About

Our Story

Group 6 is a racing apparel company created and run by Simon Sikes. Group 6 officially launched in 2018, but its leading product has been in development since late 2013. Unsatisfied with the rib protectors available at the time, Simon began development of a rib protector superior to others on the market. It was a rib protector that was composed of a shirt with three pads inside of it. These pads were molded to the wearer and therefore provided a custom fit. Having a rib protector that molded to your body ensures a perfect fit and unmatched comfort in the seat. Simon spent the rest of his time in karts wearing the rib protector and working on better versions of it. Through development, several iterations were made based on feedback from a beta test group of karting drivers that wore the rib protector. The feedback from the test group was all positive with only minor changes being made to the shirt. The final product is a refined version of what was initially used. The Group 6 rib protector is unlike any other. With the ability to mold to the user, it provides superior comfort similar to a proper racing seat. This product has been in development since 2013 and in 2016 it passed the required tests to be SFI Foundation Inc. compliant with specifications 20.1/1 and 20.1/2. When it became clear that this product could, in fact, go to market, the focus turned towards getting it there. At which time, Group 6 was created. Having started Group 6, Simon has been working since 2017 on the development of the business and getting it started. 2018 held the official launch of the company. While starting at a rib protector for karting, Simon hopes to branch out into various forms of motorsport. At Group 6, he strives to provide the best racing apparel in the business.

 

Meet Simon

Simon Sikes is a 17-year-old racing driver with aspirations of professional motorsports. He is currently competing in the F2000 Championship Series with Primus Racing. Beginning at the age of five in go-karts, he has traveled the country competing in various series for 12 years. His journey in the world of karting took him from local races in Georgia to collecting wins at the national level. During his time in karts, Simon began to wear a new rib protector that he created. He liked the new racing apparel so much that he began work towards developing it into a marketable product for the karting world. He used a test group of karting drivers to get feedback on the product and developed the shirt farther from there. Work on the shirt itself continued into 2017. Though he no longer competed in karting, he continued to wear and develop this new rib protector as it had great potential. At the age of 14, he began the transition into the world of formula car racing. Beginning with the Skip Barber Racing School, Simon spent the first year learning how to race a formula car. For the next two years, he competed in the Skip Barber Championship Series and the Skip Barber Winter Series finishing 3rd overall and 1st overall respectively. In 2017, he was named as a Team USA Scholarship nominee after the standout performances in the Skip Barber Series. Late in the year, he competed in an F1600 race in New Jersey where he collected three top 5 finishes in his first weekend in the car. 2018 created new opportunities for Simon in racing. He is competing in a full season of F2000 with Primus Racing and is in a great position to fight for the championship. While Simon’s racing has taken off this year, he is also put a great deal of focus into Group 6 as the company is officially in its first year as a business.