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  • 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.”

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Briscoe wins third straight pole at Michigan

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2 hours ago

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June 7, 2025

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Briscoe wins third straight pole at Michigan

  • Associated Press

Jun 7, 2025, 02:27 PM ET

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Chase Briscoe won his third straight pole and NASCAR -high fourth this year at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.

Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, turned a lap of 195.514 mph in qualifying on the 2-mile oval in the fastest pole in the Cup Series since Ryan Blaney went 200-plus mph at Texas in 2018.

He is aiming for his first win this year after five top-five finishes, and the third victory of his career.

“It will be nice starting up front and we’ve been able to do that now three weeks in a row but haven’t been able to execute with it,” Briscoe said. “So, hopefully third time is a charm.”

Kyle Busch, in the No. 8 Chevrolet, will start second Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 Toyota, qualified third and points leader William Byron, in the No. 24 Chevrolet, was fourth.

Defending race champion Tyler Reddick, in the No. 45 Toyota, will start 12th and for 23XI Racing, which is suing NASCAR.

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Hamlin undeterred by ruling siding with NASCAR

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4 hours ago

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June 7, 2025

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Hamlin undeterred by ruling siding with NASCAR

  • Associated Press

Jun 7, 2025, 01:35 PM ET

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit.

“That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a day ahead of the FireKeepers Casino 400. “I’m not deterred at all. We’re in good shape.”

Hamlin said Jordan feels the same way.

“He just remains very confident, just like I do,” Hamiln said.

NASCAR has not commented on the latest ruling.

23XI and Front Row sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. They asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday ruled in NASCAR’s favor.

“We’re looking at all options right now,” Hamlin said.

The teams, each winless this year, said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.

Hamlin insisted he’s not worried about losing drivers because of the uncertainty.

“I’m not focused on that particularly right this second,” he said.

Reddick, who was last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title in November, enters the race Sunday at Michigan ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings.

The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates.

The six teams may have to compete as “open” cars and would have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and would receive a fraction of the money.

Without a charter, Hamlin said it would cost the teams “tens of millions,” to run three cars.

“We’re committed to run this season open if we have to,” he said. “We’re going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. We’re here to race. Our team is going to be here for the long haul and we’re confident of that.”

The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.

NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field.

“We feel like facts were on our side,” Hamlin said. “I think if you listen to the judges, even they mentioned that we might be in pretty good shape.”

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Appellate judges rule for NASCAR in charter fight

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4 hours ago

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June 7, 2025

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Appellate judges rule for NASCAR in charter fight

  • Associated Press

Jun 5, 2025, 01:08 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A three-judge federal appellate panel ruled Thursday in favor of NASCAR in the antitrust lawsuit filed by two teams, one owned by Michael Jordan, and vacated an injunction that required 23XI and Front Row be recognized as chartered teams as their case snakes through the legal system.

Both race teams sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals.

The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates. 23XI, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, joined Front Row in suing NASCAR after 13 other organizations signed the renewals and those two organizations refused.

“We are disappointed by today’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and are reviewing the decision to determine our next steps,” said Jeffery Kessler, attorney for 23XI and Front Row. “This ruling is based on a very narrow consideration of whether a release of claims in the charter agreements is anti-competitive and does not impact our chances of winning at trial scheduled for Dec. 1.

“We remain confident in our case and committed to racing for the entirety of this season as we continue our fight to create a fair and just economic system for stock car racing that is free of anticompetitive, monopolistic conduct.”

The two teams sued and asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season. The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.

23XI and Front Row have 14 days to appeal to the full court, and the injunction has no bearings on the merits of the antitrust case.

The earliest NASCAR can treat the teams as unchartered — a charter guarantees their organizations a starting spot each week and prize money — is one week after the deadline to appeal, provided there is no pending appeal.

NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are only 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field. If the teams do not appeal, the six entries would have to compete as “open” cars — which means they’d have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and they would receive a fraction of the money.

The teams said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick‘s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.

It’s not clear what would happen to Reddick’s contract. Last year’s regular-season champion goes to Michigan this weekend ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings. Both organizations are still seeking a win this season — Hamlin’s three victories are with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he drives for.

The original judge ruled that NASCAR’s charter agreement likely violated antitrust law in granting the injunction. But when they heard arguments last month, the three judges at the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, indicated they were skeptical of that decision.

The judges said in Thursday’s ruling they were not aware of any case that supports the lower court’s theory of antitrust law, so they vacated the injunction.

“In short, because we have found no support for the proposition that a business entity or person violates the antitrust laws by requiring a prospective participant to give a release for past conduct as a condition for doing business, we cannot conclude that the plaintiffs made a clear showing that they were likely to succeed on the merits of that theory,” the court said. “And without satisfaction of the likelihood-of-success element, the plaintiffs were not entitled to a preliminary injunction.”

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