Every driver goes through three to five helmets in the course of a season.

Protection is provided by a fiberglass or carbon fiber shell lined with foam and Nomex^® padding. The helmet also has headphones and a microphone.

A new development in safety is a deflated airbag inside the helmet. A driver involved in an incident that might be serious due to a possible neck injury will have his helmet removed by air pressure administered by the safety crew. The crew adds air pressure through a small hose on the outside of the helmet. This inflates the airbag inside and lifts the helmet safely off the driver's head.

A driver's fire suit is his main line of defense against burns. Tailored from the flame-resistant Nomex^® cloth, it guarantees protection for 12 seconds in a blaze at 1,300 F. All threads, and even advertising patches, must meet the same standards.

Nomex^® gloves provide the best protection against fire. Palms are trimmed in leather to ensure optimum grip on the suede steering wheel. Gloves are worn very tight and held in place with a Velcro^® strap.

Race shoes are made from leather and padded with foam to protect against knocks in the cockpit. For maximum fire-resistance they are finished in Nomex^® and soles are made from high-grip rubber.

The fire-resistant head sock provides added protection against fire. It tucks into the neck of the driver's suit.

This underwear is flame-resistant and resembles "long johns." Nomex^® is the only authorized material. Socks, T-Shirt, and briefs are all mandatory underneath fire suits.