Steve, that's fine, don't worry about it. Dr Bruce, the humidity in the Northeast!!! Give me a break. I've lived in Maryland and New Jersey and worked in the city. I also travel to our office in Boston Come down and do your biking on the gulf coast. it would be great if everyone was in perfect shape. but you fail to take into consideration the age, gender and pre-existing conditions of the driver. Adios.

Here’s the easy way: Fill a quart-sized Ziploc bag with ice cubes and seal it. Stick that in another Ziploc bag and seal it. Jump in the car and connect your belts. Unzip the top of your suit and slide the bag in, between the belts and in the center of your chest. Zip your suit back up and away you go. It will keep you cool for a typical race duration.

Brent

It should be included in the minimum weight:
A - to be consistent with virtually every other class.
B - to make it easier on the Tech people and driver/owner in not having to partially disassemble the car before running it over the scales.

9.3.50. WEIGHT
All cars shall meet or exceed the minimum weight specified with driver, exactly as they come off the race circuit, at the conclusion of any race or qualifying session.

9.1.10.E.1.a (Touring - one of the very few that specificly mentions a cool suit) The weight, as listed on an automobile’s Specification Line, shall be with driver and required ballast. Refer to GCR Section 9.3 Weight. If a cool suit system is utilized, it shall be weighed with the car as it came off the track.

FE has no SRF like Cool suit not included in minimum weight rule.

Being a Tech/Driver & used a cool suite in my Corvette, and in a SRF,, BTW new to SRF.. Some thoughts if included, the model has to be set and requied, the location and method of securing it needs to be set and required, it must function, should be filled... In this manner all cars will be equal including weight location and can be teched... now being on the avg size of todays drivers,, 6'4" 225,,, I am for not adding any weight.. I think there is only one logical location for placment, left side in front of the left pod with a cooler type round unit.. just ideas.. whatever I am sure we will be OK..

BWALTZ wrote:Here’s the easy way: Fill a quart-sized Ziploc bag with ice cubes and seal it. Stick that in another Ziploc bag and seal it. Jump in the car and connect your belts. Unzip the top of your suit and slide the bag in, between the belts and in the center of your chest. Zip your suit back up and away you go. It will keep you cool for a typical race duration.

Brent

My method, as well. With minor tweakage: I don't double bag and I insert the bag with the opening down. Once the ice has melted, a good hug down the straight blows the ziploc open and you finish the race sitting in a nice cool puddle.

H.(always trying to be cool)B.

I am new to SRF but I see that the majority of the drivers are 50 and up. I have seen that the turn out for August events are not as good as other months. I believe it is because of the heat. If the spec was written as to exactly where it could be installed then I don't see why not.

I recently did a practice day in 100 degree heat at NJMP. While not a big issue, I could see that if we had to wait on a grid like what happened at Watkins Glen for 30 or 40 minutes, because a dumb Decision was made then, it could be a huge issue. safety should always be a priority!

My last race weekend at NJMP was a clinic in temperature management, and the primarily lesson I learned is that you need to consider the cumulative effect of heat PLUS other challenges -- fatigue, anxiety, stress, illness. On day one of three, I was operating on a crappy night's sleep, sensory overload from a new track, and ended up with blistering headache, nausea and chills (despite hydration and efforts to stay out of the heat). By day three -- the hottest day, I was well rested, and had no ill-effects whatsoever. The heat really erodes your defenses and ability to deal with stress and fatigue.

We just ran the double rational at Eagles Canyon, where the temp was in the low 90s for qualifying, 100+ at race time. (when I left the track on Sunday the truck showed 105). It was hot, very hot. I don't think the Sunday race winner (Denny) or second (Chris Funk) had cool suits, Verges did in 3rd, KellyToombs in 4th didn't (i don't think) and i did the bag o'ice on the chest for 5th. The age range in those drivers is 40 -60? No one seemed to struggle with the heat, but we were hot. So for those that had cool suits, you had a 10#(?) weight "penalty", but the comfort of cool. Pretty fair if you ask me. But I do agree that if you are not in decent shape or acclimated it is probably better to have the cool suit than 10# less weight.

I use it to get off the grid and then open my special "yanick" valve to pump it all on the ground during the pace lap.

Works great and weighs almost nothing

Now under the current rules, this would concern me. As there is nothing that would keep you from using the cool suit in the race, then dump the tank on the cool down lap with your "yanick" valve.

Now what are we afraid of if we include the tank in the min weight? That these people will use the tank to improve their weight distribution (and maybe build some custom tank with a lead floor to increase this advanateg)? If so, maybe the cleaner approach is to simply limit the front & rear weights. This would also allow us to eliminate the bodywork weight limits.