NASCAR drivers are often seen complaining of the heat inside their cars. This begs the question if the Next Gen car, or any other racecar used in the premier series of the sport is equipped with air-conditioning. The answer is no. Racecars as always ditch every form of creature comfort as they chase ultimate performance on the track by keeping their overall weight down, an aspect air-conditioning the car would work against.
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Moreover, the open nature of the cockpit of a racecar with only a safety net on the left side to aid a driver’s quick entry and exit would not work with air-conditioning which would require a sealable cockpit.
On a sun-drenched Sunday afternoon temperatures can soar above 130° F within the race cars during the race, posing a risk to driver health. Despite this, the vehicles are not equipped with air conditioning. One might wonder, then, how drivers manage to keep their cool under such hot conditions.
The question was recently answered by Joe Gibbs Racing, detailing the innovative cooling measures the sport employs. “First is the cool shirt. Water is cooled in the car and pumps through a shirt that the driver wears under their fire suit. The second way is just using bags of ice. A team member can hand the driver a bag during a pit stop and they’ll put it in their firesuit to help cool them down.”
Elaborating further, the JGR insider explained, “Next is their helmet cooling. There’s an air intake behind the driver’s seat. It connects to a refrigerant box which connects to the driver’s helmet.” Besides that, “[NASCAR] Drivers make sure to hydrate before a race but it’s important during the race as well. Drivers can be handed water bottles or have a hydration pouch in their car.”
In addition to these cooling strategies, another alternative is the attachment of a hose to the car’s side to draw external air and circulate it within. However, this method is rarely adopted by the NASCAR teams due to potential disruptions to the vehicle’s aerodynamics.
During a race, drivers typically consume between 20 to 40 ounces of liquid per hour. According to Xfinity Series driver Landon Cassill, this intake translates to approximately 300 calories each hour.
Despite this hydration effort, drivers often lose more fluid through sweat than they can replenish. In cases of severe dehydration or other ailments, drivers have the recourse to seek treatment from medical professionals at the track’s health center.
At times, NASCAR races happen at night, when the mercury dips below the typical climes of a 3:30 pm ET start. The nighttime schedule can offer a respite to drivers who otherwise battle the scorching heat. However, NASCAR drivers generally arrive at the track well-prepared for the thermal challenges they face. A critical preparatory step involves managing the driver’s overall fitness levels.
A combination of all these innovations, coupled with a fit driver is the only combination who can endure 600 miles of high-speed racing in the Coca-Cola 600 to 400 laps of short track bumping and banging at Martinsville.
