How Do NASCAR Drivers Eat and Drink in a Car During the Race?

Stock car drivers risk a lot while they dash along NASCAR’s unforgiving tracks at blazing speeds that, at times, exceed 200 mph. The toll on their bodies is excruciatingly high.

And the duration of these races is long. There are races during which these athletes have to buckle themselves up to the seats or these high horsepower machines for hours straight.

To add to it, their HANS device, firesuit, gloves, and driver’s boots, all work together to make it incredibly hot and uncomfortable for them as they drive. It’s not unnatural for the drivers to climb out of their ride and appear all frenzied and disoriented.

Hence, how do these drives cope with these adverse conditions? What do the drivers do if they get hungry in the middle of a race? Here are the top four ways to sustain a driver as he or she drives the next-gen cars.

Here is what the drivers eat if they get hungry midway through a race

Most drivers prefer to eat protein-rich, yet light portions of food that lasts them throughout the entire race. Of course, they wouldn’t seek a spicy bowl of chili as there is no way to dismount the car and use the bathroom while a race is going on.

Hence, small snacks like a sandwich or a granola bar could be a viable option. The pit crew slides into the eatables after having opened the wrapper as it’s practically impossible for the driver to do it themselves. One they are wearing gloves and two, they’re driving.

What if they get thirsty? The pit crew would then throw in a bottle that has a straw attached to it for the driver to sip on. The bottle gets placed in the cup holder next to the driver’s seat.

Drivers tend to lose up to 12 pounds of fluid during a race and hence, they could also take salt tablets before the race so that they don’t have to use the bathroom. However, all of this is the driver’s call.

Besides food and drink, the teams always carry ice packs to cool the drivers down. They also provide cough drops to the drivers, that are stuck to the water bottle so that they don’t have to fumble with it.