The wave of cool suit failures at Circuit of the Americas last Sunday sparked widespread discussion about how hot the Next Gen car gets during races. Insiders emphasized the importance of cool suits and called for stricter quality checks from the sanctioning body. Ahead of the Cup Series race in Phoenix on Sunday, Chase Elliott also shared his thoughts on the issue.
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Cool suits are not currently mandatory in the field. Elliott was asked whether NASCAR should take further action in light of the incidents at COTA. He responded by pointing out the stark difference in ambient temperatures between the Next Gen car and the previous Generation 6 car.
“If you’re going down the straightaway in the old car, and you stuck your hand out the window, it was cool and fresh air,” Elliott said as per Frontstretch. “Whereas now, you’re going down the straightaway at any track, but particularly, like, Speedways are a great example. If you stuck your hand out the window, if you didn’t have your gloves on, you’d probably burn it.”
This is largely due to design changes introduced with the Next Gen car. Hot air from the radiator now flows past the A post and into the cockpit through at least one side window without much obstruction. In addition, the exhausts are now positioned near the frame rails. While drivers cannot directly touch them from their seats, the placement still contributes to higher temperatures inside the cabin.
Elliott continued, “Whereas it used to be, you know, exhaust was only on one side as well, so you’re kind of evacuating that air out one direction. So, there was always some fresh air to be had that wasn’t, you know, already warm or warmed up if somebody was in front of you. So, it’s just a little different, I think, now than it used to be.”
Concerned about the recent cool suit failures?@chaseelliott blames it on the design that contributes heat inside the cars. #NASCAR
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— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 7, 2026
The Hendrick Motorsports driver expressed cluelessness about how all these issues can be fixed. The only solution appears to be stringently checked cool suits that have a zero failure rate. It was rather fortunate that nobody faced a bigger health concern at COTA. But the same cannot be expected in such future circumstances. Therefore, NASCAR must implement stricter measures in regards to these suits.
The temperature might not soar high in Phoenix this Sunday. However, much hotter days lie ahead in the calendar. The sanctioning body, teams, and drivers must be prepared for them.
