The only thing more prevalent in the southeast than sweetened ice tea is humidity.

To hear drag racing tuners talk about the water in the air when they visit zMax, Bristol and Atlanta Dragways, you’d think it was a battle with the devil himself.

“It is a tuner’s nightmare,” confirmed Todd Okuhara, a co-crew chief on the FRAM Top Fuel dragster piloted by Cory McClenathan. “It changes the air/fuel ratio in these motors and you have to work hard to overcome it.”

Racers measure how severe the humidity is by the water grains. The level of water grains is calculated from temperature and relative humidity.

“Anytime the humidity gets in the 110 grains, it is hard to overcome,” confirmed Okuhara.

The only thing more prevalent in the southeast than sweetened ice tea is humidity.

To hear drag racing tuners talk about the water in the air when they visit zMax, Bristol and Atlanta Dragways, you’d think it was a battle with the devil himself.

“It is a tuner’s nightmare,” confirmed Todd Okuhara, a co-crew chief on the FRAM Top Fuel dragster piloted by Cory McClenathan. “It changes the air/fuel ratio in these motors and you have to work hard to overcome it.”

Racers measure how severe the humidity is by the water grains. The level of water grains is calculated from temperature and relative humidity.

“Anytime the humidity gets in the 110 grains, it is hard to overcome,” confirmed Okuhara.

Friday was on the verge of being really bad conditions for the tuners to overcome. The water grains were at 109 with an air temperature of 94 degrees and 40-percent humidity.

“It doesn’t have to be real humid for the water grains to be high,” cautioned Okuhara. “It could be a lower temperature with high humidity that keeps the water grains up.”

When racing in the upper southeast, Okuhara doesn’t fear the humidity but getting a reprieve from Mother Nature can be a blessing.

“There’s always the chance a cold front can come through,” Okuhara said. “You can sometimes get (good) conditions, but you had to be prepared either way.”

Pro Stockers have just as hard of a time dealing with the heavy, water-laden air.

“It’s the devil for us,” admitted Pro Stock engine builder Roy Johnson. “I haven’t figured out how to burn water yet. It just really slows us down. The air is so much heavier and what you do get through the engine, you can’t burn it. It really plays havoc on us.”

The humidity can serve as a blessing for some, John Force, a 14-time Funny Car champion, takes advantage of the natural weather conditions by using his firesuit as a sweat box.

“My race car doesn’t like it but my body does,” admitted Force, who was braving Friday’s high Concord humidity dressed in his seven layer firesuit. “I can drop ten pounds in this kind of weather. I am on a diet and getting my old body in shape. People ask me why I like it and I just tell them I can sweat off those pounds.

“You do have to watch it out there to not get dehydrated and dizzy,” Force cautioned. “I’m already dizzy, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Defending series champion Robert Hight had a run-in with the Carolina humidity on Friday while awaiting his opportunity to make a qualifying pass. He believes the heat, if not adjusted to properly, can put a driver in a dangerous situation.

“The oildown was supposed to be eight minutes (to clean up) but I bet it was more like 20,” Hight recalled. “I was soaking wet. I went back to the pits after the run and hung my firesuit outside with the fan blowing on it.”

A wet fire suit, according to Hight, can be a real safety hazard.

“It can be dangerous,” Hight said. “If you have a fire, you’ll get steam burned. It makes it challenging. Plus there’s lots of tests that will prove the human body doesn’t perform as well when the temperature is that elevated. You have to time when you get in there and not overdo it.”

Though there’s no manual for a driver to deal with the humidity, for a walker, according to Discovery Health’s website, you should drink 2 or 3 cups of cold water about 10 to 20 minutes before you begin walking. During your walk, drink at least a couple more cups of cold water. When you finish walking, drink water again. Don't rely on thirst to tell you when to drink; it's not always an adequate guide to your body's need for fluid.

{source}
<div style="float:left; padding:5px;">
<script type="text/javascript">
sr_adspace_id = 2000000613807;
sr_adspace_width = 300;
sr_adspace_height = 250;
sr_ad_new_window = true;
sr_adspace_type = "graphic";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.afy11.net/srad.js?azId=2000000613807">
</script></div>

<div style="padding:5px;"><script type="text/javascript">
google_ad_client = "pub-8044869477733334";
/* 300x250, created 4/3/09 */
google_ad_slot = "2028912167";
google_ad_width = 300;
google_ad_height = 250;
</script>
<script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</div>{/source}