Sparco HOCOTEX®
Sparco is now in it’s third generation of their Victory HOCOTEX® fabric FIA racing suits. This year the Victory 2.0 was introduced. The Victory HOCOTEX® 14L suit has been updated to comply with the new FIA 8856-2018 homologation.
So what is HOCOTEX® and why is it so revolutionary?
With the new HOCOTEX® 14L fabric, Sparco claims a fabric that is 30% thinner, 3 times more breathable and 30% more flame resistant (FR.) The original HOCOTEX® was advertised as a new technical fabric that allows a one layer suit that meets the FIA homologation tests. (The mandated FR liner is in addition to this.)
HOCOTEX® is a twist (literally) on the use of Nomex thread. Sparco is using a weaving technique that first makes three layers, then interweaves those layers with each other - creating a single piece of fabric. The result is a fabric that has thousand’s of air pockets woven into it. Air pockets adds to a suits fire-resistance as they slow down the passage of heat and flames. The quilting patterns founds on racing suits are also designed to do this. However, the average racing suit has 300 air pockets sewn into it - Sparco HOCOTEX® claims 60,000 micro-cells (air pockets.) Interesting fact - it takes 7 miles of Nomex thread to make one square meter of HOCOTEX® fabric - hence increased fire protection.
HOCOTEX® fabric, although made with Nomex, has a lesser sheen, but since it is constructed with Nomex thread, it can be screen printed and produced in different colors. Sparco can also use this technique with other thread, so the newer generation of suits are evolving.