With the NASCAR grid prepping itself hot for the soon-to-come race at the Texas Motor Speedway, all the drivers who made it to the round of 12 will be putting on their suits and gloves with hope. Showcasing dominant displays throughout the season, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will also be among the contenders for the championship. The driver will be trying to bypass the frontrunners from P11, his qualifying position, with his quick No. 5 Camaro and take the win once again. But it will not be just his fellow racers who will be posing a challenge for him. It will also be the hot Texas weather.

Talking to Motorsports journalist Rob Tiongson, the driver disclosed the challenges that the soaring temperatures pose in NASCAR and how his team, Hendrick Motorsports, helps tackle them.

Kyle Larson boasts the aid his team provides in maintaining body temperatures

Hendrick Motorsports has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of NASCAR. Through the promotion’s advancements in safety, comfort and technology, it has played a huge helping hand. Considering the cohort of world-class racers that drive for it, it is a given that it uses these advancements to provide optimal driving conditions that enable the best use of its cars. It will not be any different in Texas. Discussing the challenges of driving a high-performance car, Rob posed a question regarding the importance of physical fitness in being able to guide the machine. Kyle delved into providing an explanation about how it was hydration that mattered more than muscle mass in driving.

Giving a short view of how the cool suits regulate the body’s core temperature, he said, “I just think dealing with the hot temperatures is the most important piece. (…) Our fireproof underwear is one of these… basically water line that plugs into a cool unit and pumps, you know, cool fluid through the suit. And does a great job of pulling your core temp down. So if that wasn’t working it would be very very tough on the body. But yeah, Hendrick Motorsports supplies us with the best comfort for the race cars and definitely makes the job a little easier.”

Touching upon how the Next-Gen cars in particular get very hot during races, he emphasized the important role that the cool suits played in keeping drivers comfortable enough to race. As Rob asked what difference it would make if they had to race without the suits, Kyle got into providing a more detailed insight.

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The NASCAR cool suit that could prove to be a lifesaver at Texas

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The current temperature in Texas has been bordering between heat and wetness. With the latest forecasts calling for rain at the Motor Speedway, the race could potentially be delayed. In the scenario that sudden weather swings are to follow, the heat might show up once again to challenge the drivers. But regardless of the external temperature, wearing the cool suits is always a need as far as Kyle Larson is concerned. Painting a picture of an incident where he suffered after going out to qualify without a suit, he answered Rob’s question. He said, “You know there are some weeks you know when I don’t think the temperature is too hot that I will not wear it during practice. And it’s just a 20-minute practice but by the end of it you know I’m sweating more than I am after a 500-mile race. The car probably isn’t even up to full temperature by that point.” 

Moving on to reveal how he uses the “big” cooling system, he hoped that he never faced the situation of a system failure. He continued, “I mean you’ve seen drivers who wear it and you know maybe their system fails and you know doesn’t work, and those guys are cooked at the end of the race. You know passing out and stuff. So, knock on wood, hopefully, I don’t run into that issue ever.”

As per the reports of the National Weather Service, Sunday afternoon will be a very hot period at the Speedway. However, they’ve also forecasted that there is a 50% chance of a thunderstorm showering down. As always, the exact timing of any forthcoming rain will decide the length of the race at the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Either way, we can expect Kyle Larson to be fully suited up with his “big” cooling unit for the race. Keep an eye on the Essentially Sports NASCAR page for further updates on the race day!

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