It’s no secret that sports like running, cycling, and swimming are both physically and mentally demanding. However, it's easy to underestimate the toll that driving a race car can take on one's body and mind. Apart from the danger of being involved in a crash, the physical demands can be very serious for elite drivers in competitions like Formula One and NASCAR.
In fact, NASCAR drivers can lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of bodily fluids during a race due to high car temperatures. That's exactly what happened to driver Matt DiBenedetto on a particularly hot day in July 2019 – his body weight dropped from 207.8 lbs (94.3 kg) to 198 lbs (89.8 kg) after the sweltering race. On an average-temperature day, the inside of a race car can reach up to 130 degrees F (54.4 degrees C). Add to that the driver’s heavy gear and the fact that the cars have no air conditioning, and dehydration becomes a major danger. Losing so many pounds of water weight adversely affects the body, resulting in elevated heart rate and blood pressure, and a decrease in brain function. This is very dangerous for any person behind the wheel of a car, let alone one traveling at such high speeds.
NASCAR drivers also deal with G-forces during a race, which can be comparable to those felt by fighter pilots. With a driver’s organs slamming around inside their body at such high speeds and undergoing such extreme G-forces, each race for a NASCAR driver takes a dramatic toll on their bodies. A huge amount of upper body strength is essential. After all, being able to steer a vehicle at over 200 mph (322 km/h) is no walk in the park. It puts prolonged strain on a driver’s shoulders and arms. A racer must also maintain laser-sharp focus at all times and always be conscious of how their body is feeling, how their car is operating, where their fellow competitors are, and how to avoid a crash that could potentially claim their life.
Not just sitting behind the wheel:
- The loss of water weight experienced by a driver can leave their body feeling so weak that Formula One has rules about how heavy a trophy can be.
- G-forces put an enormous strain on the human body. For NASCAR drivers, their heads can weigh up to 88 pounds (39.9 kg) during an eight-G corner turn.
- Former NASCAR driver Jamie Murray, now an analyst for FOX Sports, compared his average heart rate during NASCAR races to what he experienced during a 100-mile (161 km) cycling race up a mountain.
