What is a NASCAR cool suit? All you need to know

Cars running at high speed produce immense temperature and the cars used in NASCAR are no different. With speeds of around 200 miles an hour on track, one can expect the temperature inside the cabin to go beyond tolerable levels. As drivers face the effects of such extreme temperatures during races, they use cool suits as a 'shield' to tackle the extreme heat.

Drivers need to keep their cool amid high temperatures. The temperature inside the interior of a car can reach levels between 120° F and 130° F, and at times on certain tracks such as Nashville, it can reach as high as 190° F.

NASCAR drivers use cooling suits to keep their body temperature at an optimum level during the race. These suits help regulate their body temperature and help them stay cool. However, these suits are not regular race suits, as they carry specially integrated mechanisms for cooling systems.

This type of suit has multiple tubes sewn into them and the sole purpose of these tubes is to run cold water throughout the suit. As they keep the temperatures at a tolerable level with cold water, they aid the driver's body's cooling system through the lengthy races.

Paul Goldsmith introduced the cool suit technology to NASCAR in July 1964. The suit was inspired by suits astronauts wore in space.

The cars get hotter during races as the burning fuel adds to its temperature. The cars are generally low to the ground, which prevents airflow from underneath, restricting heat loss. On top of that, the cars used in NASCAR are tightly sealed and beefed up to prevent high impact and result in no airflow.

As for the drivers, they wear safety gear, which includes multiple-layer fire suits, helmets, and gloves, adding to the temperature. Furthermore, the driving seat inside the car often wraps around the driver, which prevents airflow as well.

Not regulating temperature under such conditions can lead to drivers experiencing heatstroke, which can damage different body parts such as the brain, kidneys, heart, and muscles. The temperatures and conditions can also cause a driver's death.

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Do cool suits ever malfunction?

Riley Herbst, driver of the #98 Monster Energy Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 29, 2024 in Lebanon, Tennessee. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Yes, NASCAR cool suits can malfunction at times, leaving the drivers with mentally and physically tested conditions throughout the race. The malfunction stops cooling the water, and it gets hot instead. This was something Riley Herbst faced during the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway.

On the grid it made a weird noise... but I thought, 'What are we gonna do when we're rolling off?' So we kept going," Herbst said as per The Tennessean. "I just felt it getting hotter and hotter and hotter and hotter. So I made the executive decision to unplug it. That's risky because you can't plug it back in."

"Stage 2 was the hardest. That's when I got a little spotty vision. My feet got hot. It was just a miserable day. I'll go to the field care center and get a couple bags of fluid, go to sleep (for) 30 minutes then hop in a cup car for 400 miles and try to go learn," he said. "That's the goal for tomorrow. (The) goal is to finish on the lead lap."

All in all, keeping the temperatures regulated during races helps the drivers stay cool, as the temperatures directly impact their safety as well as on-track performance .