BORN FROM RACING
1984
Jim Hale (U.S. Distributor for AXO Sport, an Italian company that made motocross aparel and products) creates a glove to protect hands from hot engines without sacrificing the tactile feel needed to get the job done. This simple request from Brian Lunnis, the mechanic for Damon Bradshaw during his motocross days, a suspension specialist for Team Penske's CART team and Joe Gibb's NASCAR team, would invent the category of performance hand protection and spawn a company that has lasted 30+ years.
1989 - 1990
Embargo on goods from Japan leads to a new series of gloves based on AXO's Series 19 Gloves
1991
Mechanix Wear and The Original Glove make their debut
1992
Mechanix Wear Gloves are first used by Richard Childress Racing's No .3 Car, driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr. Team Penske Mechanics quickly embraced Mechanix Wear gloves and began using them at the track, exposing our brand and gloves to a whil new audience of racing teams and fans.
1993
Mechanix Wear is given a pit pass to the Daytona 500 and gives out gloves to the crews
1995
Mechanix Wear becomes an offical award sponsor for NASCAR, the new Craftsman Truck, and regional Winston West Series
1996
Mechanix Wear was introduced to NAPA executives at the race track. A NAPA/Balkamp Tool & Equipment buyer performed the first retail glove test
1997
Mechanix Wear begins working directly with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and supplies gloves to all 32 teams in the 81st running of the Indianapolis 500
1997-1999
Open wheel racing mechanics request fast-fitting gloves and fire-resistant gloves. The M-16 Nomex glove is developed, created, and approved by SFI for competition.
2001
Dale Earnhardt Sr. tragically dies in the Daytona 500 and NASCAR is launched into the spotlight. There is an unprecedented exposure to the Mechanix Wear Brand.
2002
Mechanix Wear began sponsoring the "Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew" award. The NASCAR year-end MVPC award is determined by a vote of all NASCAR Nextel Cup crew chiefs.
- Past winners include:
- 2002: #40 Team – Chip Ganassi Racing
- 2003: #17 Team – Roush Racing
- 2004: #48 Team – Hendrick Motorsports
- 2005: #20 Team – Joe Gibbs Racing
- 2006: #31 Team – Richard Childress Racing
- 2007: #48 Team - Hendrick Motorsports
- 2008: #48 Team - Hendrick Motorsports
- 2009: #42 Team - Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
- 2010: #11 Team - Joe Gibbs Racing
- 2011: #99 Team - Roush Fenway Racing
- 2012: #56 Team - Michael Waltrip Racing
- 2013: #88 Team - Hendrick Motorsports
- 2014: #4 Team - Stewart-Haas Racing
- 2015: #41 Team - Stewart-Haas Racing
- 2016: #48 Team - Hendrick Motorsports
2019
M-PACT XPLOR CUT RESISTANT GLOVE