can tell you about what the rating should have.

SFI 3.2/5 is supposed to be 10-19 seconds of protection from 2nd degree burns. While I'm sure some suits are higher than that but don't meet the other standards of the SFI 3.2/10 rating however I doubt they are much above those 19 seconds. FIA suits are also in this ballpark of the 3.2/5 burn numbers

Here is a decent article that gives the rundown in suit info that I've linked to before.
http://www.circletrack.com/featuredvehi ... ewall.html

It's been around for a few years but is still pretty good info.

The most accurate numbers for how long a suit will protect are the TPP numbers. If the manufacturer gives the TPP number divide it by two to get the protection time of the suit.

I carry Gforce, Simpson, Sparco and Lico suits. IMO get the best fitting suit in a light color. I've found that the color of the suit is a huge factor in temps. I had a 2 layer alpinestars that was dark blue and black and that was nice but pretty warm. Switched to a 3 layer suit that was light gray/white and it was noticeably cooler sitting on grid and getting ready to get in the car. Fabric weights were about the same just lighter layers in the 3 layer.

My next suit will be a custom Simpson that fits perfectly. I have a long torso so my arms and legs in the current suit are super long.

Out of the 3 you've listed you can't go wrong. 3 years ago I would have put OMP and Alpinestars slightly better than Sparco by a hair but now Sparco has brought the quality control back up.

For sizing a suit online always fit the torso first and go from there.

Feel free to PM or call me if you have any questions.

I found my Carbon-X undies on a firefighters supply website. Don't recall what the site was, but if you Google for fire fighter equipment, you will find some places that sell to the public. The complete set cost about half of what you're going to pay through an "official" racing equipment supplier.

I wear a Sparco off-the-rack suit, and find it pretty comfy. My old (rain) suit is a heavy 3-layer OMP suit that gets a little toasty in summer.