Roscoe,
You think you were hot that day????? Wait until you are on fire!
Steve,
I agree, for most driving events that amateurs like ourselves do, long sleeves and pants are fine. At some point, you will get overly concerned about safety and start upgrading to the key elements for both yourself and your car.
If you are only 'curious' at this point, don't spend the cash until you know you want to do this on a regular basis. It all adds up.