Best money spent on Porsche

[MMARSH]

This weekend I did a two hour enduro and sprint race at Buttonwillow raceway. In anticipation of the high 90 degree temps and also because I'm going to Thunderhill in a few weeks where the temps will probably be over a 100 degrees, I decided to buy a Cool Shirt. I was more then a little skeptical.

Without a doubt, that is the best money I've spent since racing the car. On the day of the enduro, my truck outside temp gauge showed 101 degrees. While sitting on the grid before the race, I actually had to turn the cooler off because I was getting cold. A few laps into the race I started getting warm and realized I hadn't turned it back on, I flipped the switch and instant relief. After driving for an hour straight, I had to pit to refuel, I could not believe how fresh I felt, I could of easily stayed on the track another hour. There were other guys that were ready to pass out from the heat. The biggest thing was, because of being comfortable, I was able to maintain my concentration for the duration and my lap times were very consistant.

I highly recommend it for those racing in hot temps. Personally I won't drive in hot weather without it again.


BTW, A huge thanks to Dave B at TRE. My buddies 911 broke a stub axle early in the day on Saturday, We called Dave at TRE, explained our situation and he provided a care package with all the parts, gaskets and even let us borrow a bearing removal/intall tool, a friend was able to pick up the package of parts and bring up to the track to us. We were able to get the car fixed and it was running great for the Sunday sprint race and Monday school. Thanks alot Dave.

[masraum]

I hate to say it, but...

Sounds cool.

[Moses]

Who makes it? Where did you get it?

Moses,
Check our host first. If they don't have it OG racing has it for $518. Not cheap!

[ted]

Cool Shirt

$350 or so, call San Diego 858 581 1101 ask for Jae.

Hey I'm 45, I want to race and be a little comfortable too.
Had a cool shirt on for the DE Thursday at Fontana.
It was not that hot out but I still would not race without it now.

Waiting in pre grid was like jumping in a cool pool. I was content to sit in the car and wait, while staying super cool in my 3 layer nomex suit.

On the track didn’t really think about it, but I was comfortable.

I was just using ice cubes instead of block ice which might last longer. I repacked the ice chest twice. Each time I wanted to add even more ice for greater cooling.

The cool shirt instructions quote some NASA test from the early 60s where it was shown that when your body temp goes up a couple degrees you will make 80 unrecognized mistakes an hour.

Ignorance is bliss I thought. This is gonna be tough on me to put this shirt on and to suddenly recognize my 80 mistakes each hour.
Cool shirt gets a thumbs up!

here's what it looks lilke.

[MMARSH]

I just did a search in Pelican and it doesnt look like they carry that product. I paid $379 for the 10 Quart System. it will last about 2 1/2 hours before you have to add more ice. I bought mine thru a Company called Urama sales and marketing. they are a distributer for www.coolshirt.net

[MMARSH]

Plus, it's always better to never let the competition see you sweat.

[cstreit]

I've been contemplating this thing for 1.5 years now... Mike, did you have difficulty driving in the heat before this? I certainly do, get slower sometimes because of the humidity out here...

SO you're saying it's definitely worth the $$$?

[esther]

I've been trying to convince my hubby to get one of these... he scared the daylights out of me a couple years ago after he ran part of a 6 hour enduro... lobster red in the face and drenched through and through... great post!

[esther]

oops - hi hon

[Planter91C2]

i just wear the "cool-collar"

[speeder]

Sounds brilliant, did you guys know that NASCAR rigs all have A/C now? Probably plumbs into their driving suits somehow. Jack's car has A/C, but doesn't use it while racing, I think. At any rate, I've always thought that the heat would be a problem, concentration-wise.

[MMARSH]

Originally posted by cstreit
I've been contemplating this thing for 1.5 years now... Mike, did you have difficulty driving in the heat before this? I certainly do, get slower sometimes because of the humidity out here...

SO you're saying it's definitely worth the $$$?

Chris and Esther, No doubt about it. Getting the cool shirt will do more for your lap times an hour into an enduro than anything else you can do. Even in a 30 min. sprint race, on a hot day, I couldn't wait to see the white flag. After using it this weekend, I actually feel kinda stupid for waiting so long to get one. I dont know how hot it gets where your from, but it gets well over a 100 degrees where we race and it's miserable.

It is definitely worth the money. I bought the RS-10 system which uses the 10 qt round cooler. I did not buy the $100 controller switch that goes with it. I just added a quick connect on one end and hard wired the other end to a toggle switch on the dash. My buddy hard wired his to his fog light switch. both of them worked great.

[Jack Olsen]

Originally posted by speeder
Jack's car has A/C, but doesn't use it while racing, I think.

At the OTC in Las Vegas, one of Tyson's fastest laps was set with the AC cranking away. He'd forgotten to turn it off after using it in the pits.

I'll run the AC waiting to go out, but it doesn't do a whole lot of good when you're in a hot car in a Nomex suit and both windows are rolled all the way down. The cool shirt sounds pretty good. (But how much does it weigh?)

Mike, what group was running the enduro, and how did you do?

[MMARSH]

Denis

I dont think AC would do alot for you when your wearing a two or three layer driving suit. I think the Nascar systems plumb cool air into the suit dont they? Hey the cool shirt work so well, I'm actually thinking about wearing it in my Daily driver when I drive to work

[carnut169]

Oh to be able to fit an ice cooler in your race car...
must be nice.

My VD gets soooo soooo hot inside. Sitting on the false grid with the engine running I would bet it gets close to 160' inside the car. Add the 2 layer nomex suit, the nomex underwear, the helmet and balakava and you start cooking yourself.
Someone needs to figure out how to make a cool suit w/o the cooler.

[gchappel]

As a Florida boy I will agree. I have used the coolshirt for almost 2 years now. It was worth every penny. We raced Sebring last weekend- even in the rain I was GLAD I had it. Of interest- the first time I wore it I called and complained that it did not get cold enough. They explained that if the shirt got any colder- the skin vessels would vasoconstrict-like they naturally do in the cold- and would prevent heat loss. When I wear the shirt I can go through the ice in as little as 45 minutes. You don't really notice it is working- you don't feel cold, you don't feel hot. Sure I wish it was cheaper, but it is worth every penny if you race in the heat.
They need to add a cool balaclava(?) -my helmet still gets hot.
Gary

[MMARSH]

Jack

We ran with the Alfa group. It was kinda funny. first they had us classed in N, then the people in N got mad so they moved us up to M with the Vipers. We ended up winning M and beating the Vipers, so someone in M got mad (not the Viper drivers either) and said we shouldn't have been moved up and should have stayed in N. Didn't matter to me, we beat all those guys too. I kinda felt like you in the OTC last year, people kept coming over to our gargage asking us questions about our car, one guy was convinced we had to be putting out 300 hp or weighed 1900 lbs. Long story short, we won M or N, wherever they decided to put us and came in 2nd or 3rd overall. It actually was alot of fun.

I probably had the funnest race of my life on Sunday. me and the other 911 diced it up for the entire 30 minutes and crossed the line side by side. That was a blast. We took 3rd and 4th behind a 700 horsepowered tube framed truck and John Dearings Viper. Jack, you know how fast Dearings Viper is, well that truck walked him on the back straight like he had shut his car off.

As you know the Alfa Guys are a good group of guys and it was a really fun weekend. I Also got to meet some Pelicanites, who were very cool but I can't recall all their names.

[jase007]

Highly recommend it!

F.A.S.T. also makes a version of this suit as well F.A.S.T. cool shirt and helmet fresh air which we run in two cars (911s).

Quick story: my father, driving 1 hour HSR enduro in Sebring earlier this March, runs the race in high heat and humidity wearing suit, no problems. Son, yours truly, runs same race in separate car and is seeing multiple images of GTP cars as they roar past. Son, during 5 minute mandatory pit stop, gets out of car, goes to vendor in pit area, buys shirt (and connections), puts it on, gets back in car, plugs it in and finishes race (well down in pack but finishes!).

Setup for cars is $$$ but worth every penny IMO. I had just the fresh air helmet setup (with cooler - ice, etc...) and would work for a while but would eventually pull the hose off of my helmet and either stick it under my legs or down the front of my suit (not ideal setup).

My wife also commented on how much "redder" my face was after the race than my father's before I got the shirt.

Jason

[MMARSH]

Originally posted by carnut169
Oh to be able to fit an ice cooler in your race car...
must be nice.

My VD gets soooo soooo hot inside. Sitting on the false grid with the engine running I would bet it gets close to 160' inside the car. Add the 2 layer nomex suit, the nomex underwear, the helmet and balakava and you start cooking yourself.
Someone needs to figure out how to make a cool suit w/o the cooler.

Carnut,

They actually have kwik kool canister that is the size of a can of coke and plugs into the shirt like the cooler do. It provides an hour of cooling time and might be perfect for your situation.