Rare Indycar, F1 and IMSA Driver’s Suit Collection to be Sold

The driving suit is more than just fire retardant armor for drivers, it’s also their unique coat of arms, declaring their allegiance to a make, sponsor, and/or team. As such, the colors and logos of brands like Marlboro, Goodwrench, and K-Mart, have become synonymous with racing legends like Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Mario and Michael Andretti. These unique pieces of racing memorabilia have become highly collectable, which makes it all the more rare when more than one comes up for sale.

However, a notable collector and former racer is currently auctioning off his collection of driving suits via CPX Auctions’, “Modena Memories” online sale, which will close this coming Saturday, July 30. All the suits on offer are race-worn, from prominent racers, and most are mounted in a presentation case. Some of the special suits on offer include:

Eddie Irvine, Jordan F1 — Before his call-up to Ferrari, Irvine was at Jordan-Peugeot F1 team where he wore this suit during the season, earning 12th in the Drivers Championship, which ultimately earned him the ride next to Michael Schumacher. He then went on to win four GPs with Ferrari.
Paul Tracy, Team Penske — Penske items are rare, and this was worn during Tracy’s 1992 season in CART, where he scored two poles in his rookie season.
Gianpiero Moretti, MOMO — Moretti is a legend who founded MOMO steering wheels after designing a more ergonomic wheel for his own race use. He never stopped racing and wore this suit during a stint in his 1998 Daytona 24 Hours victory.
Michael Andretti, Newman/Haas — Who will ever forget the Newman/Haas CART team’s K-Mart livery? This suit is from the 2000 season when Michael won two races.
1999 IMSA GTP Championship Contenders — The IMSA GTP category was the pinnacle of modern sports car racing. In 1999, two manufacturers were battling it out for the championship: Nissan and Jaguar. The lead drivers were Geoff Brabham in the Nissan GTP-ZX-T and Davy Jones in the Castrol Racing XJR-10. Brabham reigned supreme in a closely fought championship season.