Fire suit recertification

[thommysgarage]

  I have been racing with ECTA for the last five years, so the SFI tag on my fire suit is dated 2014. Does the suit need to be recertified to be legal this year? The rule book (2018) specifies every five years on seat belts, but doesn't mention this for the fire suit. I plan to buy new belts from Stroud soon. It wouldn't be too big a deal to get the suit done at the same time. I hope to be ready for the April meet, God willing.

[ggl205]

I don?t think so. I dragged out my SFI20 one piece suit I had made back in 1993 and it passed tech in 2017.

I should mention that tech was for the 2017 World of Speed event. Don?t know about ECTA.

John

[Stainless1]

Don't read stuff into the rules... fire suits don't require recert like drag racing... I suspect it is because it is not being drug through the grease and dirt every weekend... you usually wear them a couple of times a year if you are lucky.  You only require a new one when you outgrow it or the safety crew has to cut it off 

[thommysgarage]

  Thanks for the advise, I'll concentrate on getting the car put together. Hope to be at Blytheville in April.

[olepaw]

Thanks for this post I was interested in this same question.

[Stan Back]

Be careful when cleaning them to not wash the certification off.  As long as they are in good condition and you can read the number, you oughta be alright.

[lake_harley]

Is it best to have a /5 firesuit dry cleaned or ?

Lynn

[Tom Burkland]

Firesuits do not require recertification to comply with the SCTA rule book. They are closely inspected for cleaniness and no obvious damage (previous fire and heat evidence on the exterior layer, frayed or cut cloth, etc) during the technical inspection. Any of the multi-layer suits with Nomex insulation between the inner and outer cloth payers should be dry cleaned by a reputable cleaner near your home. Highly recommend you use the suit with Nomex underwear to increase its thermal rating and keep it much cleaner when using in high temperature environments. This underwear can be machine washed at home to extend the dry clean intervals of the suit. One-piece suits leave one less place to leak heat and flame into the midsection, if you must have a two-piece make sure the jacket is long enough to stay in place with adequate overlap, and consider an extended tail that goes under your pants when seated in the cockpit.
Remember it is your life riding inside these suits, so do not scrimp on quality to get the highest thermal rating possible wrapped around your fragile body.
Attempt to have the arm restraint bands sewn into the sleeves for better positioning on the forearm, and reduced injuries to your hands, wrists, and forearms.
If you select a helmet with integral head sock with SFI tag you can dispense with the headsock/bellaclava and still be compliant, this can be a great help for drivers with glasses or visor fogging issues.
Good luck and be safe out there!
Tom Burkland