Accelerating NASCAR Drivers’ Performance

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Start your engines! Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama is one of NASCAR’s hottest tracks. While locally we’re below-average temperatures for this time of year, the hot summer months always create an obstacle on the road for drivers.

News 10 spoke with a Michigan State University professor who’s leading a NASCAR heat exhaustion study aimed to help drivers cool down while they’re speeding up on the track.

Imagine losing around 7 pounds of sweat in one hour. It’s a reality for some race car drivers.

“Unlike your passenger car, there is no air conditioning,” says David Ferguson, an associate kinesiology professor at Michigan State University. “There is no insulation.”

Depending on the team, some drivers don’t have air conditioning. Because of the need for speed, teams must lighten the load in the car.

Ferguson is also the principal investigator for a research grant in a NASCAR study. He’s studying heat tolerance for professional racecar drivers to improve their health, safety, and performance.

“The official statement from American College of Sports Medicine says a 2% loss of body weight in sweat warns performance loss and is a health concern,” Ferguson says. “That’s why we’re trying to study and find solutions to fit it.”

Part of Ferguson’s job is staying up to speed on NASCAR studies. In fact, out of about 40 articles published since 1960 on NASCAR, Ferguson has published half of them.

His goal: accelerating knowledge for drivers.

“I’ve really had the privilege of being one of the first endurance racers to actually do studies with David at MSU,” says driver and Grand Rapids native Marc Miller. “It’s been eye-opening for me as a driver.”

The challenge: every person’s body responds differently to heat.

The NASCAR heat exhaustion study crosses the finish line by the end of this year. Under confidentiality, the amount for the grant cannot be shared.

So far, Ferguson’s completed studies at three different NASCAR races. He’ll then do studies during the hotter months, from June to August. Ferguson hopes that one day the knowledge gained from the NASCAR heat exhaustion study will help regular drivers on the road.

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