Did You Know

Hinchman made Drivers Suits for the movie “Speedway”. The star of the movie? "Elvis Presley".

Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jochen Rindt won multiple World Championships and competed in and won the Indy 500 in Hinchman Driving suits.

Hinchman has been around the Winners Circle longer than Ferrari or Porsche.

Hinchman first entered Victory Lane at the Indianapolis 500 in 1925. Peter DePaolo drove the winning car for owner Fred Duesenberg. He was the nephew of Ralph DePalma also a winner of the Indianapolis 500.

The wrap around buttoned collar was first used by Hinchman. The collar was developed after Eddie Sachs complained about the wind making the collars flap. Later the buttons were replaced by Velcro.

Hinchman Racing Suits were worn in the movie"LeMans"with Steve McQueen. Most of the other drivers also wore Hinchman Driving suits.

By the late 1970's, Hinchman had produced race suits for over 40,000 different racers.

Nightly Brian Miser puts a Hinchman Carbon-X fire-resistant suit to the ultimate, potentially deadly test: doused with fuel and set aflame, he is shot from a cannon. No tricks, no gimmicks he is the human embodiment of the”Bailey’s Comet”act for the Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus- A pyrotechnic, 100 ft. flight to the safety of nets and fire extinguishers. In all he’s on fire for about 20 seconds from the time he’s soaked with fuel, lit, launched and land 100 ft away. He does this approx. 500 times a year. Brian estimates he reaches 800 degrees during the act.

Hinchman was the 1st suit maker to use Nomex.1966.

Hinchman was the 1st race suit maker to use Carbon-X.

Indianapolis, August 28, 2007
2007 marked the 40th anniversary of the commercialization of DuPonts™ Nomex®, a revolutionary, heat- and flame-resistant fiber that it is perhaps best known as a critical component in the manufacturing of driving suits, helmets, driving gloves, shoes and underwear. Because of its unique combination of flame protection, durability and mobility, Nomex® brand fiber has become the fabric of choice for racers and manufacturers of quality racing products world wide.
While Dupont celebrated 40 years, Hinchman Racing Uniforms marks 41 years since the first Nomex® racing suit was produced. The modern age of race suit construction officially began in March of 1966 when Hinchman Racing Uniforms made the first race suit utilizing Nomex®. This suit was produced for Mel (the King of Midgets) Kenyon, followed quickly by most, if not all of the 1966 Indianapolis 500 drivers. Few innovations in driver safety had the impact the development of Nomex® has had.

Hinchman was the last suit manufacture to have reigning champions of NASCAR, Indy Car and Formula One in the same year, no one has done that since...