PRESS RELEASE

Budget eBay Bargain hits the Track!

Wiltshire racer Max Tyler is tackling one of the toughest motor races in the UK – at the wheel of a bargain Porsche he bought for £160 on eBay!

Max, who runs Racewear Ltd selling racing drivers’ clothing worldwide from offices in the Wiltshire village, originally bought the 1980 Porsche 924 as spares but then decided to have a go at building it into a racing car. It is now entered into the 360 Motor Racing Club’s demanding 6 hour race at Snetterton in Norfolk on 6^th May, racing against a variety of historic racing saloons and sports cars from Mini to Aston Martin.

“When the car arrived it had a smashed windscreen, mismatched doors, wouldn’t run properly and smelt like an old Labrador inside” he says. “But I could see there was potential, and perversely I wanted to prove that you can take part in quality motor racing for much less money than people think.”

The rebuild has taken eighteen months, and now the car is raring to go next weekend. Max has two co-drivers sharing race costs and has financed the build of the car personally.

“From the very beginning I set out to prove that a racing car is in the reach of everyone so I was determined to build it with money I had generated outside of the ‘day job’. By the end of the first month, I was in profit over the original cost by selling parts from the car on eBay and it’s continued like that! The fact that I can say ‘I’ve got a Porsche’ is an added bonus, and I do forget to mention it only cost £160!”

Max is not expecting overall honours but is looking for a good class position in the race. “It’s not a terribly quick car in absolute terms, but it’s a big, comfy old beast and if the famous German reliability sees us driving round and round for six hours we’ll be in with a shout at the end!” he comments.

“Project 160 for the 360” as it has been dubbed will make its race debut next weekend.

ENDS – 25^th April 2012

Notes for editors:

1.       Further information from Max Tyler, 08452 604104 (day) or 07775 834341 (eve)

2.       Photographs available

3.       The 360 MRC Snetterton 6 Hour race is for saloon and sports cars over 21 years of age and takes place annually at the famous race circuit in Norfolk, attracting entries from all over the UK

Max Tyler

Racewear Ltd t/as racewear.co.uk

Britain'sonline racewear specialist - from your desktop to your doorstep

08452 604104 max@racewear.co.uk

Co No 6901214 Clackerbrook Farm, 46 The Common, Bromham SN15 2JJ

Focus On...Losing weight and choosing racewear!

Every driver knows how being lighter generally means you can go faster - according to Karting Magazine, an added 10kg made driving a Rotax Max around 1% slower - take a peek at the full article it makes interesting reading:

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There's no doubt that the more expensive racing suits help because they are not only better quality but also lighter. Recently we were sending out a couple to Europe and after weighing them for postage we noticed that the Puma Future Cat was about a kilo lighter than one of our entry-level FIA products - who wants to carry around an extra bag of sugar?

Modern, hi-tech racing overalls, boots and gloves are much lighter than traditional designs and while we can't promise to save you half-a-second per lap, if you're racing for long periods then the reduction in vibration, temperature and general stress can be considerable.

But weight saving isn't the only important factor, consideration should be given to the end use. For instance, a pair of Speed Racewear boots weighs in at just 750g compared to the Sabelt Base at 1050g but while racers can change out of their boots regularly, rally drivers and navigators can't so will appreciate the stronger sole of the rally-bred Base. Likewise with gloves, if you compete in an area where gloves continuously get dirty then price becomes important when you're replacing them regularly!

With racing overalls, the choice is even wider with prices ranging from under £100 to over £1000! We've covered this in an earlier blog, Focus on...racing overalls, which I hope will help you decide which overalls you need for your branch of the sport, and given below are some pointers to design features that may be useful:

• Stretch panels on sleeves - the Speed Racewear Level 2 kart suit and the Sabelt Stratos FIA race suit both have stretch panels between the shoulders and the back of the sleeves which allow a bit more movement than the traditional "set in" style. By doing this they remove the need for pleats running from shoulder to waist, meaning there's less material, a reduction in suit weight and extra comfort for the wearer as you're not sitting back on folds of material
• Fully floating sleeves -  an option on the AWS Skyhawk and standard  on the Sabelt SK1 kart suit. Here the sleeves are attached to the body by stretch fabric making 360 degree arm movement easier. This is a very popular choice
• Lumbar stretch panels - the Puma Trionfo takes this to a new level, with the bottom part of the suit at the back being a stretch panel for extreme movement. Look out for anatomical cut, carefully-positioned seams and breathable fabric when making your choice

Bewildering isn't it? There's no substitute for advice - if you're the slightest bit concerned then please ring us on 08452 604104 and we can give you some unbiased help. Please give us as much information about you, your racing and your budget as you can, so that we can help you make the best choice. That's why we're "the specialists"!

See you on the grid!

Max Tyler
racewear.co.uk
08452 604104

Focus On...Puma Racewear

racewear.co.uk is proud to have been appointed an agent for PUMA racewear, and I thought it a great idea to give some background as to why it deserves a place in your wardrobe.

PUMA was founded in Herzeogenaurach, Germany in 1948 and is one of the world's largest suppliers of athletic footwear, clothing and accessories. PUMA claims its "four cornerstones" are heritage, sports performance, technological innovation and challenge and has kept true to those principles as it has diversified its brand image and products to become an "alternative" sports brand drawing on influences from sports, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA performance racing shoes were first used in the 1970s and 1980s, and the brand has grown through association with teams such as Ferrari and, latterly, Red Bull.

But enough of the marketing speak...what's special about PUMA for the racing driver?

"Trionfo" is the name used by PUMA for their top-of-the-range products and none more so than the Trionfo race suit.

• 
  
  Lightweight &; breathable satin Nomex 3 layer design offers better weight reduction, breathability, protection and durability than traditional 3-layer lightweight designs
• 
  
  Features Puma's "Extended Movement System" (EMS):

Stretch panels at the back of the arms replacing the soft knit gussets

Reduced weight of the upper arms/chest area

Further reduced bulk of Nomex around the critical shoulder/harness/HANS device

Increased air flow to the chest area

• Strategically placed knit Nomex stretch panels located at the knees, calves, and kidney/lumbar areas improve both mobility and breathability
• Forward seams for enhanced comfort in the car
• Super flat grabstrap design for the ultimate HANS compatibility
• Soft knit internal collar with satin outer stops migration under the HANS chest plate allowing safe and comfortable use of the HANS device

This is pro-quality racewear, with a price to reflect it! But if you want the best, then it costs. Further down the range the Future Cat and the Race Cat represent superb value for money for competitors racing in closed cars and/or hot climes.

For the very best in the PUMA range look for the name Trionfo, and that's true of the Trionfo Mid Pro II Race Boot as well! PUMA, with over 35 years of race footwear development, produces the most technically advanced state-of-the-art racing footwear and the PUMA Trionfo Mid Pro II is the most technologically advanced racing shoe ever produced for the professional driver:

• Constructed of Schoeller canvas, soft suede, and Nomex lining
• Superior transpiration, weight reduction, and increased fire protection (TPP40)
• Asymmetrical lacing improves blood circulation, decreases lactic acid build-up (muscle fatigue), and improves heat dissipation within the foot
• ‘Tongue-less’ body design reduces weight while improving conformation to shape and movement of the driver’s foot
• Carbon fibre heel stabiliser provides balance for heel-and-toe combined with a split heel design reduces weight, heat transfer, and vibration
• FIA 8856-2000 and SFI 3.3/5 approved

Take a look round an F1 paddock, and you'll see many drivers wearing boots branded with other manufacturers' logos that look "surprisingly" like the Trinofo!

PUMA are also moving into karting clothing too! Drawing on their extensive experience, they have produced the PUMA Kart Cat, a Cordura/cotton 2-layer CIK/FIA Level 2 homologated suit  combining high technical featurs with a fresh an cool design:

• Full Movement System (FMS)
• Knit panels on elbow and knee
• Soft knit collar

Wherever you see the leaping cat, you know that PUMA will have given you an exceptional garment, so why not give them a try?

That's all for now - see you on the grid?

Max Tyler
racewear.co.uk
08452 604104