How Hot Does The Inside Of A NASCAR Cup Car Feel?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- In this episode of the Dale Jr Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. dives into the intense heat challenges faced by NASCAR drivers. Reflecting on a scorching race in Nashville, Dale Jr. describes the unbearable conditions inside the car, comparing it to being on fire. He discusses the effectiveness of cool suits, the limitations of current cooling technology, and the need for NASCAR to consider alternative plans for extreme heat conditions. Tune in to hear Dale Jr.'s candid thoughts on driver safety and what it’s like to race in temperatures reaching 150 degrees.
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Years ago a NASA study found that at 80 degrees reasonably fit astronauts make @10 mistakes per hour. At 90 degrees they make 50 - This makes a very strong case for AC in the workplace…
This is really interesting. Holy crap!
Gives "NASCAR Heat" a whole new meaning
Yeah
My wife and I went to Nashville this weekend and there were 6 incidents where a fan passed out and needed medical attention just on Saturday. We witnessed one on Sunday as well. We are in our mid 20’s and we even had to go and take breaks from the heat
This and the RCR shakeup bit had Jr really watching his words on this episode.
I remember reading an article years ago about how Bobby Allison would get ready for these hot racing days
. He would get in his car in the summer and roll the windows up and turn the heater on and ride around for hours to try and get ready for the upcoming race. I remember Darlington Labor Day Race and after the race drivers getting help just to get out of the car and then sitting down on pit road with cold towels on their head, looking exhausted and drinking water. I don't know how they did it. After a few Labor Day Races l just quit going it was so hot . Couldn't wait for October and go to Rockingham.
Not only that Bobby would also put on a few winter jackets along with the heater on
I can't even imagine being inside those 130°F race cars for over 2 hours. Your body is baking inside those cars, and that's why the drivers are well trained by doing alot of exercises.
130 is pretty normal. 150+ is probably more realistic.
@@duanebailey6253 that's a fact
I completely agree with more night races. Vegas was so brutal at times for the fans like myself. I can’t imagine what it was like for the drivers.
I did a vintage race last year in Texas in September. It was over 105F on Friday. They canceled the final practice session on Friday because the corner workers were unable to take the heat any longer. I was wearing an ice vest under my suit and had already decided I wasn't going out for the final practice session myself. I sat in my car with the AC running for like an hour before going back to my hotel room. Just a miserable crazy hot day. And I was driving a Formula Vee, so open cockpit, no greenhouse, just the sheer exertion from driving around in the heat.
RUN SATURDAY NIGHT RACES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
Does anybody remember that stretch of the Brickyard 400 from like 2015 to 2019ish? We were reaching steady 140-150 degrees in the cars.
Not just the brickyard but most of the summer tnt races were like this especially the mile and half back 10 years ago
Remember Kasey Kahne climbing out of his car after he won?! Could barely answer questions and couldn't stand up
I had a friend that was working with an ambulance crew. It was close to 100 and it was all hands on deck to pull drivers from car. I forget which ones he helped but they had to give them IV electrolytes
I work in a kitchen where on really bad days it can get to 100 degrees on the line. Standing over a flattop grill with a full line of tickets feels bad enough I can’t even imagine another 50 degrees
I'll never forget the time I was sitting in an open wheel car waiting to go out for practice wearing an all black fire suit, helmet, gloves on a 100 degree humid afternoon and I was so hot my ears started ringing..I was 🤏 close to passing out in the car. Afterwards I kept thinking about how stupid that was. What a dumb way to possibly die. Racing in extreme heat is not okay.
True. Not gonna be any good out there when the heat has you out of your mind.
It's supposed to be a form of entertainment, but we can't and shouldn't derive any pleasure for ourselves from y'all permanently fucking your health up like that, when y'all just wanted to put on a show
That’s my story too. Non wing cars and midgets, painted black, black suit and helmet. Stuck sitting in the Belleville infield heat, and any number of other places. Couldn’t do it now.
I say bigger alternators for all cool apparatus, with a boost button for an extra few horsepower to cut them off as needed. Better insulation around the driver, exhaust cross overs to get heat away. It can be done.
or... get real men to drive?
@@cattlecreekphotographybyto8954 Found the first guy to chicken out. Right here. lol. Must have only watched part of the video because he said they will do it regardless.
Just put AC in the cars without an 'off' switch so everyone takes an equal performance hit.
ya... it really should be that simple....
same pumps, same pressures.... highly regulated/inspected by NASCAR.
.
then just up the HP of the engine by the same amount...
have a "cool" and "hot" weather motor
.
i know cutting costs and having 2 engines conflicts
but its WORTH IT!
and watch as teams like Cheatske find a way to game it
teams will find a way to cheat on this. They always do.
I agree with Dale. Tha heat is a problem that needs to be addressed. You got take into account the heat for the drivers and fans. I was at Dover and right behind us in the upper stands a person had to be taken down by emergency services because she fainted from the heat.
B.S. how in the heck are you going to make it better for the fans? If they can't take it, they need to stay home. I guess the fans from back in the day were just tougher.
@@cattlecreekphotographybyto8954you're real hero, tough guy.
@cattlecreekphotographybyto8954 They could easily provide free cooling towels to everyone who was willing to spend hundreds of dollars to enter the track. A bigger project would be to install easier access to fresh water/water fountains (perhaps in the grandstands themselves) or just below every section, with multiple access points. Just an idea. Would cost millions of dollars, but would be worth it in the long run I think!
A simple solution would be to have the race earlier in the day. So many of the races these days are starting between 3pm and 4pm. That is literally the hottest part of a sunny day. If they were bold enough to start a race at 10am or 11am, the race would be over before the heat would become unbearable. That goes for the fans, as well as the drivers. But the France family seems to have decided that late afternoon is the ideal time for TV rating.
Even those morning start times, there's still post-race and departure. And those parking lots SUCK
Return of night racing.
It is kind of scary that a driver could just pass out at speed from extreme heat. These things can sneak up on a person even if they are in great condition, they could just have an off day physically. It can happen to even to toughest, most well conditioned athletes.
Basically what happened to Kahne
Let's just hope that never happens. At the speeds they're going even if they feel and know they're about to pass out there probably isn't enough time to get out of the way and stop the car when you're going 180MPH in traffic before completely passing out. And once they pass out there nothing is controlling the car. The driver could pass out and floor the accelerator not even knowing and of course nothing is steering the car either. It's very dangerous and could be very very bad for someone or a bunch of people actually.
And it's not a matter of well that driver wasn't in good physical shape, or didn't drink enough fluids. Like Dale Jr said, everyone has different tolerances of heat and it has nothing to do with their physical conditioning. And people's tolerances can change over time as well.
I also don't envy the fans sitting in the blistering heat all day either. I've done it and it's not a good time at all IMO. You can put on sunscreen and drink lots of water and/or Powerade but it's still hot and it's still not enjoyable (and you can still pass out from the heat). As we experience hotter and hotter summers this will most likely become a bigger issue for everyone, not just the drivers.
Get rid of the sealed smooth undersides of the cars. Mandate exhaust exit on the right side, NOT UNDER the driver. Stupid. Put in a double wall insulated firewall. Double the air into the drivers greenhouse area. Install a roof vent on back top of car to suck the hot air out. Get the cars higher off the ground to let air under the car to pull heat away from engine / exhaust heat. Move the oil tank to the trunk to keep that heat away from the driver. Yes the cars will handle different. The "Professional Race Car Drivers" will have to figure it out.
I work at Discount Tire every Saturday as a side gig. We have limited air conditioning in about 100 degree heat. It is absolutely unbearable after 10 or 11 hours. Holy moly. The cramps are terrible. I cant even imagine what these drivers go through. True specimens and much respect to these gentlemen. Please do something NASCAR.
I have a great idea. Put air conditioners in the cars and just sacrifice the horsepower...lol.
I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS. besides, any power reduction may be a solution for any safety concerns that NASCAR gets, plus the drivers will be more sane and in better condition, and thus even safer
The ac load is not a problem, these engines are LIMITED, and can easily make nearly 200 more HP. Just do it before a driver passes out and crashes in a race.
Cars in the long WEC races have AC, so it can be done
@@shelleyking8450 yea so take the current power restriction off, add on the AC, the result is more power that makes the fans and drivers happy, but since it's not the full power it makes the safety officials happy, and with a cooler cabin the drivers are happy and nobody has to see a driver put on a stretcher as a result of heat stroke or crash caused by heat stroke
No way an automotive ac keeps up with the heat in a racecar to many things creating heat.
💥💥I remember the race where Bobby Hamilton won in 2001 at Talladega and he could barely stand up getting out of the car.
I know inside that car that day was hot i know it had to be like 120 something degrees that day was hot as heck.
He was driving that blue square d car.
Happened to a lot of drivers. That was back when they couldn’t even be given water to drink during red flags 🥴. They just sat on the tarmac in the sun in a slow cooker
Chevy and ford already have the tech for ac in imsa/wec. Its mandated there. Thats all nascar really needs to do. Im sure toyota can do it or already has that tech too in their gt series. But its way too hot for the fans sometimes. Chicago in july in the day sucked so bad so we stopped going. Now the track is almost gone because of attendance. 100° in the sun and humidity for 6 hrs is rough. Even if something cool like a race is going on lol
Racing dirt track during the summer in Phoenix.... always a great time LOL!
This just shows how much drivers love to race to endure those conditions. It's almost like Navy Seal training.
Sure the pay is a little different than the Navy
Getting over heated as a driver in a car is what forced Kasey Khane to quit racing in NASCAR. I think there is a Sports Car series that enforces in car cooling, and if the inside temperature of the car is more than 20 degrees hotter than outside temperature, the cars are forced to pit and fix the cooling system or they have to retire the car.😊
^^^^^^^this! Kahne and all
It’s too friggin’ hot! NASCAR needs a dome 🥵😁
It’s not “cool” but 8am races is one answer.
Wouldn't using a bigger battery and a bigger alternator allow for more amps to be used for cooling the driver?
Basically it’s only a matter of time before the sport losses someone from a heat stroke etc. Tough spot for JR. Stay safe guys. #22🏁
SCCA does an event called the July Fry at Road atlanta every year. Last time I ran it, I was loosening the belts in my car to pull myself partially out of the seat while driving so it would stop burning.
Found out we had a severe lack of engine cooling so the dry sump tank directly behind my seat was a nice 280 degrees. IR gun said the seat temp was 145 and the floor board had reached 180 degrees.
Thanks Jr for speaking on this subject. I had a heat injury from my time in the middle east while serving in the military. While trying to tough it out and not being the guy that has to receive medical treatment or get medevacked I ended up with heat stroke. Now I have issues with overheating and have to take extreme measures to prevent getting seriously ill again. So basically if it is too hot out I am the guy that has to stay back at the camper and it sucks. Do I think NASCAR is going to change anything and not race where it is hot? No, but this is just what I have to do now.
Dam sorry to hear that. Hope things get better. It's only a matter of time before a fan dies from heat and they sue nascar and they will be forced to make changes.
I once had to get gas in Baker on a road trip for the 4th, the temp outside was 120. I stepped out and audibly gasped. I couldn't believe that I was in the shade from the sun and it still felt like an oven.
Yes In Nashville night race is probably the Cup race was a night race 2 year ago
Exactly how I feel every dam week we have a late afternoon race and it rains!
As a spectator at the Daytona July race, it was freaking brutal. I have a picture of my wife walking the infield to get to the stands and she is completely wore out and he race hadn’t even started yet
Im down for 9am start times.
It's EASY to fix heat in the car. Just have "identical must use" air conditioners in the car. Mist machines in pit make a big difference in the pits and stands. The mist situation in the stands could get expensive, but......
Mist machines in a humid environment do not work. Your shirt will never dry out and you feel like a wet rag.
So you want to spray water on pit crews and pit lane? Not a good idea. Pit lane is easy to place ac units for the crew.
Perhaps NASCAR should consider mandating an additional -battery- alternator purely for the driver.
Any additional batteries would still draw its power from the alternator and thus take horsepower away from the wheels
@@mikeyRavens52 I meant to say add another alternator. Or would that still not work?
@@Dat-Mudkipskip all that and run an AC compressor. Just get it over with
I can't remember the whole story anymore but I think it was Rusty Wallace that once burned his feet because someone dropped a bic pen in the car during a race and molten plastic seeped through his driving shoes. Maybe someone else has the details and can correct or flesh that one out.
😂Harry Gantt was a house builder thru the week and race on weekends. It was told in the old days when drivers went to locker rooms after a race he would walk over guys laying on the floor and he was fine.
Look at the schedule.
Going to Nashville in June and Watkins Glen in September doesn't make sense. Weather its the drivers, crews or the fans at the track
every race should be a night race, if the track is capable.. they're better all the way around.. better for fans and drivers.. the cars would perform better.. better grip on the track.. the visual effect of a night race is always better.. no glare from the sun.. etc etc.. would allow for festivities during the day (concerts, shows, exhibition events, etc), and then cap off the day with the main event of the race..
I agree it is just too damn hot to be running these races during the daytime!! We at least need to have a discussion about it!!
fans and drivers have done this for years. they can handle it, the option to stay home there
Absolutely not!! A hot slick track is what made NASCAR great. Start the races early and get them done before the storms roll in
You must be a youngster you will change your mind later in life.
No, I grew up watching NASCAR day racing on Sundays. In my fifties now. The night racing is fairly recent. Bristol used to be the only night race on the schedule.
There's a lot to be said about KEEPING A COOL HEAD!!!
Ty didn't want the interview to end😂
Hey Jr, what are your thoughts on the possible moonshine cave at North Wilksboro speedway? And are you going to race at Rockingham speedway in NC?
A/C mandatory in all cars.
? AC in a race car? Just go to the go cart track and run 25m.p.h.🙄
Just mandate cool suits and AC on every car and save tracks that lack lighting for Feb-April and Oct-Nov. The fact that Air Conditioning is under consideration due to extra weight in the car isn't just dumb, it's dangerous
Drivers are clearly dealing with heat exhaustion and what comes next is a stroke. Unlike a fracture, concussion, or other injuries once that stroke initiates you've got mere minutes before it can become permanent damage...not to mention if they go into a stroke they may just pass out on track going nearly 200mph and not be able to break
Bear in mind Ralph Earnhardt and Bobby Allison passed from heart attacks brought on by heat, but at least there it didn't happen mid-race. So no it isn't just the gritty generation being tough and the new guys being snowflakes
... Bobby Allison died? When did I miss that?
Everything else you said, I second it
Use the air from the windshield air duct and force it through the seat like cooled seats with forced air.
What about a separate device, that does not draw on the car's systems, whether belt or electrical... ZeroBreeze kind of thing. You do have to account for the weight, but it could drop interior temps by 10-20 degrees. Completely stand alone system... People die from being in hot cars. I'm in Daytona. Hard to find a place where cars get hotter. I'm pretty surprised we haven't seen (not that anyone will admit, anyway) health issues from the drivers in that kind of heat. I remember the Firecracker 400, when it was still run during the day. (pre-1998) That was brutal then... We have tech now.
If it’s just a cool vest. What is the big black tube sticking out of the drivers suit? Looks like an air conditioning hose.
Working on boat engines, you sometimes had to work in hot environments. There were times when I could drink three gallons of water and never have to urinate, and my hands and feet were pruned as if I had been swimming for hours. It took a lot out of a guy.
Nashville would be fun in September/October.
Can confirm that Michigan humidity is terrible inside of a race car, even with all the windows removed
NASCAR should definitely fix this problem they have no excuse.
It's shown KB before put a bag of ice inside his suite and zip it back up
It would be so easy and simple for nascar to mandate a cooling unit for the driver, they can easily fit AC compressors under the hood and have 2/3 hoses that go to the drivers head,body and feet area, it would cool down the driver roughly 30/40 degrees since it’s using minimal vents throughout the car, Nascar can also make it a Penalty with an automatic race ban WITHOUT a playoff waiver and a 100k fine for any teams caught messing with the function trying to get more power to the car, like for instance the rule would be “On Nascar mandated AC races, all teams must use an AC compressor for driver safety and the circuit must remain open for the duration of the race, if teams are found to have alternate switches to shut off the compressor an automatic race ban and removal from playoff eligibility along with a 100k fine will be enforced immediately” so let’s say a guy in 4th has a switch to shut down his AC on a GWC to get more amps and power, Nascar can review video and use sensors to detect if the AC was down at any point. Simple fix, just need harsh enough rules to prevent teams from trying to bypass the AC.
You would think a simple fix would be put a larger alternator in the car that produces more Amps. And if it takes away from power make sure everyone runs the same one but I’m sure it’s not that easy. EVERYONE RUN AC cars lol
They sell battery versions. For industrial and kart racers.
Just do away with the fans and brake coolers. Make the driver comfortable and have to manage tires and brakes with his skill like it use to be.
You don't want a driver having a heat stroke while at 170 mph
when has that ever happened?
@@callitwhatyouwant7862ask Kasey Kahne about that
@callitwhatyouwant7862 that's the whole deal don't want to let it happen drivers already have to be helped out of the car because of heat exhaustion already
@@callitwhatyouwant7862 tell us you've never watched any NASCAR racing without telling us
@@RooneyMac I've probably watched 1,000 cup series races. Please name every driver that suffered from a heat stroke during a cup race?
Adrenaline when you think about it has to be the only thing that keeps the drivers from passing out.
Simple solution; all races between Memorial Day and Labor Day should be at night. It would be a more enjoyable experience across the board
Does anyone know what the wheel and pedals are on his sim rig back there? I can never get a good look.
They need to start running Sunday night races. In the summer and require the passenger side window to be taken out at short track and road courses
I personally think they need to run all the summer race at night
Not always that easy, a lot of the tracks don't have the infrastructure from the state/county to provide enough electricity to power lighting systems for upwards of 4 hours let alone at all. I do agree night races would not only be more entertaining but more practical just wish it was as easy as saying "let's just do night races"
@christopherthacker4002 I know but that would be the easiest fix for the heat
@@christopherthacker4002Alabama is perpetually too broke a shithole for it, so only night race at Talladega is the EA games
Is there any new technology in keeping Drivers Cool?
Does NASCAR use dry ice like they do in Supercars to help keep the drivers cool?
Dry ice is very heavy. I move boxes of it at my job and it's miserable. I literally drop them onto the back of my truck from the dock because I can barely lift them past my waist.
Drivers have cool shirts that circulate a coolant through them to cool the drivers torso. They also have koolboxes that cool the air going to the drivers helmet.
Nashville should be a Saturday night race anyways. It always was for the Xfinity and truck series back in the day.
As a middle-aged fan, even sitting in the sun in the stands for hours isn't much fun these days. I'd prefer night races where possible.
Ice on the back
Do you think you could have handled Talladega in July, like the old guys did, with no cooling aids?
@@539strt Back in the day Cup cars did not have windows in the passenger side. They always had some what fresh air in the car.
Put AC in every car insulate the interior problem solved. If it brings temp down to 90". it be heck of alot better
What would your Dad say? The King?! I'm sure those cars were cooler.
These cars are sealed from the majority of air from getting in the car. Back then they really didn't care or know about keeping air out.
Very simple you race at 8 pm or race at 10 am lol
Need mandated A/C see FIA WEC LeMans cars
Need a “Hot Summer Nights” section of the NASCAR schedule. Saturday night racing. It doesn’t show how tough motorsports drivers are by surviving excessive heat, it is just technologically stupid. Now that SMT data is viewable, run A/C systems inside the closed cockpit. NASCAR can monitor the system and mandate the cockpit temperature readings. Either that or open up the passenger window of the cockpit, and mandate more NACA Ducts during Summer Schedule races. NASCAR mandates just about everything else, why not mandate when race locations appear on the schedule that have hot climates?! For a number of years, NASCAR race season scheduling took into account the historical rain and temperature data associated with a particular track location, and that was all thrown out when NASCAR upended the schedule to make the Sucky Playoffs more exciting. Anyone who remembers the race from long ago when Ricky Rudd got out of his car and immediately had to sit next to his car knows that NASCAR responded with driver safety and season schedule changes to run some locations at more favorable times of the year. Funny how like our politicians, NASCAR forgets lessons learned and instead shoots for glory.
Since heat is always an issue, I've wondered why the cars aren't painted white and have white dominant paint schemes....?
Running a dark blue or black car can't be good for managing heat.
Yes nashville should always be a Saturday night race!
The humidity is what get everyone!!!!
90 F with no humidity is ok (hot but ok)
80 F with humidity is not OK (you'll be miserable
Same F N principle apply to the cold
In any country! Occupational Health and Safety Laws shut it down! Teams or NASCAR as employers , can find themselves with Jail Sentences for abusing staff like that!!
I predict Christopher Bell will win this year's Chicago street course race
What do I win if I predicted that you wouldn't stop predicting this?
P.S. Does Christopher know that you're stalking him?
@@codymoe4986 no he doesn't but sorry I'm just Bell's biggest fan that's all
Dale jr
Just put the same high powered air conditioner in every single car. There is no reason in 2024 for these guys to be driving in a 120° car for 3/4 hours.
There is a substance abuse policy because those influence your ability to think and act. At what point is the heat to much of an influencer of decision making just like an illegal substance?
It already is
I realize what you’re saying but keep in mind back in the day that there used to be a race at talledega in July & it started at 11. And the drivers wore open face helmets.
That's impossible now. Summer heat ain't what it once was
@@RooneyMacnah just sounds like everyone's pussies now lol
weve bee having rumors that kyle bush is doing adelaide 500 in december, thats a race that used be be run in febuary and would be up to 106ish ambient before the cars went out, the start stop and concrete walls keep the heat in. we found out very quickly how bad and dangerous it would get, especially the early days before cool suits, few drivers passed out and ended in hospital. heat like that just isnt something to F around with. races arent ever worth lives. cool suits are mandated to be in the car and on over a certain temp these days.
Tend to have drivers just pull out immediately if the cool suit fails or power steering goes now. but still drivers get major blisters and burns to their feet and even seen the glue in the boots fail under heel and toe. its fit in to the last round at the end of the year a bit better because its much cooler.
if amperage is a problem getting adequate cooling on those cars over that, thats something to be addressed immediately, double alternator or something. no reason to not have more cooling except bad management from the category owners
I think all nascars should probably have a small fan either in the car or multiple fans in the suits.
Wow
im from NE montana.... and we have had a lot of rain
.
im sweating balls.... and its 78........
im NOT used to this humid crap........
Change the date - late October
Fans have limited time to attend the race. Then need to return home for work. To postpone to night isn't always reasonable. The heat is part of the game. Deal with it or put in cooling fans, air conditioned driver suits, whatever needs to happen. Play the game as it needs played
Saturday night races give you even more time to get home in time for work Monday than the Sunday evening does
@RooneyMac more time to get home, less time to arrive. Heat is part of the game. You have million dollar cry babies. Suck it up, install extra cooling fans, air conditioned drivers suits. , bigger alternator. Why is the solution always fans must lose something and then question why nascar is failing
Feels like about 10 million dollars per year
Night race
Sadly it’s only gonna get hotter. One day in the future their will be all night races
How about better scheduling? (duh) They moved the first Bristol race mostly because it was a chronic rainout or in one case snow out, so why not move these hot climate tracks to early or late in the year? Forget what is usually done schedule wise and do what makes sense. At this rate why not just schedule Vegas in July or August?
problem with that idea, most of the tracks are "hot climate tracks" so what you going to do? run in winter time and be off in summer? well good luck running most tracks in winter. be wild however to see them run Indy in the middle of Jan when its -20F
@Dratchev241 the second I read your reply I instantly thought of the Nascar tweet of all of their tracks under feet of snow lol
@@dangerzone24 all the northern tracks would be. But seriously they can't do much about the heat it just how it is been that way since the dawn of nascar
i leaned inside a cup car about a hour after it was shut down and off he track was like 150 degrees inside the cab
Incondusive to human life
Dirty Mo Media or Actions Detrimental?
Who cares about Denny Hamlin...
Raise HP but add AC!
I'm gonna have to turn off the notifications on your channels, I've already got a lot more today than I ever had in awhile, either way I don't have the time for me to do whatever I need to do, sorry for that Dale 😢😮