In July of 2005, I was lucky to be given a chance to test some new technology introduced to racing called Micro Phase Change Material. This material was in the form of undergarments designed to keep the driver cooler. I wore the undergarments.

Before I tell you my opinion on the garments, I first have to tell you a little about the racing I do.

In my racing career I’ve raced ARCA/Winston Cup style cars, on oval tracks like Atlanta, Pocono, Charlotte, and Talladega. Temperatures inside the cars reach 150 degrees! I still race high speed racing karts that have top speeds of over 160mph, on road courses like Road Atlanta, Charlotte, Brainard, Daytona,etc. Now the problem with racing road courses with as many as 18 turns for 45 minute races, having no suspension, wearing a heavy thick fabric driver’s suit designed to protect you from asphalt contact, is physical exhaustion due to high body heat. During a race you expend virtually all your energy through the physical effort of steering, braking, and repositioning your body in every corner. In addition, the mental work is equally energy sapping! After all, it’s a really frightening and dangerous sport, there is no time to relax, and you must concentrate every second, convincing yourself to do what 99.999% of the rest of the world thinks is crazy! So maybe this is where the term “hot under the collar” comes from.
The last part of the race your body is so hot that many times you lose concentration, have leg and arm cramps, and you just want to quit, but you can’t, cause you’re a racer! This is the time most accidents and crashes occur. Now if you’re cooler than the other guy, you’ll be racing better, all other things being equal. And you’ll be winning more!

Well, I wore the undergarments. It was 92 degrees. The racetrack was Summit Point, W.Va. I was considerably cooler than in the past. I never got exhausted and felt comfortable. It seemed like it was a day of 80 degrees. I’ve worn the garments every race since, and have loaned them to some of my competitors! They don’t want to give them back! I also used them all summer while playing golf. I believe that the MPC material gives you the benefit of comfort and the benefit of safety. Someday, although you’ll never know, somebody is going to be alive because they didn’t make some stupid driving mistake due to poor concentration - due to heat exhaustion.

Thanks for the gear, by the way, I won that race and the WKC Championship for 2005!

Hmmm, Maybe this stuff really does make you go faster!