many have wrecked their cars due to cold track temps in the beginning and end of the season.

I live in an area where the Summer temperature frequently gets above 100 so I am somewhat accustom to higher temperatures but when it hits 110 it's Miller time.

I race for the fun of it, not to punish myself.

Bob

Ya just can't compare desert heat to wet, humid heat. When it is humid, your natural cooling system of evaporating sweat just doesn't work. So all you are is wet. Don't get me wrong, hot is hot, and it's a problem past a certain point regardless of where you are. We had a jr race last weekend and it was a little over 90. But we haven't hit the humid time. Low 90's with the humidity and it is really uncomfortable. Push 100 with high humidity, and we start asking ourselves if this is fun.

I have found that wearing a stupid looking hat sure helps me. Keeping the sun off my face, head and neck, and staying in the shade of the trailer really makes a difference. Sunburn just compounds the situation. Many of us end up on meds as we age. And many of them make us more sensitive to the sun, or heat or both.

Also a factor for me is my racing drive. I still want to win every race I enter. But I don't need to enter every race now. Racing both days and Friday night every weekend just isn't my bag anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
Hot temps is not an issue for us, we regularly race in 90+ degree heat in June, July and August with 75%+ humidity with track temps of 130+. Cold temps is my issue and I will not put my cars on cold tracks early and late in the season where once the sun goes down, air temp is below 50 degrees.

Ed & ALL

With regards to cold weather racing, more than just the track temp factors into this deal. I have been on bad track with temps well over 50! and on great ones with temps below 45! And I know Ed doesn't want to hear this but MT's are a much better tire than Hoosier's, especially in the colder conditions.

A number of years ago I was racing at one of Atco's summer series races, fist one of the year so it was early April, on this day they actually had snow flurries, air temp was 38 and cloudy, cars running 6.90's (quarter mile) were getting down the track and they finished the race. No issues. Things may not have been perfect, but the track was good enough to race on. Wish I had MT's then! LOL

Yup, Heatstroke is for life.
Got mine in Kansas City in July years ago at an AHRA race. Remember them?. Brutal couple of days with long waits, suited up in the lanes. Think I was around 30 at the time.

Got a charlie horse in my right leg going down the track. Cry momma time. Had to pull my whole leg up in order to lift. The ankle was locked.

Coming down the return road Kieth Stark of later A/F fame spotted me (pale as a ghost) and forced me to stop, helped me get out as I could not do it. Sat in the shade for a couple of hours. Did the lots of water and cold towel thing. I was pretty out of it by then.

Survived the race, next night in a motel the other leg charlie horsed. Oh geeze. I was walking, sort of, like a crippled 90 yr old for a few days. Did I mention Heatstroke really zaps your energy?

Since then I go from shade to shade to car and back. For a kid that grew up in the hot fields of the farm I assumed I was immune to hot, long days. Nope, It can claim anyone and it never totally leaves.

Hats, lots of water, no soda, shade and common sense are the things to live by.

quote:

Originally posted by RPROGAS:
I live in an area where the Summer temperature frequently gets above 100 so I am somewhat accustom to higher temperatures but when it hits 110 it's Miller time.

I race for the fun of it, not to punish myself.

Bob

MY HOME TRACK TAKES A SUMMER BREAK IN JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST FROM OUR TRACK POINTS SERIES RACES,BECAUSE OF THE BRUTAL SUMMER WEATHER HERE IN SOUTH LOUISIANA. I TOO CANNOT HANDLE THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY LIKE I WAS ABLE TO AT A MUCH YOUNGER AGE. WE STILL RACE EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT ALL YEAR WITH WHAT WE CALL OUR "FUN SERIES" RACES, AND ALSO HAVE TRACK RENTALS IN THOSE THREE MONTHS.

BOB I STILL LAUGH ABOUT THE TIME MY WIFE AND I VISITED HER 90 YR OLD AUNT THAT LIVED IN WEST COVINA AND BROUGHT HER TO THE LOCAL TRACK ON HER BIRTHDAY WHERE I MET YOU. THE FUNNY PART WAS A BUNCH OF THE RACERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE HEAT AND I REMEMBER THINKING ABOUT HOW NICE THE WEATHER WAS DUE TO THE LOW HUMIDITY, WISHING OUR SUMMERS WERE THAT GOOD. WE HAD A RACE THE WEEKEND BEFORE MY TRIP TO CALIFORNIA AND I ALMOST HAD A HEAT STROKE.

quote:

Originally posted by TOP38:

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
Hot temps is not an issue for us, we regularly race in 90+ degree heat in June, July and August with 75%+ humidity with track temps of 130+. Cold temps is my issue and I will not put my cars on cold tracks early and late in the season where once the sun goes down, air temp is below 50 degrees.

Ed & ALL

With regards to cold weather racing, more than just the track temp factors into this deal. I have been on bad track with temps well over 50! and on great ones with temps below 45! And I know Ed doesn't want to hear this but MT's are a much better tire than Hoosier's, especially in the colder conditions.

couldn't disagree more! That said, this is not another tire thread and don't make it one.

[quote]Got a charlie horse in my right leg going down the track. Cry momma time. Had to pull my whole leg up in order to lift. The ankle was locked.[/Got a charlie horse in my right leg going down the track. Cry momma time. Had to pull my whole leg up in order to lift. The ankle was locked.

OUR LAST RACE A FEW WEEKS AGO IT WAS HOT AND VERY HUMID, I STARTED GETTING LEG CRAMPS RIGHT AFTER THE SECOND ROUND SO I DRANK SOME DILL PICKLE JUICE AND POWER AID. I THOUGHT I HAD IT UNDER CONTROL BUT IN THE FINAL OF QUICK 16 JUST AFTER MY BURNOUT MY RIGHT LEG STARTED CRAMPING LIKE CRAZY AND IT BROKE MY CONCENTRATION ON THE TREE, I HAD A .050 LIGHT TO THE OTHER GUY'S .006. I FORGOT TO GET BANANAS THAT WEEKEND, I USUALLY EAT BANANAS EVERY RACE WEEKEND AND BELIEVE THAT HELPS ME WITH PREVENTING LEG CRAMPS. THE DILL PICKLE JUICE USUALLY WORKS VERY WELL TOO BUT I GUESS I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH.

You will never see me at a race track without bananas in my trailer. And many other fruits, but definitely bananas.

Curtis

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:
You will never see me at a race track without bananas in my trailer. And many other fruits, but definitely bananas.

Curtis

CREW ???





.

quote:

Originally posted by XPS fan:

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:
You will never see me at a race track without bananas in my trailer. And many other fruits, but definitely bananas.

Curtis

CREW ???





.

Ha!! I have no idea what crew means. Only one time in the last 2 years that I haven't been alone when I race.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Reyer:
I never had a problem with the heat, until I had a problem at the track. Was sitting in the car ready to go make a run, a few pairs back. Next thing I knew I was sitting on the ground in the staging lanes next to my car with people all hovering around me feeding me water and putting cold rags on my head. Haven't been able to take the heat since then.

Had a similar experience years ago. Came back after 2nd time shot and put the rack in the trailer. Decided to get on the pit bike and cool off a bit. My son found me an hour later sitting at the other end of the track on the bike just talking to anyone that would talk to me. I was out of it.

Dave i know exactly what you are talking about the cramps. Tried the bananas and hydration. Helped very little. Now taking potassium every day. I know sleeping is brutal. Ankle and leg cramps. Make a grown man cry. Started last year with the cramps sitting in staging. Could not get out of the car fast enough. The potassium helps tremendously.

I to have had a heat stroke or what ever it was. blacked out in the heat and tried to get cooled off. Was pretty messed up for a few weeks and still can not handle heat well and that was 30 years ago. It is very serious for sure and I do not want it to happen again.
The humidity does make it worse and Bucky is right one of those goofy looking hats with the neck shade sure helps big time.

quote:

Originally posted by XPS fan:

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:
You will never see me at a race track without bananas in my trailer. And many other fruits, but definitely bananas.

Curtis

CREW ???





.

LOL! I got it...............

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
many have wrecked their cars due to cold track temps in the beginning and end of the season.

Down here it's late nights/early mornings that will get ya, when the dew point is reached the track can get treacherous.

Bucky, I don't deal with humidity very well so anything over 80% puts me in the trailer. I might get use to it if I lived in a place with high humidity but certainly not like it is in Louisiana or Florida.

Craft: My second choice of places to live, (as you know), would be Louisiana. When you see Mike or Michele LeBleu tell them I said "Hello". Did you know that Menden-y'all is a Cajon name?

Bob

Never been good with heat.Older I get the more I hate it. Wife says starting end of may till October she hears SUMMER SUCKS abiout 3000 times.

I have suffered thru 105* and all concrete pits,when running TA/FC in IHRA.Thats was for points chase and skipping race was not a option. Not doing it for bracket race.Not when theres another race, next week and next month.

Bad thing is FED is ready to go,just need trailer and temps are hitting 90* with stupid humidity. At least T&T is in evenings.

90* with med humidity numbers I can handle still bad attitude and that's about my limit

Humidity is a ***** no doubt but I guess it's relative.
A couple years ago a customer who is also an OTR trucker stopped by during a high humidity period. The AC had kicked the rods out the day before and it was nastier inside than out.

While we were chatting I was non stop soaked and I noticed he was dry. WTH? I asked him why he was stone dry on this nasty day. His answer was Shucks, this ain't nothing. I'm from New Orleans.

I think one of the problems with the heat is a lot of us, like me work inside year round and don't get acclimated to outdoor weather like we may have in younger days when AC was not as prevalent as it is now.

3 worst places for me are Kansas City, Bowling Green and a track whose name I forget in Nebraska. Well hidden (old WW2 base) and surrounded by corn fields. Zero air movement.
Oh, and one in South Alabama.

Never been to Florida or No mercy but I must assume I would not like it in Summertime.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Koehler.

I think one of the problems with the heat is a lot of us, like me work inside year round and don't get acclimated to outdoor weather like we may have in younger days when AC was not as prevalent as it is now.

Bingo.

I make an effort to acclimate myself to heat and humidity. I work inside in the A/C, but I do my own yard work, and I take a 4-mile, one hour walk outside in my neighborhood 4 - 5 nights a week. Important point - working out on a treadmill or whatever in an air conditioned gym won't help you deal with heat and humidity at the track.

I'll be 55 shortly, and the heat doesn't bother me as long as I have shade and something cold to drink. And I'll jump in the cab of my truck, crank it up, and let the A/C blow on me for 10-15 minutes every now and then. I figure it helps keep me sharp.

All that said, I drive a slower door car (so no jacket or fire suit required) and know that even at 55, I am still younger than many drivers, so who knows what the future holds.

One last time thought - when it's hot, I do NOT make repairs at the track. If something breaks, I load up and go home. Driving in the heat is one thing, spinning wrenches is a whole 'nother level of miserable.