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Spectators new to Winston Cup racing may be puzzled by the puddles of water in the garage area on race weekend, but those puddles are the by-product of a key part of each teams qualifying run.
The water is from engine coolant re-circulation systems used to cool engines before the cars hit the track for qualifying. After a practice run, team members can be found filling the cooling systems water tanks with ice before it melts into cool water and flushes out the steaming water from the radiator on the cars. As the systems work to prevent cars from overheating during qualifying runs, steamy puddles can be found in the garage area as hot water flows from 43 or more cars.
According to John Kendrach, an engine tuner on Ron Hornadays No. 14 Conseco Pontiac, the use of water coolers has become a necessity to keep the engines from getting too hot.
When you see us using the water coolers, all that were doing is cooling the motor down, Kendrach says. You want to start every run at about 70 or 80 degrees just because youve got the front end taped up for downforce. Its just a very helpful way to keep the motor cool. The only time its done is when were in qualifying mode, which is usually on a Friday. We do it every time the car comes into the garage on Friday, but not Saturday and Sunday. The cooling systems are used only on qualifying days because there are normally two practice sessions (sometimes just one) on Saturday, before Sundays race, with more than enough time in between to get the water temperatures where they need to be.
Before those Friday qualifying runs, however, the cooling systems get a good workout.
When the radiator is 220 degrees after a practice run, its much safer having the cool down machine to help speed things up, Kendrach says. With regular tap water, you could only get it to probably 90 degrees, but with a Winston Cup car you really need the temperature to be between 60 to 70 degrees. A lot of it also depends on how much tape you have on the front of the car. At the start-finish line in qualifying, you want the water temperature to be between 200 and 220 degrees.
Ice trucks visiting transporters and dropping off bags of ice are a common sight in the morning hours before qualifying. Then, a few minutes before practice, the water coolers are turned on and they start doing their work. You want the ice to melt into the cooler, so you dont plug it until the water reaches a certain stable point before going in the car, Kendrach says. There are two hoses running from the system, and each is hooked to an electric pump mounted inside the cooler. One hose is to pump hot water from the engine, while the other hose is used to feed the chilled water into the engine. Team members monitor a stationary temperature gauge mounted on the water cooler, and when it gets too warm for their liking, they will simply release the water through a valve on the cooler.
Its pretty simplejust two hoses going into the radiator, Kendrach says. One of the hoses goes into the radiator pushing cold water in and the other hose flushes the hot water out. When the ice goes in and turns to water, that cool water runs through the entire cooling system. It flows through the radiator and to the motor. All the water cooler is doing is pushing cold water into the car and pumping the hot water out. Its all about re-circulating the water.