Opening a can of worms

Dan Bennett · 06-20-2024, 11:02 AM

Years ago, I ran across a NASA study on human performance. They found a major effect from temperature, but the only one that seemed to matter in drag racing was heat stress. I've built quite a few computers since then so have lost the file and the original link.

I went over the data with a team I was working with and the driver decided to get a cooling system for the suit and helmet. He was widely ridiculed for being a wimp. And honestly, no real improvement could be verified but that was due imo to the driver and not the system - not naming names, but it wouldn't have mattered.

This is still a thing. A reseacher from Harvard, now at Rutgers, ran a study and found "It turns out even young, healthy college students are affected by high temperatures. During the hottest days, the students in the un-air-conditioned dorms, where nighttime temperatures averaged 79 degrees, performed significantly worse on the tests they took every morning than the students with A.C., whose rooms stayed a pleasant 71 degrees."

A later test "found that just a four-degree increase, which participants described as still feeling comfortable, led to a 10 percent average drop in performance across tests of memory, reaction time and executive functioning." 2 of those factors directly affect drag racing, at the starting line and the finish line.

Yes, your opponent will be racing under the same conditons and no one's body acts exactly the same. But even though people thought I was nuts at the time, I still believe there is a performance advantage to be had.

Just food for thought. Most sportsman budgets are not going to allow a coolsuit system, but everybody can go overboard in making sure they're completely hydrated.

I know a lot of people are sitting there thinking "it's just a part of summer racing and I can handle the heat". You may think you can, but science says it makes you worse. So I'd advise, do what you can and keep this in mind.

GTX JOHN · 06-20-2024, 02:31 PM

Last week at LVMS it was 112 degrees and felt hotter with the
heat radiating of the black asphalt!

Without the ability to stay in my AC living quarters laying down
between rounds = I would not be able to race at my elderly age
and health in those conditions!

James Perrone · 06-20-2024, 02:52 PM

Years ago Clint Walters was racing his dad nova and put a thermometer in the car in July
I believe it got to 140 degrees in the car at some point
I can remember racing all
Weekend and lose 5 to 8 lbs.

BRETV · 06-20-2024, 03:05 PM

Hottest I've ever been racing was the 2001 US Class Nationals in Byron, IL. If I remember right it was like 105-107 without the heat index. And in IL in the summer the humidty can be bad and it was that weekend too. I was in my 30's then and it was brutal!! Best race ever tho!!

Bret Velde
2003 I/SA

jmcarter · 06-20-2024, 03:42 PM

Good thread Dan, as a distance runner (including the 1985 Boston Marathon) I can definitely attest to the impacts of heat on performance. Heat exhaustion can have horrible effects on your body and will make you much more susceptible to it in the future. Hydration coupled with keeping your core temperature normal will dramatically improve your concentration and permit execution of your driving strategy. And you won?t be dragging during a long recovery period.

And this isn?t CDC/Dept of Health yada yada yada?.

MR DERBY CITY · 06-20-2024, 04:04 PM

[QUOTE=Dan Bennett;698778

I know a lot of people are sitting there thinking "it's just a part of summer racing and I can handle the heat". You may think you can, but science says it makes you worse. So I'd advise, do what you can and keep this in mind.[/QUOTE]

I dont think anyone doubts you Dan. For us older guys the HEAT sucks. Bruce Noland withdrew from the Virginia race and was ridiculed by a few racers. At my advanced age I just dont want to be hot and miserable for 3-4 days in a row. You gotta realize that I am the same guy that has attended only 1 race in the last 22 months ..LOL .I was at Byron 23 years ago and I couldnt wait to get the heck out of there. I think I was sweating right alongside Brett Velde. LOL ….Never in my life do I wish to be that HOT again, EVER !!!!

Jeff Niceswanger · 06-20-2024, 04:19 PM

Mark Sanders can't drive the 2nd Kronenbitter car for the Bowling Green and US Nationals races. He has commitments and can't make it. Mark offered the car to me. Andy and I will have a ball. Amazingly my wife Sue put her stamp of approval on it. The heat has me truly concerned. Haven't been in a car for 3 years and when I last was in a car I worked in a hot factory. Back then I was 65 and now approaching 70. Since then, I'm retired and sucking up AC most of the time. I can't believe this is even a concern. Good Lord we got old.

Ron Ortiz · 06-20-2024, 09:10 PM

No matter how hot it gets, you need to sit down in the shade and take off your footwear and socks, it will help like you wouldn't believe.

goinbroke2 · 06-20-2024, 11:51 PM

We?re in the middle of a heatwave this week here (32c or 100f but im Canadian, lol) and yes, taking off socks and shoes is huge. As a reference, aug ?92 i was in south sector of Yugoslavia working on tanks, it was 54c and we were drinking 6-8 1.5L bottles of water a day. I was younger but can?t imagine even being in that heat now, let alone humping a ruck and getting shot at, lol!

Heat is your enemy, most times you don?t recognize the signs yourself, thats why we used the buddy system.(also works in the cold, like -74f up north too)

BKSG1198 · 06-21-2024, 07:12 AM

I really think you have to be smart about how you approach the whole thing, you might not like drinking water (I yell at my dad all the time....water, water, water, NOT ICE TEA with Suga) but, it's what keeps the body hydrated and running. I bring a 3-liter jug of water to work with me every day, I drink one, maybe 2 cups of coffee and its water all the rest of the day. I go to BJ's and pick up 3-4 cases of water every 2 weeks, you have to remember the body is made up of 50 to 78% of water and as we get older the body loses that %, no less then 50%, so you have to keep it well maintained just like our racecars. If a motor has 1,000 runs on the oil, I'm sure it's not going to run as good as one that only has 5 runs on the oil.

What kills out here on the EC is the humidity just make its 10x worse and let's face it we don't recover like we used too, I know being a promoter and being in the sun all day, I don't recover till like Wednesday to following week and Mondays are a waste.

06-20-2024, 11:02 AM	#1
Dan Bennett Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 375 Likes: 601 Liked 404 Times in 92 Posts	Opening a can of worms Years ago, I ran across a NASA study on human performance. They found a major effect from temperature, but the only one that seemed to matter in drag racing was heat stress. I've built quite a few computers since then so have lost the file and the original link. I went over the data with a team I was working with and the driver decided to get a cooling system for the suit and helmet. He was widely ridiculed for being a wimp. And honestly, no real improvement could be verified but that was due imo to the driver and not the system - not naming names, but it wouldn't have mattered. This is still a thing. A reseacher from Harvard, now at Rutgers, ran a study and found "It turns out even young, healthy college students are affected by high temperatures. During the hottest days, the students in the un-air-conditioned dorms, where nighttime temperatures averaged 79 degrees, performed significantly worse on the tests they took every morning than the students with A.C., whose rooms stayed a pleasant 71 degrees." A later test "found that just a four-degree increase, which participants described as still feeling comfortable, led to a 10 percent average drop in performance across tests of memory, reaction time and executive functioning." 2 of those factors directly affect drag racing, at the starting line and the finish line. Yes, your opponent will be racing under the same conditons and no one's body acts exactly the same. But even though people thought I was nuts at the time, I still believe there is a performance advantage to be had. Just food for thought. Most sportsman budgets are not going to allow a coolsuit system, but everybody can go overboard in making sure they're completely hydrated. I know a lot of people are sitting there thinking "it's just a part of summer racing and I can handle the heat". You may think you can, but science says it makes you worse. So I'd advise, do what you can and keep this in mind. Last edited by Dan Bennett; 06-20-2024 at 11:04 AM.

06-20-2024, 02:31 PM	#2
GTX JOHN VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Boulder City, Nevada 89005 Posts: 2,571 Likes: 2,277 Liked 2,092 Times in 599 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms Last week at LVMS it was 112 degrees and felt hotter with the heat radiating of the black asphalt! Without the ability to stay in my AC living quarters laying down between rounds = I would not be able to race at my elderly age and health in those conditions! __________________ John Irving 741 Stock 741 Super Stock

06-20-2024, 02:52 PM	#3
James Perrone VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: LONG ISLAND N.Y. Posts: 1,611 Likes: 3,001 Liked 1,653 Times in 389 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms Years ago Clint Walters was racing his dad nova and put a thermometer in the car in July I believe it got to 140 degrees in the car at some point I can remember racing all Weekend and lose 5 to 8 lbs. __________________ james perrone 1290 STK

06-20-2024, 03:05 PM	#4
BRETV Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 514 Likes: 3,370 Liked 678 Times in 168 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms Hottest I've ever been racing was the 2001 US Class Nationals in Byron, IL. If I remember right it was like 105-107 without the heat index. And in IL in the summer the humidty can be bad and it was that weekend too. I was in my 30's then and it was brutal!! Best race ever tho!! Bret Velde 2003 I/SA

06-20-2024, 03:42 PM	#5
jmcarter VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Richmond Hill GA (and Port Ludlow WA) Posts: 4,173 Likes: 2,071 Liked 2,851 Times in 887 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms Good thread Dan, as a distance runner (including the 1985 Boston Marathon) I can definitely attest to the impacts of heat on performance. Heat exhaustion can have horrible effects on your body and will make you much more susceptible to it in the future. Hydration coupled with keeping your core temperature normal will dramatically improve your concentration and permit execution of your driving strategy. And you won?t be dragging during a long recovery period. And this isn?t CDC/Dept of Health yada yada yada?. __________________ Jim Carter 2340 Super Stock 2340 SST/2340 Stock Set another place at the table

06-20-2024, 04:04 PM	#6
MR DERBY CITY VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Derby City, USA Posts: 3,378 Likes: 942 Liked 6,830 Times in 1,330 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms [QUOTE=Dan Bennett;698778 I know a lot of people are sitting there thinking "it's just a part of summer racing and I can handle the heat". You may think you can, but science says it makes you worse. So I'd advise, do what you can and keep this in mind.[/QUOTE] I dont think anyone doubts you Dan. For us older guys the HEAT sucks. Bruce Noland withdrew from the Virginia race and was ridiculed by a few racers. At my advanced age I just dont want to be hot and miserable for 3-4 days in a row. You gotta realize that I am the same guy that has attended only 1 race in the last 22 months ..LOL .I was at Byron 23 years ago and I couldnt wait to get the heck out of there. I think I was sweating right alongside Brett Velde. LOL ….Never in my life do I wish to be that HOT again, EVER !!!!

06-20-2024, 04:19 PM	#7
Jeff Niceswanger Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 818 Likes: 615 Liked 899 Times in 326 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms Mark Sanders can't drive the 2nd Kronenbitter car for the Bowling Green and US Nationals races. He has commitments and can't make it. Mark offered the car to me. Andy and I will have a ball. Amazingly my wife Sue put her stamp of approval on it. The heat has me truly concerned. Haven't been in a car for 3 years and when I last was in a car I worked in a hot factory. Back then I was 65 and now approaching 70. Since then, I'm retired and sucking up AC most of the time. I can't believe this is even a concern. Good Lord we got old. __________________ Jeff Niceswanger 3740 SS Last edited by Jeff Niceswanger; 06-20-2024 at 04:43 PM.

06-20-2024, 09:10 PM	#8
Ron Ortiz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Englewood, Florida Posts: 963 Likes: 28 Liked 260 Times in 88 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms No matter how hot it gets, you need to sit down in the shade and take off your footwear and socks, it will help like you wouldn't believe. __________________ Ron Ortiz 2102 STK

06-20-2024, 11:51 PM	#9
goinbroke2 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NS CANADA Posts: 750 Likes: 731 Liked 201 Times in 76 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms We?re in the middle of a heatwave this week here (32c or 100f but im Canadian, lol) and yes, taking off socks and shoes is huge. As a reference, aug ?92 i was in south sector of Yugoslavia working on tanks, it was 54c and we were drinking 6-8 1.5L bottles of water a day. I was younger but can?t imagine even being in that heat now, let alone humping a ruck and getting shot at, lol! Heat is your enemy, most times you don?t recognize the signs yourself, thats why we used the buddy system.(also works in the cold, like -74f up north too) __________________ Jim Miller 103 U/SA

06-21-2024, 07:12 AM	#10
BKSG1198 VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Back in Vineland, NJ Posts: 2,508 Likes: 89 Liked 1,065 Times in 327 Posts	Re: Opening a can of worms I really think you have to be smart about how you approach the whole thing, you might not like drinking water (I yell at my dad all the time....water, water, water, NOT ICE TEA with Suga) but, it's what keeps the body hydrated and running. I bring a 3-liter jug of water to work with me every day, I drink one, maybe 2 cups of coffee and its water all the rest of the day. I go to BJ's and pick up 3-4 cases of water every 2 weeks, you have to remember the body is made up of 50 to 78% of water and as we get older the body loses that %, no less then 50%, so you have to keep it well maintained just like our racecars. If a motor has 1,000 runs on the oil, I'm sure it's not going to run as good as one that only has 5 runs on the oil. What kills out here on the EC is the humidity just make its 10x worse and let's face it we don't recover like we used too, I know being a promoter and being in the sun all day, I don't recover till like Wednesday to following week and Mondays are a waste.