Connect with us

Published

2 months ago

on

  • Kelly Crandall

May 8, 2025, 12:53 PM ET

It started as a bit of a mystery: how did the cooling shirt end up in NASCAR?

Some drivers didn’t know. Others assumed it had to be Hendrick Motorsports — or, more specifically, Jimmie Johnson, who always seemed to be on the cutting edge of fitness and nutrition.

“I was the first driver to wear one,” Johnson said, “but the guy who started it was Chad Knaus.”

According to Johnson, his crew chief always had an eye on new technology as well as a holistic approach to performance, and that included Johnson. The seven-time Cup Series champion also dealt with cramping and was susceptible to heat issues, so Knaus got his hands on a cooling shirt and decided to test its effectiveness.

“When we used to paint the cars, one of the bays would be to roll the car in and they would make it 100 degrees in there to hurry up and cure the paint,” Johnson said. “[Knaus] literally had one of our guys go in there with this damn shirt on, plug it in the wall and sit in there and test it by pretending he was in a race car. I’ll never forget Chad calling me, ‘You won’t believe it, this cool shirt thing works! I’ve got so-and-so in the spray bake booth, and I’m cooking him in there, and he’s got the shirt on, and it feels great!'”

Johnson began wearing the shirt around 2018 or 2019. At first, only his teammates knew. He didn’t want his competitors to know because it was an advantage behind the wheel. Over time, it became public knowledge and a monkey-see-monkey-do of drivers following Johnson’s lead.

Joey Logano breaks into his signature smile and big laugh.

“It’s like jumping in a pool on a hot summer day,” the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion said. “It feels great. It’s awesome.”

The simplest way to describe it is a shirt with cooling technology. The shirt houses tubes through which cold fluids run. It has revolutionized driver comfort.

“I think back years ago when we did ice packs in our suits and threw them out between stops,” Erik Jones said. “The endurance side, on a hot day, it’s just a game changer. There were days when you’d get out of those hot races and you were done and wiped out, even as much as you trained or didn’t train. So, this has changed it to where if it’s a 90-degree day, I don’t think anyone is worried about the heat in the car anymore.”

The process of driver comfort has evolved through the years. Ice packs, fans and the helmet hose, which is still used to blow cool air on the driver’s head, were some of the ways drivers tried to keep their temperatures down. The helmet hose doesn’t have the same impact as the cooling shirt considering the latter’s surface, though. Today, it’s hard to find a driver in the field who isn’t wearing one.

Jones was not alone in using “game changer” when talking about the cooling shirt. Michael McDowell, one such driver, correlated the uptick in drivers using the shirts to the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022. Cup Series teams quickly realized through the testing phase how much hotter the cars were, making the shirts much more appealing.

“[The shirts] were around, but they would fail often, or they wouldn’t be that cold,” McDowell said. “You would be worried to run them because you didn’t know if it would be a good or a bad day for it, but now, I know there are still some troubles every now and then, but phew, it’s unbelievable how much that helps keep your core cool, your vital organs cool, and just lowering your heart rate from taking some of that heat out is a big deal.”

Shane van Gisbergen even freezes his shirt beforehand to make it even colder. So important is the ritual that his PR representative has a standing reminder to “put cool shirt in freezer an hour and a half before the drivers’ meeting” in her personal calendar.

Some drivers don’t wear the shirt every weekend, making the decision based on the weather. Ross Chastain is one, saying that there are times when he wants to sweat.

“Martinsville, I had to use the bathroom because I wasn’t sweating enough,” he said.

When in the car, the shirt (or vest, depending on choice) under the firesuit connects to a pump. The pump can be mounted anywhere, as Cesar Villanueva, the interior specialist for Kyle Larson at Hendrick Motorsports, explained.

The pump cycles through water and a mixture of antibacterial and antifungal fluid. It helps keep the system clean, and if the fluid isn’t cycled, it can clog. Naturally, if it clogs, the pump won’t run. However, there is more than one reason that a system might fail a driver during the race.

“You’re just trapped in a bad situation,” Austin Dillon said about the system failing. “There is nothing you can really do about it but shut it off, and you can dump the water out if you have to, but it’s kind of like a lifeline. It’s pretty important to have.”

A failure means a driver begins to boil. The fluids become hot, and there is no escape if the water can’t be dumped.

“It’s great until it’s not,” Logano said. “But more times than not, it’s great. Honestly, they’ve done a good job developing that whole system. It used to be really heavy, which is why no one used it, and now you have a process where it’s pretty efficient to run, and if it can mentally help you at the end of a race because you’re physically fresher, you do it.

“I don’t care how good of shape you’re in, you’re going to be fatigued after 400 or 500 miles. If you can keep yourself a little fresher, it’s probably worth it.”

Of course, the weight is a big deal. Sure, driver comfort is paramount, but so is car performance, and weight costs precious lap time. Because of its impact, it has been necessary to accept using the unit, which Villanueva said could be about 6½ to 7 pounds.

“I think we’ve accepted some of the weight penalty in wearing it,” Chris Buescher said, “because you have to make sure you’re as fresh as possible to fight at the end of these races.”

Tyler Reddick began using one in 2021 after he lost weight. He noticed that he suddenly needed something to keep his core temperature better regulated because it was getting very hot very quickly, without, as he says, the insulation.

Reddick’s praise, though, is the perfect way to sum up the cooling shirt in NASCAR.

“A lot of drivers use it,” he said. “I think what it does for cooling the body is probably the most efficient thing that we have.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Sports

2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

Published

15 mins ago

on

July 13, 2025

By

2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

Jul 11, 2025, 08:19 PM ET

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.

On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.

With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more

2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet

Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.

Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.

2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.

2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.

2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.

2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet

Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.

Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.

2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet

Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.

Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.

2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.

Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.

2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet

Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.

Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.

Continue Reading

Sports

Reds’ Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

Published

1 hour ago

on

July 12, 2025

By

Reds' Fraley to play through partially torn labrum

  • Associated Press

Jul 12, 2025, 02:28 PM ET

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.

He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees.

An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.

The Reds were 7-4 in his absence.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who hasn’t played since Noelvi Marte returned from the IL on July 4, was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Continue Reading

Sports

Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

Published

1 hour ago

on

July 12, 2025

By

Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

  • Field Level Media

Jul 12, 2025, 02:39 PM ET

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen was scratched from Saturday’s start due to an illness.

Left-hander Angel Zerpa replaced Lorenzen for the game against the visiting New York Mets.

Lorenzen, 33, is 5-8 with a 4.61 ERA through 18 starts this season.

Zerpa, 25, is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 40 appearances out of the bullpen this season. His last start was in August 2023.

Continue Reading

Trending