Catchfence

Early Development with No. 3 Team Turned Mechanix Wear into Global Leader in
Motorsports Safety Introduces 20th Anniversary Edition Glove Just for Pit Crew Members

LOS ANGELES – When comparing pit stops from 1991 to today, it’s like comparing the horse-drawn carriage to a 700-plus horsepower stock car. Quaint, not always safe and not that fast.

Then, an interesting development took place at the 1991 Daytona 500 in the pits of Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 team – the team wore the first pairs of motorsports specific performance gloves. Earnhardt went on to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title that year.

Prior to that point, pit crews were wearing cotton gloves with plastic dots for grip – like your Mother’s gardening gloves – or baseball batting gloves that wore out every week. They were pitting the car in their shop uniforms. Injuries, burns, sprains and cuts were commonplace as team members worked on the cars and pitted them bare-handed or with minimal protection.

But Brian Lunniss, a former motorcycle mechanic and crew chief, got to be friends with some of the NASCAR team members through their loves of bikes. He noticed that the teams were in dire need of better protection during pit stops, and went to work with some motorcycle glove samples that he cut up to create a prototype. He took the basic fit, cut pieces of fabric for grip, added stretch fabric for flexibility and tough materials for durability to create a whole new high-performance glove.

“We literally took our prototypes to the guys on the No. 3 car – the Flying Aces — and let them test them out,” said Lunniss, now the head of R&D for Mechanix Wear. “We owe a lot to Richard Childress Racing. They gave us a lot of direction that helped us understand how to work with the teams, which ultimately helped us grow in NASCAR. Once we convinced the guys to overcome the macho thing and wear gloves to work, we saw a lot of guys really embrace the idea.”

Soon, the idea of high-performance gloves spread to most of the NASCAR teams, as well as to NHRA, CART, Indy Racing League, AMA Motocross and other major racing series. Today, Mechanix Wear is the No. 1 glove in NASCAR and used by more than 160 teams in 26 series.

“I remember going over the wall in jeans, a t-shirt and work shoes. You were dodging cars, trying not to get burned and still trying to complete the stop,” said Ray Evernham, president and CEO of Ray Evernham Enterprises and consultant to Hendrick Performance Parts. “I learned from the Penske teams at Indy and followed his lead by being the first team in firesuits in NASCAR. We always tried to adopt new safety measures like gloves, helmets and knee pads as soon as they were available.”

Evernham credited Mechanix Wear with always looking at how to improve the sport by working closely with the team members.

“They really turned pit crew apparel into sports equipment,” he said. “The glove was a major development, as were the shoes to give the guys better footing and the kneepads that helped tire changers do the stop more quickly and safely.”

Larry McReynolds, former crew chief and current Fox and SPEED analyst recalls the days of going across the wall carrying a jack.

“We never really thought about it,” said McReynolds. “There was no telling how fast those cars were going on pit road at places like Talladega and Daytona. It’s mind boggling to see how far things have come with pit stops from a safety perspective.”

Two Decades of Safety Improvements Change Pit Stops

Over the past 20 years, a number of safety improvements have been made to slow the cars on pit road, reduce the potential for fires and protect the crew members from falls and collisions. A recent survey of NASCAR crew chiefs, former pit crew members and analysts identified the top developments as:

Pit Road Speeds – NASCAR instituted pit road speeds in April 1991, slowing cars to a mandatory speed designated for each track.

“The addition of pit road speeds was one of the biggest safety improvements,” said former crew chief and Fox analyst Jeff Hammond. “I can’t believe I used to stand out there with my back to cars coming by at more than 100 miles per hour. Slowing them down made the competition more even, made the pit stop cycle more predictable and made it safer for everyone on pit road.”

Fire Retardant Gloves – In 1997, changes in fueling systems resulted in more spills and leaks, and combined with sparks from lugnuts, left crew members more susceptible to fires and burns.

“You can’t imagine how dangerous it was on pit road at one time,” said former gas man and Sirius NASCAR Radio host Chocolate Myers. “For the guys working around the rear end of the car, there was always a chance of fire, so NASCAR started making changes in the fueling systems to reduce the risk.”

To address the issue, Lunniss worked with Mechanix Wear to develop the first fire retardant gloves in 1997. The gloves met SFI standards with new materials and unique construction, and quickly gained wide acceptance among the teams. The following year Lunniss joined Joe Gibbs Racing and that provided first-hand experience with the many tasks performed with Mechanix Wear gloves at the track.

As the current car runs hotter and tires retain more heat, the importance of heat and fire resistant gloves is even more critical. Tires are often 250 degrees when they come off the car and brake rotors are 1,400 degrees.

Pit Crew Firesuits and Helmets – NASCAR instituted the pit crew firesuit and helmet rules in 2002 after three guys on Ricky Rudd’s crew were injured in the last race of the 2001 season.

“When I first started gassing cars, it was like ‘What type of safety gear?’,” said Hammond. “There was no overflow can, gas was spilled everywhere, I was out there in a t-shirt, jeans and non-grip shoes. We just threw caution to the wind. We were wearing golf gloves for grip.

“All the changes that folks like Mechanix Wear made really took the sport a step forward,” Hammond added. “The way they recognized the need for specific gloves and equipment for the individual positions on the pit and applied their innovation to the mechanics of that job was like how football teams design specific pads for each position.”

“We really got a wake-up call in 2001 with the accident at Homestead,” added McReynolds. “It’s amazing that no one was seriously injured. It really drove the mandate to give the guys more protection like the firesuit and helmet.”

Knee Pads – As pit stops sped up, tire changers faced new challenges – and injuries – in getting into position quickly to change the tire, as they were literally throwing themselves on the ground in front of the tire. Some tire changers were using wrestling knee pads, which had little protective padding and a restrictive band to hold it on.

In 1992, Mechanix Wear created a new motorsports knee pad featuring a Kevlar outler layer, an inside foam knee cup and elastic straps that allowed full motion. This helped tire changers increase their speed on stops because they could slide into position more easily.

“I probably wouldn’t have the knee problems I do today if I’d had good knee pads when I was changing tires,” added Hammond. “That protection really makes a difference on pit road.”

Air Gun and Jack Improvements – Air guns used to be heavy, difficult to carry and unreliable. But improvements in the guns contributed a great deal to faster stops. New carbon fiber elements provide lighter weight, and ergonomic designs make them easier to handle. Steel jacks were incredibly heavy and created a major safety issue when the jackman swung around the car. New lightweight jacks make it easier for the jackman to run around the car without the danger of hitting a crew member with a steel jack.

“When you look at how tire changers perform the stop today, it makes it look like we were changing tires with tire irons 20 years ago,” said Hammond. “The improvements in air guns made it much easier for the tire changer to run around the car, get into position and get the lugnuts off and on.”

McReynolds added, “While the principals of the pit stop haven’t changed in 40 years, the safety and speed have improved dramatically. When we used to do a pit stop in the high :20s, we were high cotton. Now, you can do two pit stops in the time it used to take us to do one.”

For Mechanix Wear, the first 20 years on pit road have proven that innovation, a true development partnership with the pit crew members, and a commitment to improving the safety of the sport are a smart business plan and the foundation for long-term success.

About Mechanix Wear

Mechanix Wear, the #1 glove in racing, is the motorsports industry’s first and foremost company dedicated to providing gloves to help you work faster, safer and cleaner. From the introduction of the Original glove in 1991, Mechanix Wear has continually defined the state of high quality performance work gloves by adding products specifically designed to enhance comfort and resist extreme wear, temperatures and impact. Mechanix Wear gloves can be found in toolboxes in homes, garages and workshops and used by emergency, military and professional tradesman as well as do-it-yourselfers.

- Mechanix Wear, Press Release