Unit D
San Diego, CA 92111
Phone: 858-495-9200
Fax: 858-495-9200
Email: Info@c2racers.com
Click here to shop online.
As with any item of driver safety gear, choosing the right glove is important for your
safety and performance. Unlike the helmet and suit, the glove is used to interact
direct with the car's controls, so making a good choice of gloves has an additional
dimension to it. Here we go:
Certification
Glove standards are in SFI's 3.3 spec, which includes other miscellaneous driver
gear as well. The spec ranges from a single layer glove (3.3/1), to a double layer
glove (3.3/5). All of SFI compliant gloves must have some degree of fire resistance.
Many gloves do not meet SFI specs, usually because the lack of fire shielding in the
palm. Gloves that do not meet SFI specifications are probably acceptable for
autocross, karting, or lower speed drag racing classes where the risk of fire is
relatively low, but we encourage anyone pursuing any of the other car racing
disciplines to choose gloves that meet an SFI spec. Here is an example of an SFI 5
racing glove from Bell
Palms
Choices in palms include type of external material and type of lining material. Palms
are made of smooth leather or suede. These do have different feels- leather is more
supple and thinner, suede is thicker and offers more friction. We tend to like suede
palms due to their higher friction. The higher friction helps protect against slipping,
and we think it actually gives more input from the wheel due to the slight tugging the
rougher material imparts from the steering wheel.
The other choice is lining material. Obviously, in single layer gloves there is no lining
material. Multiple layer gloves will have either two layers of the palm material or the
inner layer will be made of a fire resistance fabric such as Nomex or Kevlar. We are
advocates of the gloves lined with fire resistant material, as our hands are the part of
our bodies which are most at risk of burns.
Shape
Many of the newer gloves on the market feature a gently angled shape which mirrors
the curl of fingers hanging down at rest. These may have a small comfort
advantage, and are easier to get on as well. Here is a glove which features the
curved shape:
Stitching: Traditional gloves have the stitching on the inside of the fingers. These
slightly rough edges can cause discomfort and even blisters if your driving stints are
long. Gloves with external stitching may look somewhat irregular but they are
definitely more comfortable.
Cuffs
Just like blue jeans, racing gloves come with either straight cuffs or flared cuffs. We
think the straight cuffs may be marginally better from a safety perspective, but the
real difference between the two is ease of slipping them on and how they fit over the
sleeves of a driving suit. We prefer the straight gloves, but it is really a matter of
taste. Here is a straight cuff glove:
Here is a flared cuff glove:
Other Considerations:
There are several options which are more a matter of style than anything else. For
example, some gloves have padded knuckles, and they vary as to where the velcro
tab which clinches the glove around the wrist is located. Karts may want to opt for
specialized karting gloves, many of which have reinforcement on the outside of the
fingers and knuckles to protect against debris.
Some Glove Suggestions
| Helmets |
| Bell Sizing |
| Zamp Sizing |
| Gloves |
| Belts |
| Suits (coming soon) |
| Air Filters (soon) |
| Shocks (coming soon) |
| Springs (coming soon) |
| Sway Bars (soon) |
| R Tires (coming soon) |
| Wheels (coming soon) |
| ST Tires (coming soon) |
| Wheels (coming soon) |
| Autocrossing |
| Road Racing (soon) |
| Stage Rally (soon) |
| Circle Track (soon) |
| Bell |
| Autopower |
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| Koni |
| Tokico |
| Eibach |
| Suspension Tech. |
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| Crow |
| Ringers |
| DC Sports |
| AEM |
| Kumho |
| Hoosier |
| Falken |
| Panasport |
| Enkei |
Other Info & LInks
| San Diego Racing Calendar |
| General Link |
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