Now
that spring has arrived, racing is in full swing throughout the
Americas and Europe. We are ready to say goodbye to the cold, rainy,
or snowy weather and glad to welcome the sun and warmth that will
soon come our way. The heat, however, poses its own problems for
racers.
Heat
stress and fatigue can seriously impact performance during a race and
have been documented in a variety of racing environments. Scientists
have been studying the effects of heat stress on drivers for decades.
A study by Mackie and O'Hanlon in the 1970s concluded that "driver
performance is systematically lower in the hot environment" and
similar studies on NASCAR drivers since then have confirmed their
findings. During an interview, Formula One Champion Ayrton Senna said
“‘You can drive a Grand Prix car whether you are fit or unfit but
for how long you can drive, how precise, how consistent you can drive
under stress, under high temperature, the difficult conditions during
race is another thing.”
Even
with breaks between individual races, a long day spend driving in the
heat can wear a driver down, impact reaction time, and cause the
driver to commit more technical errors. It is very important to make
sure to drink enough fluids, try to acclimate to the temperature
ahead of time, and to make sure you are in good physical condition.
If that is not enough and you find yourself still getting sluggish
toward the end of the day, consider taking additional measures to
keep cool.
Because
the ability to stay cool and comfortable through a long day of racing
can become an advantage for a driver, Kart Parts Depot is now
offering the Techniche family of cooling products. The TechKewl vest
absorbs heat given off by the body and provides cooling relief to
those racing in high heat and humidity conditions. This transfer of
thermal energy is done at a safe and comfortable temperature enabling
optimal performance and maximal heat stress protection. The HyperKewl
evaporative cooling vest can provide hours of cooling and requires
only to be soaked in water to reactivate.Check these out at http://www.kartpartsdepot.com
