Race suits and fire-resistant underwear.

Most racing suits carry an SFI 3.2A label, an FIA 8856 label, or both. Underwear, socks and balaclavas are certified separately from the suit. This page covers what each label means, the validity rules the standards bodies publish as of October 2026, and how sanctioning bodies apply them.

SFI 3.2A suit ratings

SFI rates suits with a number after the spec, such as 3.2A/5. The number reflects a TPP (Thermal Protective Performance) value, which measures how long the material holds off a second-degree burn under combined flame and radiant heat. Recertification periods come from the SFI Foundation's specifications page, read in October 2026.

The TPP and time values are from SFI-sourced tables published by Drag News and 90 Racing. An Alpinestars blog (April 2026) gives wider time ranges for each rating instead, for example 10 to 19 seconds for 3.2A/5. The spec also requires the fabric to stop burning within 2.0 seconds, and tests thread, zippers and shrinkage under heat.

Recertification for 3.2A/10 and up

The SFI Foundation lists a five-year recertification period for 3.2A/10, /15 and /20 suits and none for 3.2A/1, /3 and /5. An SFI-attributed notice hosted by IHRA says recertification is done by the suit's original manufacturer. One 2024 retailer list (JEGS) started the five-year group at /15; SFI's own page includes /10.

How the five years is counted to the day is not settled in what we could read. The early SFI-attributed schedule and a 2024 Performance Racing Industry article describe it differently, and the spec text itself was not available. So the safest statement is: recertification is due in the fifth year counted from the year on the SFI tag; check the tag and your sanctioning body.

Makers set their own conditions (manufacturer policies):

• Impact Racing told Performance Racing Industry (2024) that it recertifies a suit only twice, will not recertify suits made before 2012, and refuses any suit showing fire involvement.
• Simpson offers recertification of its own 3.2A/15 and /20 suits and turns away suits with tears, contamination, stretched cuffs, any burn marks or a previous recertification.
• Zamp says its 3.2A/20 suits can be recertified every five years at its discretion.

Who enforces SFI suit dates

Drag racing bodies enforce SFI dates, according to JEGS's 2024 NHRA-focused list. For road racing, the SCCA Time Trials safety rules set no suit age limit and no recertification requirement, and we could not read the current NASA or IMSA rule text. If you road race, check your event's rules.

FIA 8856-2000 and 8856-2018

The FIA's clothing standard covers overalls, underwear, balaclavas, socks, shoes and gloves. Alpinestars describes FIA 8856-2018 as pass or fail, with no rating levels. Demon Tweeks says 8856-2018 took effect on 1 January 2022, after which new items could no longer be made to 8856-2000.

Where each is accepted, as of October 2026

Appendix L 2026 names the championships that already require 8856-2018 only: F1, F2, F3, Formula Regional, Formula E, WEC, WRC, World and European Rallycross, European and Regional Rally, the GT World Cup, the Motorsport Games GT Cup, international GT3 series, cross-country rallies and Bajas, and Extreme H.

Reading an 8856-2018 label

FIA Technical List 74 says a garment's validity is always what its own homologation label states. The FIA 8856-2018 standard itself (Article 8) says a garment's validity expires ten years after its year of manufacture, so an item made at any point in 2019 is valid until 31 December 2029, and the label must show that end-of-validity year. Retailers such as Demon Tweeks give the same ten-year rule. Read the year on your label rather than working one out.

Underwear and layering

An SFI 3.2A rating covers the suit only. Underwear is certified separately, under SFI 3.3 (Driver Accessories), which the SFI page lists with no recertification period.

In an SFI lab test dated 11 March 2015, a typical 3.2A/5 suit alone gave 10.8 seconds to a second-degree burn, and 16 seconds with SFI 3.3 underwear beneath it. In the same test a polyester shirt under the suit melted and stuck to the skin, and a cotton shirt did not melt but added no protection time. The SFI-sourced Drag News article adds that most burns come from heat transfer, and a suit that is too tight squeezes out the insulating air gaps.

Appendix L 2026 sets layering rules for FIA events:

• Garments must not be too tight.
• The neck, wrists and ankles must always be covered by at least two layers of safety equipment.
• The balaclava and top underwear overlap by at least 3 cm round the neck (8 cm at the front), and upper and lower underwear by at least 7 cm at the waist.
• Only flameproof knee or elbow pads to ISO 15025 may be worn over the overalls.
• Printing or transfers may be applied only by the maker, with a certificate for customised 8856-2018 items.

Club rules can differ

National and club bodies set their own lists, which are not the same as the FIA's:

• SCCA Time Trials Safety Levels 2 and 3 accept FIA 8856-1986, 8856-2000 or 8856-2018 suits, or SFI 3.2A/5 and higher. A 3.2A/1 suit is allowed only with fire-resistant underwear.
• SCCA Race Experience makes fire-resistant underwear optional only with an FIA-homologated suit or an SFI 3.2A/5 or higher suit, and strongly recommends one-piece suits.

Care

Follow the care label on the garment. The SFI-sourced Drag News article also advises not wearing the suit while working on the car, because fuel and oil soak in, and discarding a suit after any fire involvement. Demon Tweeks notes that dirt, sweat, fuel, oil and washing all wear racewear down.

Suit rules differ between FIA events, clubs and drag racing, and they change. Before every event, check the current rules of the event you are entering and the labels on your suit and underwear. Our gear expiry checker shows the published rule for each label, and gloves and shoes covers the rest of your racewear.