Before going on the two-week Olympic break, we had the legendary Brickyard 400. Table topper Kyle [Miyata] Larson had the honor of kissing the bricks after he took the checkered flag. What an honorary moment for the driver born into a family of racers. But you must remember that the win did not come easy for Larson. A lot happened in the race! From multi-car pile-ups to last-minute fuel shortages. Finally, Larson took a dramatic victory over Ryan Blaney.

What is amazing to note is how calm he was during this high-intensity thriller. The HMS driver took to X to show the heart rate readings from his monitor during the Indianapolis race. His average bpm (beats per minute) was normal. Maybe that’s the secret to his exceptional run, a no-break attitude, and the 4 wins this season.

How Kyle Larson won the crazy Brickyard calmly!

The heart rate discussion of Larson started after his recent sprint car race in the World of Outlaws race. Kyle Larson started from the 21st position and took the checkered flag at the very last second. He only won by 0.053 seconds over James McFadden. This thriller of race led Kyle Larson to set a new personal record. No! It wasn’t related to his race time. It was his heart rate!

The Japanese-American driver’s heart rate monitor showed a maximum reading of 198 bpm, whereas his average bpm was 150 throughout the race. And just after he won the Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Missouri, the Cup Series’ top driver currently, has taken to X to talk about his new feat. Larson wrote, “As bad as we’ve been this year my thoughts before the feature were, “don’t get lapped”. Never give up kids! New max HR for me as well. I blame that on all the pasta, wine, and tequila in Italy.”

What probably makes him one of the greatest racers in NASCAR today is how he controls his nerves on the big stage. In the drama that unfolded in Brickyard 400. A multi-car crash triggered a caution with only three laps remaining. Keselowski made a bold decision to not pit, securing the front row for the restart alongside Blaney. However, his gamble failed spectacularly when he ran out of fuel before the green flag waved. This handed the lead to Larson, who was behind Keselowski. Capitalizing on his advantageous starting position, Larson surged past Blaney to take first place. What is surprising is that he was calmer here than in his sprint car race!

After Larson posted his World of Outlaws readings, a fan asked him if he could do a comparison to his Cup series readings. A proud Larson was quick to show his proud possession. The reading he chose to post on X was his Brickyard one, where his average bpm was 120, going highest to 180. The 180 must have been that last restart where he took the lead.

It is phenomenal how his average heart rate was just 120. Not just because it was a high-intensity race, but because of the strenuous sport NASCAR is. It is challenging both on the mental and physical level. This is probably the reason why the ex-champion sits at the top of the table with 4 wins, nine top-5 finishes, and eleven top-10s. Speaking of Larson’s calm heart rate, do you know when heart rate monitors came into the picture?

Heart rate monitors in NASCAR: It has mixed reactions

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NASCAR made a rule to make wear of heart rate monitors legal in 2017 after it was discussed with the driver’s council. The heart rate monitors had a mixed reaction then. As reported by ESPN, Clint Bowyer had a strong opinion, saying he’s not getting paid to wear heart-rate monitors. Reiterating this, he said, “The last time I checked, nobody has ever paid me to wear a heart monitor or to do anything other than finish these races up front and hopefully win them.”

While Joey Logano had the opposite reaction to Bowyer, he loved the heart rate monitors and the data they showed. On which he had said, “My heart rate is working in there. My heart rate doesn’t slow down. I’m antsy in general. I’m too wired. It’s cool to see your heart rate, in particular restart, and then in the long run it comes down a bit. The elevation is usually 10 beats at the end of the race. My peak heart rate is at the end of the race, consistently.”

Kyle Busch had a very neutral opinion on heart rate monitors. He believes that they are just aiding devices, and one should aim for physical fitness and breathing exercises to remain calm.

Heart rate monitors and tracking heart health is crucial for a sport like NASCAR. It helps you show the exact moment it spiked, and then one can work on getting calmer. What are your opinions on the heart rate trackers? Do you use one when you exercise? Let us know in the comments below.