High temperatures to strain drivers, cars at Michigan

When NASCAR unveiled a high-drag aerodynamic package for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race, an unintended byproduct saw temperatures within the cockpit soar exponentially.

The new package featuring tail extensions below the car reduces airflow significantly, which then circulates into the cockpit where it’s essentially trapped. With the Indianapolis Sprint Cup race run under overcast skies, overheated drivers weren’t an issue as opposed to the Xfinity Series race the day before where the beating sun and a high ambient temperature took its toll with several competitors seeking medical assistance afterward -- including winner Kyle Busch.

That same high-drag package is to be utilized this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, and again there are concerns about the effects increased cockpit temperatures will have on drivers. The National Weather Forecast projects a high of 87 degrees and mostly sunny for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400.

“We kind of got a hall pass at Indianapolis with race day being a little bit later than normal with scheduling, and it was very cloudy most of the day and not quite as hot as we’ve been accustomed to in Indianapolis,” Brad Keselowski said during a teleconference Tuesday. “Where it appears that Michigan when we last checked the weather radar, it’s going to be full sun and mid-80 (degrees), so that’s going to be the toughest race probably of the year physically with this rules package.”

Drivers won’t be alone in dealing with the heat. Because of the raised temperature within the car and lack of airflow, Keselowski expects additional mechanical failures. Michigan already puts a strain on parts due to high speeds -- the fastest in NASCAR, as speeds are restricted at Daytona and Talladega -- and the attrition rate is expected to increase.

“I would not be surprised to see a lot of car failures this weekend specific to heat relation as it pertains to the aero package and it’s kind of cause and effects,” Keselowski said. “And inside the car I would not be surprised to see a lot of hot and worn out drivers after the race. We all know we’re in for a handful of a race.”

The high-drag package is one of two NASCAR introduced mid-season in an effort to increase passing and better an on-track product that myriad drivers thought considered stagnant.

One package is a low downforce setup featuring a decreased spoiler that makes cars harder to control while cornering. First used July 11 at Kentucky Speedway, it was widely praised afterward by drivers and will also be ran Labor Day weekend at Darlington Raceway.

The high-drag package is intended to create pack racing and generate drafting. Indianapolis, though, produced the style of racing commonly seen at the 2.5-mile track -- mostly single-file and little side-by-side and with drivers struggling to pass. And drivers were quite critical of the package following the Brickyard 400. Kyle Larson and Matt Kenseth both called it “terrible,” with Kevin Harvick referring to it as a “science experiment.”

Indianapolis and Michigan are dramatically different tracks, however. Whereas Indianapolis is flat, narrow and features primarily one groove, Michigan has high banking and an expansive racing surface that allows drivers to fan three-wide through its turns. That gives some hope that Sunday’s race could provide a better platform to showcase the high-drag package.

“The way the aerodynamics work specifically a high-draft package, you certainly want to be in line down the straightaway so you get the maximum effect of the loss of drag,” Keselowski said. “But you want to be kind of staggered in the corners to try to keep the downforce in the corner where you need it to keep the car going through the corners as fast as possible.

“Indianapolis you don’t have a lot of width to really pull that off. But I think at Michigan there is quite a bit more width to the track, especially down in Turns 3 and 4 where you could possibly pull that maneuver off.”

But running in packs causes engines to produce greater temperatures, which in turn furthers the amount of hot air trapped underneath the car. And is why Keselowski foresees trouble ahead on Sunday.

“Even though the track is wider and bigger, the significance of the draft is going to be even more important, so you’re going to have to stay in line as much as possible,” Keselowski said. “As you stay in line, the car gets less and less air because that’s essentially how the draft works. And the speeds at Michigan are higher than they are at Indianapolis, which means the parts, specifically the drivetrain, are going to be even hotter.

“I know the team is very, very concerned about the drivetrain, everything from the engine all the way back to the axles because they’re really not made for these temperatures.”