Wednesday, August 7, 2002
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Wednesday, August 7, 2002 |
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Clanton's Season is Heating Up
Hello race fans! With just seven races left in the 2002 American Speed Association (ASA) season, the battle for the championship is really heating up. Currently we are in second in the standings, just 28 points behind ASA veteran Gary St. Amant. We had been the point leader for the entire season up until the last event where a problem with the car's fuel regulator system landed us in the 21st finishing position. Despite several weeks of unfortunate luck, I am confident we can turn it around this weekend at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway. As the point race heats up, so have the temperatures at the tracks we have visited so far this season. I have been racing in the South for years, so I'm used to the heat, but this summer has been the hottest summer I can remember. At some of these tracks, with the outside temperature nearing 100 degrees, the car can be 40 degrees warmer. The surfaces of the inside of the car can reach temperatures that are hot enough to boil water. The heat in the car is multiplied by the layers of clothing that a driver has to wear to meet safety standards set by ASA. I wear a three-layer firesuit and fireproof "underwear". In addition to those four layers, I wear a cotton T-shirt below the fireproof undergarments that is actually designed to help keep me cool. A guy in Jonesboro, Ga. created a system that allows cool water to be pumped through tubes that are hooked to my T-shirt. At the beginning of the race, we fill up the cooler that is connected to these tubes with big chunks of ice and water and that's what is used to help keep me cool. The only other thing that we do to make it a little more comfortable in the Camp Fire USA Georgia Council Chevy is to pump outside air into my helmet. But, if the temperature outside is 100 degrees, that outside air doesn't really help much. While the heat makes it uncomfortable, it doesn't ever keep me from racing. Be sure to watch us this weekend on The National Network (TNN) this Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. Until next time, Joey
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