Q&A WITH FORBES WRITER JIM CLASH

OMP had the opportunity to supply Jim Clash of Forbes Magazine with the OMP gear for his exclusive test drive of the Bugatti Veyron. Jim is one of only four journalists that had the opportunity to take the Veyron past 250mph / 400 kph.

Q: In the Automobile feature, you comment on the differences between going 200 mph and 250 mph. What can you tell us about plain-old going fast?

One thing everyone has to understand is speed is relative. People have numbers fixed in their head as to how fast something should feel. I’ve taken six cars above 200 mph, and all felt very different. In fact, one of my first open-wheel drives was at Nazareth Speedway in Lehigh Valley in a Formula 2000 car. I felt like I was going at least 150 mph and was surprised to hear I was only going around 90 mph!

When you’re on the track in an open-wheel car, you feel like you’re going two times faster than you actually are. You have to adjust to the feeling of speed and G-forces.

To give some more perspective, at Texas Motor Speedway I took Sam Schmidt's Indy Car around the 1.455-mile oval in 26 seconds, which translates to a 201 mph average speed. The fastest NASCAR lap on that track, I believe, is Bill Elliott's 28 seconds. At those speeds, you’re dealing with 4 G’s of force in the corners that make peripheral vision begin to disappear, which isn’t a great thing for drivers. Fighter jet pilots have special compression suits that help deal with the forces, but not in a racecar--you feel that pressure against you. Drivers have passed out momentarily from it.
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OMP GOES GREEN WITH NELSON PHILIPPE

OMP is proud to team up with Indy-car driver Nelson Philippe and Eco Driving USA with their “I Drive Green” project to help promote more ways of becoming an eco-driver. OMP is committed to finding ways to protect the environment and has been actively working with diverse companies to find ways to make eco-friendly fabrics for our sports-wear line; when we learned about “I Drive Green”, we felt it was an important project to team up with as it is the perfect match to our goals. Both OMP and Nelson Philippe believe anyone can be an eco-friendly, even if they don’t own a hybrid car. The “I Drive Green” project is all about teaching the everyday driver the skills racecar drivers learn on the track to conserve fuel to help win a race.

With the help of Nelson Philippe, Eco Driving USA and Indy Goes Green, programs for individuals were set up during Indy race week to learn eco-driving techniques that are fun and enjoyable. The skills learned in these programs will improve driving ability and improve fuel consumption while helping reduce pollution. These same skills can also help save up to 33% of fuel the everyday driver uses a year. The program was a big success and OMP is sure it will have a lasting impact for all who participated in the promotion.

OMP IN THE NEWS

OMP makes a special appearance on Playboy's Hot Laps with Pilar Lastra sporting the all-new OMP ONE Suit, Gloves and Boots.
Click here to see the footage, and be sure to check out future segments with OMP on Playboy.com.

OMP’s Vintage line continues to have a very successful turn out with its feature of the Tazio gloves and Retro helmet in this month’s issue of Robb Report. You can also find the Carrera boots featured in the June issue of Car and Driver and July issue of Road & Track.

OMP will be showing off its patriotic spirit with a feature of the USA Defender suit in the July issue of Autoweek out on newsstands later this month. The Defender suit is a great way to show the passion of the driver, their nation or their car heritage.

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