By David Morgan, Associate Editor
LEBANON, Tenn. – Mother Nature played no favorites in Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway, especially for those pulling double duty to run both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series races on back-to-back days under blazing sun.
When the checkered flag flew, a number of drivers required attention in the form of ice, cold water, and a visit to the Infield Care Center to aid in recovery before strapping back in less than 24 hours later.
John Hunter Nemechek fared the best of the bunch, winning the race and coming away seemingly unscathed. Although he did note that once he got out of the car, the heat finally started to set in, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t overcome before Sunday.
“It was what, 130, 140, in the race car today? I don’t think just your average person could go sit in that and perform at a high heart rate,” said Nemechek. “I mean, my heart rate sitting here is 135, still. I guarantee if I pull up my average from the day, I’m going to be in the 160-170 average for the day for close to three hours.”
He added that through training he has done for marathons and Iron Man events, he has developed a protocol of his own to help him recover and would be putting that into play this evening. Should he need to get additional fluids from the Care Center, he did not rule that out either.
“I have a standard protocol that I follow for post-race and recovery and what not, so definitely going to hydrate a lot, eat more than one person should in one sitting, and then get some really good rest tonight.
“My plan is to do it the old-fashioned way. Like I said I have a standard procedure or protocol that goes back to training for Iron Man and marathons and different things of that sort. Just standard hydration and nutrition protocol that we’re able to have in place.”
Asked whether he had any misgivings about running in such heat a day before the Cup race, Nemechek jokingly said, “I love it when it’s hot. Separates the men from the boys.”
As for the rest of those pulling double duty, they were a little worse for the wear.
Noah Gragson was once of those who preserved through the heat to deliver a top-five finish in his No. 30 Rhett Jones Racing Ford. Afterwards, he climbed from his car and immediately asked for ice and cold water from his crew before sitting down on the ground beside his car to try and escape from the heat.
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