PDRA Welcomes Stand 21 as Official Safety Equipment Partner

PITTSBORO, NC – Stand 21 makes the highest quality, made-to-order safety gear for motorsports genres worldwide. The company’s 48 year history has built a reputation of quality in their base of France and abroad. Nearly a decade ago, top drag race teams recognized the need for higher quality safety gear and reached out to Stand 21 founder Yves Morizot requesting a drag racing-specific line. The company responded with unsurpassed head-to-toe driver coverage now chosen by names such as Steve Torrence, Doug Kalitta, Larry Dixon, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, and Jonnie Lindberg, among others.

The PDRA is proud to welcome Stand 21 as the Official Safety Equipment Partner of the PDRA. “Stand 21 builds a custom product that is going to increase our drivers’ safety,” stated PDRA Marketing Director, Will Smith. “Their commitment to safety is a huge asset to our sport and the PDRA specifically. We’re thrilled to partner with them this season and hope additional PDRA drivers will learn about the difference of Stand 21.”

Several PDRA drivers have already chosen Stand 21 custom suits, helmets, gloves, footwear and Nomex undergarments, including Pro Extreme Champion Mike Recchia and Eric Dillard, racer and co-owner of Pro Line Racing.

“I have been using Stand 21 since 2011 and could not be more pleased with their products and service,” told Dillard. “At the extremes we push these cars, I take safety for myself and our customers very seriously. Stand 21 products give us the peace of mind that we’re doing everything we can to keep ourselves as safe as possible.”

“Over the past nine years our drag racing line has been constantly improved upon to make the most breathable, lightest, most comfortable suits,” informed Stand 21 General Manager, Kevin McConnell. “We produce helmets that reach the FIA top level safety standards. We’re offering some special promotions for PDRA drivers. I’m planning to come to the first race in April and I’m going to set up in the staging lanes for people to come see the product firsthand. We’ll also have products for people to test, so they can make a pass or two in it. It is a higher-end product that we want people to actually touch, feel, and try out to see the difference.”

Stand 21 will also pay contingency for drivers who purchase a Stand 21 firesuit.

“We also have a Safety Foundation [www.racinggoessafer.org]  through which we bring top doctors to discuss important safety issues for the driver,” McConnell added. “For example, most guys don’t know that by wearing Nomex underwear you greatly increase your protection against fire. Or that wearing Nomex and wearing a polyester shirt, like many of the crew shirts, can be detrimental. Fire doesn’t even have to go under a suit to melt that fabric. It can be melted by the heat alone. So there’s a lot of things we can do to increase drivers’ knowledge of safety. Obviously, we want to sell suits, but my hope is to increase the level of education in safety for the PDRA.

“A lot of people don’t want to think about it, but you have to prepare. Everyone in the PDRA is successful in their own right with businesses and families to take care of outside their racing operation. We want to make sure everyone is well-informed. A lot of the information we put out doesn’t even have to do with our products; it’s about your car, or the seat, or the belts. We feel like the more safety information we can put out there, drivers will make better decisions and that means less fatalities. Our end goal is at the end of the race, we want you all to go home to your families.”

Visit Kevin at the Stand 21 display at the PDRA season opener, the East Coast Spring Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park, April 5-7 to be fitted for a custom, state-of-the-art firesuit and receive the PDRA special discount.

Visit http://www.stand21na.com/ for more information.