Seller Stories: Pit Lane Clothing

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PIT LANE CLOTHING

the world's fastest fashion brandWe are a lifestyle and activewear fashion brand for anyone 'with a racer's spirit'. PRINCIPLES:Our passion inspires us to produce a fashion brand for anyone 'with a r

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PIT LANE Clothing was founded by an actual Porsche race car driver from Australia in December 2021 - Jack Atley - who ironically, wanted a cool range of clothes to wear when he was NOT racing.

‘Always striving, always competing. Never give up - never give in - never lift’.

Pit Lane Clothing

Where it all began?

Jack Atley’s working life started at the Sydney Morning Herald as a photographer aged 18. Be became a multiple award winner. He also spent 2 years working from London photographing Formula 1, working on staff for the world's leading F1 photo agencies. He spent many years on staff for the world’s largest and most dominant daily global news agencies (Associated Press, Reuters, Getty, Bloomberg, and Agence France Press). Apart from working in F1, his personal media clients include The Australian Prime Minister’s Office, The Sydney Opera House, Commonwealth Bank, Coca-Cola Amatil, The New York Times in New York, and The Sunday Times in London. In 2010 with the advent of ‘iPhone’, Atley quit photography and pursued his true passion - motor racing.

Needing to raise funds, he learned sales and marketing and eventually raised $80k in sponsorship ‘without ever having turned the wheel of a race car in competition’. Atley now has competition race driving experience across multiple categories, including competing in the Bathurst 6HR, Australian Formula Ford and Australian Porsche 944 championships. He achieved a lifelong ambition when in 2010 he tested an actual Formula 1 car, the Paul Ricard circuit in France. To support his passion for racing, in 2014 Atley began working professionally in the global share and foreign exchange markets, landing a position with a significant Australian stockbroking firm in Collins st, Melbourne, where he stayed for 8 years. Atley resigned from this position in 2022 to pursue PIT LANE CLOTHING full-time.

What motivates Pit Lane as a company?

As a company, we sponsor young race car drivers who show exceptional talent. We want to give something back and we want to encourage young talent. We currently sponsor 4 guys who are racing in TCR, Porsche, and Formula Ford. 

However, we are also very proud to sponsor young Scottish racer CHLOE GRANT.

Chloe is 16 years old. Currently competing in the GB4 category in the United Kingdom, from a worldwide field of 13 other chosen women drivers, Chloe has now become 1 of only 4 drivers to go through to the final of the International FIA Girls on Track Program, held under the wing of the Ferrari Driver Academy, at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France. She has a very bright future in front of her.

Who are your favourite racers or what teams do you support in the current / past?

We love the grit and determination of Marc Marquez. Of course, we always cheer for our Aussie expats as well such as Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo, and now Oscar Piastri.

What are your goals?

However, Pit Lane is not aimed at ‘rev heads’ or your stereotypical ‘Bathurst on the hill’ race fans. There are countless examples of your ‘hard rocking, hard living, AC/DC skull and cross bones’ motorsport enthusiasts wearing ‘black leather racing apparel’ on the market.

The PIT LANE CLOTHING brand is therefore deliberately softer than many other ‘motorsport apparel’ brands on the market. Think more of Formula 1 rather than Supercars.

PIT LANE CLOTHING is deliberately designed to be more subtle, with softer tones and cleaner branding than typical ‘hard-nosed motorsport gear.

Who is the most famous driver/rider that you have met? 

Having worked in Formula 1 media, Jack Atley has met many drivers and famous drivers…from Senna…to Hill…to Prost. However, his favorite story is when Michael Schumacher poured bourbon and coke all over him in a nightclub in Adelaide. 

Atley explains: “I was quite young at the time, about 19 years old….and a group of us had gone to Adelaide for the final F1 race of the season. It was the day Schumacher crashed into Hill and won the world championship. At the end of the race, on Sunday night, a few of us snuck into the back door of a nightclub in Adelaide because we knew that was where the Benetton after-party was happening. We eventually made it to the dancefloor and I totally accidentally literally bumped into Michael Schumacher. It was dark and loud as nightclubs are … and it looked like he had been celebrating pretty hard… as I bumped him, he spilled the huge jug of bourbon and coke that he was carrying all over me. Of course, we both laughed and he carried on…the shirt didn’t make it through the night”.

What would you like your fans to know about Pit Lane?

PIT LANE CLOTHING is an apparel + lifestyle fashion brand, our principles have been developed on race tracks and road trips everywhere.

The company has so far primarily been run as a supply and demand company where once orders are placed, the garments are made and shipped either directly to the store or to the customer. These operations are currently in place and operational and have been successfully used for sales. And whilst currently, the store is online sales only, Atley is 100% committed to having the apparel range in stores as urgently as possible. The range will continue to be sold online in addition.

Last but not least - what prompted you to join GPBox?

We have been waiting for a platform like GPBox to come along.

We think it is an awesome concept and it suits our brand perfectly as it is global, has the same views, and love of motorsport as we do and it links our brand to potentially thousands of enthusiasts.

You can explore tons of gifting ideas at the GPBox which is a safe and secure, global marketplace that offers authentic products that suit all occasions and budgets.