WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…

Beyond fire protection - you should wear gloves for…

Consistency. Your hand provides a natural grip, but when driving on the track this positive grip will be compromised with ‘clammy’ hands, pressure points, friction, fatigue and that ‘white-knuckle’ grip. Racing gloves are designed to replicate your hands natural grip and offer a consistent grip.

Comfort - the gloves are designed to maximize driver wheel feel and grip.

Ergonomic qualities. Racing gloves are cut to mimic the natural contours of the hand for a comfortable and natural fit. The construction avoids excessive fabric bunching in the palm area and keeps the fingers flat for a positive, driver interaction with the steering wheel

Pre-curved fingers offers less resistance from the fabric when the hand is in a closed, clenched position for a better grip.

External seams are a sort after feature but not found on all gloves. These gloves increase driver comfort by reducing finger pressure points and friction areas aiding driver comfort. A fourchettes style construction (more breathable fabric added to the finger sides) helps cool the fingers.

THE GRIP - suede, leather or silicone

Silicone is more often used on the palms of pro racing gloves. It can be effectively printed on those areas that need greater grip, and is mostly non-intrusive to drive feel, touch and comfort. Some gloves manufacturers add padded areas or leather patches on the palm side of the glove for a different grip. The choice is yours. We highly recommend before you buys your gloves - try them and try them with a steering wheel that resembles the type you will be driving.

FIA & SFI CERTIFICATION TAGS …

Fire retardant racing gloves can be FIA or SFI compliant - of both. In the US both are accepted by sanctioning boards unless you are racing with an international series, such as IMSA, then you must have FIA homologated gloves.

SFI gloves will sport a SFI SPEC 3.3/5 or a SFI 3.3/1 (less fire-resistant) GLOVE tag. The tag is sewn on the outside of the glove, on the inner cuff.

FIA 8856-2000 & the latest FIA 8856-2018 gloves. FIA 8856-2018 was introduced for all driver safety apparel. Basically, the fire-retardancy demands were increased by 11-20%. In addition, the gloves had to be tighter at the wrists with a longer cuff (gauntlet.) There were also changes affecting the interior and wrist construction. As a result, you will find the FIA 8846-2018 are slightly thicker that FIA 8856-2000 gloves, with more solid silicon, covered palms

FIA 8856-2018 gloves tags are marked with a gold, hologram. The FIA 8856-2000 was silver. The holograms are unique to that glove, and along with the certification & date tag are sewn in.

NEVER REMOVE YOU TAGS - THEY WILL BE CHECKED

Choose a color for point-bys and the corner workers - you want to get noticed.

We recommend HPDE students, especially novices, wear gloves with a color that contrasts against their cars color or wrap. Corner workers, officials, and rescue teams are always appreciative of gloved hands that they can clearly see.

As with all safety apparel - choose well - the first time.

Uncomfortable and ill fitting items are a distraction, and distractions are dangerous - your focus has to be on the track. It is also a performance issue - drive well with comfort, safety and a great fit.