Can’t I be cooled by radiating heat much like a radiant stove ?

Even the best fire suits that protect you from fire will prevent you from radiating body heat.

Can’t I be cooled simply by touching something cooler?/B>

There is nothing cooler than you in your race car.

Well can’t I be cooled by sweating and evaporation?

Once the humidity inside your driver's suit becomes saturated, no further heat loss is possible from evaporation.

Can't I be cooled by inhaling cool air & exhaling warm air?

Cool air feels good, however, cool air cannot dissipate all the heat you generate racing.

Won’t I be cooled by spraying my skin with cool water?

This would work; however, it would be a real challenge for you in a racecar wearing all your protective clothing.

How Hot can I get or how much heat I generate?

A common lunch (2500-calorie) can raise the core temperature of a 200 pound man by 50 degrees. Your body needs to disperse heat before it causes heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or even death.

Well sweating and getting hot is all a part of racing, right?

A space astronaut performance study done by NASA in 1973 states that if your body temperature rises as little as ½ of 1 degree, you can make up to 80 unrecognized mistakes an hour. Not good when your racing.

I have a air-blower helmet system, isn’t that enough to cool me?

Actually NO, to cool your body you must cover at least 30% of your body’s surface with cool water or cool air. Cool water, between 50 and 65 degrees, will transfer body heat 28 times faster than cool air. Air to your helmet blowing on to your face is only 4% of your skin surface. It keeps your visor clear but won’t cool you.

I am tough and in perfect physical condition and have been training to handle the heat. Isn’t that enough?

No, even the most physically fit human will fall victim to heat exhaustion. After a 2% loss of your body weight by sweating, you are in heat exhaustion resulting in a decreased ability to sweat, slowing of the reflexes, and impairment of thinking. Simply put: you are going to make mistakes when your core temperature is elevated. Heat will affect your performance. When you are racing you are releasing adrenaline into your body and you won’t feel the heat until you stop. The telltale signs of heat exhaustion are: increase in your body temperature, moist clammy skin, weakness, fatigue, headache dehydration, and confusion. Remember, when you start to perspire you are in the beginning stages of heat exhaustion.

I just use ice packs or an ice vest in my suit or some one throws ice cold water in my suit on a pit stop. I use a cold towel around my neck How about that?

Ice or ice cold water directly on your skin causes your blood vessels to vasoconstrict preventing warm blood from flowing to the skin surface. You have to have temperature controlled cool water between 50 to 65 degrees covering over 30% of your skin surface to effectively maintain normal core temperature.

All this cooling equipment, doesn’t it add too much weight?

A small amount yes but, reread the cool shirt facts again. Heat will affect your performance.