Pit Crew Clothing and Tools Explainer

Are you ready for the official sports car race world championship? This exciting yearly sporting event brings together some of the biggest names in motoring – from Ferrari to Porsche and Toyota. With sponsorships from Hertz and other huge brands, this year’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) is set to be a blinder. Especially as this year, we celebrate 100 years of Le Mans – the oldest endurance racing event in the world!

To get you prepped for the big event, we’re providing you with background info on some of the major features of the WEC. Below, we’ll talk you through all there is to know about the tools used and clothing worn by some of your favorite pit crews.

What Tools Do Pit Crews Use?

A sports car driver wouldn’t be anything without their pit crew or their tools. Used to optimize hypercar efficiency, safety and performance, pit crew tools are the backbone of endurance racing, and any other type of racing for that matter.

At the World Endurance Championship, only the best tools get used. Buoyed by this knowledge, drivers can put the pedal to the metal knowing that high-quality pit tools were used to conduct maintenance on their motors.

A handful of pit crew tools are used at the WEC, here are a few that are quite common:

Impact Wrench (Air Gun)

This essential tool is used to quickly remove and replace lug nuts in the wheels of hypercars. Without an impact wrench, this task can take a lot of time – something a race driver just doesn’t have spare. With a high-powered impact wrench, pit crews can change all four tires on a car in less than 20 seconds!

Jack Stands

A jack stand is a handy tool used to safely lift the car to enable maintenance tasks to be performed, like tire changes. As you can imagine, the tires on a hypercar need to be changed a few times during endurance racing. A jack stand helps to ensure that this gets done speedily.

Fuel Can and Hose

This tool facilitates fast and accurate refueling during the race. It’s an upside-down jug that’s fitted with a long spout containing fuel for the hypercar. The designated ‘gas man’ will fill the car up in line with the team’s fuel strategy. This strategy is important as although a full tank can help to lower the need for refills, it can make the car heavier and slow it down – the last thing any driver wants during a race.

Fire Extinguisher

With all that burning rubber, fires can occur during sports car racing. That’s why fire extinguishers are essential for ensuring the safety of the driver, audience and pit crew. Handheld fire extinguishers are a popular choice, but there are also plumbed-in options. They usually contain either foam, dry powder or CO2.

Diagnostic Tools

Diagnostic tools like readers and scanners are fundamental in troubleshooting and identifying mechanical issues. Should the driver face any issue with the hypercar, these tools can help to identify the cause and allow the crew to come up with a solution.

Power Tools

Power tools like electric impact wrenches, polishers and sanders are commonly used to conduct a range of maintenance tasks, engine adjustments and repairs.

What Clothes Do Pit Crews Wear?

As in any sport, the uniform worn plays a huge role in sports car racing. This is particularly the case for the World Endurance Championship due to the requirements in terms of safety, functionality and team identity.

Want to know the ins and outs of the uniforms sported by the pit crews in the WEC? Here’s a list of the typical items of pit crew clothing that your favorite teams will don on the racetrack:

Fire-Resistant Overalls

Fires can occur on the racetrack due to the high speeds and onboard fuel and electrical systems. Therefore, pit crew costumes feature fire-resistant overalls to keep the team safe in the event of a fire. The overalls are usually made with Nomex, a synthetic material made by Dupont.

Helmets and Visors

Pit crew members also wear helmets and visors to protect them from being hit by any loose items on the track, equipment, or in extreme cases, the cars themselves. The visors are used to provide clear vision as well as to protect the eyes.

Gloves

Another essential piece of pit crew clothing, gloves are worn by the team to protect their hands and to enhance the level of grip during tire changes and other tasks.

Safety Shoes

Safety shoes, often in the form of trainers and boots, are also part of the pit crew costume. They provide traction and protect the team’s feet from potential hazards like dropped tools, broken hypercar parts, spillages and fires.

Team-branded Apparel

A great way to build a sense of comradery and show spectators the different members of the team, team-branded apparel is common on the racetrack. From branded overalls to helmets and gloves, branded items of clothing can help to convey unity and professionalism.

Interested in all things WEC? Check out the rest of our pages: