How Do NASCAR Drivers Select Their Firesuits?

Fire suits have grown to become a crucial component for every driver in the modern-day racing scene in all forms of racecar driving, including NASCAR. This protective layer of clothing keeps them from harm’s way if their vehicle were to catch fire. But do the drivers get a say in what brand of fire suit they want or is it a standardized affair by their respective teams?

Well, according to a recent social media video shared by Joe Gibbs Racing, that isn’t the case.

“Not all the drivers at JGR wear the same brand of fire suit. Each get a say in which is more comfortable to them and then its made with their exact measurements and preferences,” the video claimed.

“PR and branding take care of the communications so that the fire suit company knows what needs to be on the fire suit and then it gets sent off to the driver and the sponsor for approval.”

It’s good to see that the drivers get to choose which brand they prefer to wear and take care of their safety and that it is not the teams deciding on this matter by themselves.

The insane demonstration tactic by the man behind NASCAR’s fire suit

The man behind the fire suits used in the NASCAR Cup Series, Bill Simpson, once decided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the product in a pretty extreme fashion. Simpson set himself ablaze while wearing his Nomex suit in a bid to demonstrate the efficacy of wearing one of these during the races, where being engulfed in fire is a constant threat.

The material used in the fire suits is called Nomex, a type of fabric that is a flame-resistant meta-aramid material. It was originally developed by DuPont back in the early 1960s.

The clip from 1986 shows Simpson seated while being poured over with Gasoline. Thereafter Chip Ganassi shows up and lights the match, which ignites the flames.

Simpson just casually sits there until he is ultimately extinguished without harm, delivering his point in a pretty spectacular way.

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• Bill Simpson
• Joe Gibbs Racing