Speaking of driving suits, I wrote an article on the late Lew Hinchman in
1968 and learned (though newspaper archives) that he was the first to make
Nomex suits, in 1965 as I recall. He made them for Indy drivers and Goodyear
paid for them. (Rodger Ward, an ex-P38 pilot, came home liking flight suits
and influenced other drivers to adapt one piece suits-- cotton in those
days.) Lew Hinchman became a lifelong friend. He would routinely replace a
burned suit with a new one, without cost to the driver. He gave me an early
Eddie Sachs suit and years later when I showed it to him, he told me it was
the prototype for the first ever Nomex suit he made, which probably made it
the first Nomex drivers suit anybody made. (Nomex, as you probably know, was
developed for Navy aviation.) I believe his suits were, and may still be,
the best fitting suits available.
tom butters
The Easley Vintage Grand Prix
IRP, October 6-7, 2001
Proceeds to the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis
Tom Butters
The Greens Fork Group
Creative communications
765.886.5098
No City in the history of racing has ever hosted the four greatest events of
their kind,
as we do here with the Indianapolis 500, the US Grand Prix, the Brickyard 400
and the NHRA US Nationals.
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