KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Triple-digit temperatures in the metro couldn’t keep teams away from the racetrack at Lakeside Speedway on Friday.
Hot and hazy weather spread across much of the area and led to one of the hottest days of the summer this year.
However, rookie Clint Bell and dozens of other teams didn’t let that get in the way of racing.
“The sweat is pouring off of you. You’re sitting there. Your heart is beating. It’s intense,” he explained. “It’s not like at your home when you’re on your back deck and you can walk five or 10 feet inside to the AC. You’ve got to wait until your race is over.”
Before Friday night’s race, Bell worked with his team to tune-up his car.
Part of the preparations also included putting on his race uniform.
“We wear a full fire suit. We have fire retardant underwear under that, gloves and a helmet,” he explained. “It gets very hot.”
Bell said the most uncomfortable moments in the heat come in the minutes before the cars hit the track.
“It’s miserable sitting in the car getting your fire suit on and just sitting in there,” he explained. “You get a good pit crew with you, and they can bring you Gatorade and keep you cool and all that goes away once you hit the track.”
Other teams around the speedway on Friday said the heat served as just another element to the race.
“I’m more worried about what’s going on in front of me and around me at all times,” explained Vernon Kever, who told 41 Action News he has raced cars all of his life. “It wears you out. By the end of the day, you just want to go home and go to bed.”
Despite the sweltering heat in the metro, the drivers said their passion for racing wouldn’t cool off anytime soon.
“If you’re competitive, this is a competitive sport like no other,” Bell explained. “After a long week, it’s one great way to get away.”
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