carefulnow

What is everyone's favorite driver cooling solution?

Are there any TEC based systems that are priced near the ice box designs these days?

All I could find is FAST's "RINI" (http://www.fastraceproducts.com/cool...ng-system.html) which is absurdly priced for hobby use, and Kool3/Kube which as far as I can tell has no pricing published on the internet (http://kool3.com/)

Who has tried Coolshirt's helmet insert?

Hi Volts Z06

The Cool-a-Clava works really well. I didn't have much luck getting it to stay inside my helmet with Velcro or two face tape but did figure out that if you lay it inside your helmet and then give a gentle pull backward on the hoses after you put it on, it takes the wrinkles out and flows like a champ. It works very well and I would recommend that you use color tape to note the correct connection to your cool suit which allows water to flow through your shirt first and avoid "brain freeze" that comes with routing to the helmet first.

CaddyRacer

here's an option, my friend uses them
http://www.coolvest.com/shop-by-use/home-everyday/

I use a chilled cloth for my neck for the HOT days, so far so good

fatbillybob

My racecar needs to make weight so I still have a fully functioning A/C and windows and I still need lead for my race class 3525lbs min weight.

I swear by home made cool suit tank run off a 12v bilge pump with cool shirt and cool clava. With cool clava it feels like a car with A/C running. I like it cool. I used to not race in the summer but now I will.

Use the home made cool tank from an ice chest with bilge pump so you can buy extra bilge pumps cheap for when the one in the car fails which they all do. It is more harder and more expensive to change the bilge pump in the FAST cool shirt tank.

A cool-Clava tip that works great for me is to wear the cool clava under a headsock. Put the helmet on head next and everything is easy on and easy off and works perfect.

I found the vests with the ice gel packs totally ineffective but the gel packs feel great on your head after you get out of a hot car if not running a cool suit and cool-clava.

Snorman

Very, very few people here are buying ~$8k cooling setups. And the best way to ensure that the ice box setups work well is to properly pack them before a stint. There are varying opinions on it, but the general consensus is that large blocks work best (frozen Gatorade bottles, etc.).
These are really only applicable to endurance racing where you're in the car for ~2 hours. Not sure why anybody would need these for sprint or DE use.
S.

Hi Volts Z06

I can't speak for anyone else and maybe I'm just a fat bastard, but the heat load in my car on 90-100 degree day equates to about 140-145. Given that fact and the fact I've had heat exhaustion about 6 times over the years, I'll say I NEED cool shirt AND my new cool-a-calva

Snorman

I race and track in Florida, where we have a great many 90+ degree days (not sure about New York) and I don't know anybody running a cool shirt setup for DE (or sprint) races. When we are in the car for 2+ hours in mid-90 degree temps during wheel-to-wheel races they are a necessity, but otherwise, IMO they are not needed.
S.

Hi Volts Z06

I don't know about anyone else but I was referring to W2W racing, not DE. I'm not going to debate the concept of "want vs. need"with you. I'm sure there are a lot of variables I haven't considered like "what if the driver is built like a prepubescent girl" or if there is less heat load in the back of the pack. I was speaking about me personally and I NEED driver cooling.

carefulnow

Well.. closest track to me routinely goes over 100 most of the summer, and now I have zero insulation in the car It's going to get insanely hot in the cockpit.

I like the idea of just the cool-clava. Seems like it wouldn't need that much ice/capacity to be useful for 20-30 min sessions.

Thanks for the responses, all.

Captain Buddha

Both my GTA and TA2 care are HOT - whether in winter or summer, i.e. - 140 in the cockpit...it's just tube frame with sheetmetal inside and fiberglass outside....I run the Cool Shirt system in both cars and also use the Cool-A-Clava (putting under balaclava seems to be the best way to keep it where you want it). Both cars also have a forced air system to the helmet, this really helps! I put a 1 gallon frozen water jug in the cooler, some Cool Shirt Endurance Ice Packs along with regular ice and then add water. Only time I did not need to do this was Memorial Day Weekend this year at Pueblo Motorsports Park in CO. It was CCCCCCOLD out there!!!! BRRRRRR!

As far as want/need - you (as in the driver) will run better/think better/drive better if you are cool - no need to add any additional stress. There are smaller Cool Shirt systems tailored for street/track cars. Once you have cooling you will kick yourself for not having it earlier!

JDIllon

Watch E-bay!! I bought a Artic racing air unit for $1500.00 and it drops the air being blown into your helmet by 30 degree's form outside temp. I just sold the car with it in it. It is like what the NASCAR guys use. Worked great. Runs off your 12 volt system. JD
Here is there website.
http://www.arcticracingair.com/

fmcokc

Buy your stuff from FAST.

Jill Swanson Peltier is the owner and she is a great person. She is the kind of person that you want to support.

Another one of her sites is http://lemonsoflove.org/home.html

They do great work for folks with cancer.

blue427

Dumb question,what would happen if you used dry ice in a cool can?

Mick14

You will ruin the pump.

passmenow

Agree cool shirt and helmet blower and a quick dissolve B12 pill.
Waiting and burning down in the car sitting on grid, turn on the cool shirt for a minute and suddenly it feels like you just jumped in a cool pool.

My complaint would be the helmet blowers that use a cheap and loud bilge pump.
I do have an old squirrel cage blower fan that came in one race car that is very quiet.
The blower noise is reduced by radio ear buds.

The best argument for not wearing a cool shirt is the thought of being in a fire with 10 feet of melting plastic surgical tube under your fire suit.

Although a Dr once told me he thought a cool shirt would be more effective if it could cool your arm pits and crotch area.
That chilling the chest might actually reduce blood flow.