If you think it was hot in Texas …
April 10th, 2008, 6:28 pm · Post a Comment · posted by rhoeft
Denny Hamlin was said to be complaining about the heat last week at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup event, and wasn’t feeling very good afterward.
Hey, Denny, I hate to tell you this, but it’s going to be even warmer Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Yeah, according to the Weather Channel it’s going to be around 90 degrees or so when the green flag drops, and AccuWeather is forecasting a temperature of around 85 degrees. So, split the difference and you’ve got … toasty.
Of course, when the sun drops, the mercury will too, and by 9 p.m. when the race should be over or almost over, it’s going to be a nice 75.
No matter what, all 43 drivers in the starting lineup should be thinking about hydrating themselves if they aren’t already. I can tell you, from experience, after being beat on for 250 or so miles in races through the Nevada desert that if you aren’t hydrated when the race begins, you will pay the price afterward. Been there, done that, and it ain’t pretty.
I remember being at PIR several years ago when getting a spring race for the track was only in the talking stages, and NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, known for his exploits and successes in the desert, was on hand for testing. And during a question and answer session with the media that day, he was asked if giving PIR a second race in the spring, when it’s starting to heat up, was a good idea.
And he didn’t hesitate for a second, stating that the idea was great, that he loved coming to Phoenix, and he’d love to race there twice … as long as the spring date was at night.
And, here we are, racing into the night at Phoenix.
Good thing they didn’t make the second date in June, July or August, though, because as we all know, the mercury has been known to stay at or above the 100-degree mark well into the night.
But, it’s a dry heat, right?
Yeah, Denny, it’s a dry heat. So don’t sweat it.
