Motor racing is a well-loved and much followed sport around the world. From the Formula 1, to rally cross and Formula E to NASCAR, millions of fans follow their heroes as they strive for speed and glory.
However, driving a racecar is a dangerous pursuit, with drivers at times reaching speeds in excess of 300 km/h. Therefore, safety is of the utmost importance. That’s where Coats comes in with our ability to combine technical threads with comfort and performance.
In NASCAR, the early focus was very much on comfort; the very first racing overalls were cotton shirts and trousers in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by shorts or jeans with a t-shirt the in the 1950s and early 1960s. It took the death of a famous racecar driver, Fireball Roberts as well as deaths at the famous Indy500 event, to herald the introduction of the first fire-resistant suits. NASCAR authorities decreed that all drivers must wear flame resistant coveralls while on the track.
Formula 1 soon followed suit, and all F1 racers’ uniforms and coveralls were required to be fire resistant. Today, these suits are so technologically advanced that they can protect someone up to 11 seconds after flames erupt.
As long as racing as a sport continues so will the need for safety. Coats Firefly is here to help. This fire-retardant sewing thread is made from 100% spun meta-aramid fibre, offering outstanding resistance against heat up to flame temperatures of 371°C.