When planning a road trip, it is advisable to prepare for “pit stops,” when the driver and passengers can use the bathrooms at service stations or roadhouses to relieve themselves. Imagine you are a NASCAR driver and busy competing in a race. Losing time could cost him the race. There is no time to stop, not even to adhere to “nature calling,” what do you do?
NASCAR drivers wear diapers simply because they can relieve themselves in their driving suit while racing without unnecessary distractions or stopping at the pits for a visit to the ablution facilities. By doing this, they can continue focusing on the race without losing precious time.
Most NASCAR drivers will never admit to wearing diapers when racing, and not all of them wear diapers all the time. This article will investigate if and why NASCAR drivers may consider wearing diapers. Also, why NASCAR drivers do sometimes wear diapers, and what precautions can they take to not need a diaper on race day.
Why Do NASCAR Drivers Wear Diapers?
NASCAR drivers wear diapers under their racing suits to relieve themselves during races.
Most NASCAR drivers will never admit to wearing diapers during a race. However, other drivers may joke about wearing them, and some drivers may prefer using them but will not disclose the fact.
Reasons NASCAR drivers may choose to wear diapers include the following.
- Young or beginner drivers need to condition their bodies to not need toilet breaks during races. Wearing diapers help these drivers determine how to adjust their food and fluid intake before a race. Once that is determined, they will not wear diapers again.
- In an uncomfortable incident, the diapers keep bacteria from urine and excrement away from the driver’s car and racing suit.
- Spending long hours racing a car takes its toll on the human body. Wearing diapers makes sitting for those long hours much more comfortable since it provides cushioning.
- Wearing diapers limits the chances of urinary tract infection and inflammation of the kidneys. In addition, the diapers absorb all the moisture away from the skin and vulnerable body parts.
NASCAR Driver’s Thoughts On Wearing Diapers
As mentioned earlier, very few NASCAR drivers will ever admit to wearing diapers during races.
Now and then, a driver will hint at it or even tease another driver about it. Still, it stays a controversial subject amongst drivers and fans alike.
NASCAR riders have indicated that they seldom get the urge to use the restroom while racing. Some veteran drivers claim that this might have happened once or twice during their careers. NASCAR drivers are ordinary people who also get sick at times. This scenario can change drastically if a driver gets a bout of tummy flu and cannot afford to miss a race.
One driver candidly admitted, “when you have to go, you have to go, and then you let it go.”
One of the most prominent drivers in NASCAR, Austin Dillon, has only had to pee once or twice during a race . He was interviewed about it back in 2017 on Fox and said that he drank plenty of water before the race and had not been to the toilet before the race and the race was full of cautions, But when the race was nearing the end, his hydration was no longer an issue and he was forced to pee.
In fact Most NASCAR drivers will admit to being close, and sometimes it is even caught on radio Danica Patrick the Most successful female NASCAR thought about having to go, during a long race, but was gently reminded she was wearing here favourite racing suit.
Why Most NASCAR Drivers Have No Need For Diapers
NASCAR races can last anything from two to six hours, depending on the distance the racers have to complete.
Time is of utmost importance when competing in a race, and the drivers do not have the luxury of getting out of their cars for a quick bathroom stop between laps.
A healthy driver should not need a bathroom break during a race, and here is why.
- Drivers can condition their bodies to use the bathroom at specific times, making it easier to plan their races. Planning races becomes easier when racers know when and how much to eat and drink and time their bathroom visits before a race assists in reducing unnecessary distractions at race time.
- During high-stress situations, the human body lowers the work rate of specific organs, helping the body absorb the stress better. For example, NASCAR racing is a high-stress environment that causes the body to produce loads of adrenalin. High adrenalin levels cause less need for bathroom visits.
- Drivers can train their bodies to hydrate enough before and during a race. The heat of the car and racing suit causes drivers to sweat a lot and, in this way, lose a lot of body fluids.
- The temperature inside the NASCAR car is extremely hot. Drivers typically reach speeds of up to 150 mph on larger tracks. Their bodies can lose as much as ten pounds during a race, due to perspiration. This is not surprising considering the fact that drivers spend the majority of the day sweating losing moisture another way
Fewer body fluids mean less or no need for bathroom visits.
However, diapers are not always the best option for drivers. The material used to make them is highly flammable, and a fire in a vehicle can reach 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Drivers also have to avoid eating spicy food in the weeks leading up to a race, because spicy food may speed up the passage of food through the digestive system.
Although NASCAR drivers rarely admit to wearing diapers during races, they do have to urinate. The driver may not have a lot of time to urinate during the race, so they don’t have to worry about getting too far ahead or being incontinent.
Some of them may even have to hold their urine and eat glucose gels to keep from getting dehydrated. The races are usually about four hours long and are considered marathons.
Tips On Holding And Controlling Your bladder
All human bodies have exact needs. No matter if you are taking a road trip, driving to the shop, or driving long distances the way NASCAR drivers do, at some point, you will need to use a loo.
A healthy adult’s bladder can hold up to two cups of urine before a bathroom visit becomes a necessity.
Often it is not possible to stop for a bathroom break, or as with NASCAR drivers, they cannot afford to lose time during a race due to a bathroom break. Knowing how to hold and control one’s bladder comes in handy when the urge to go needs extending.
Tips On Holding Your Bladder
- Find something that distracts your attention from the immediate problem. For example, try reading, making a phone call, or listening to your favorite soundtrack.
- Changing your body position may take pressure off your bladder and buy you enough time to get to a bathroom.
- Make sure there are no liquids around. Seeing liquids will remind you that you need a bathroom.
- Avoid any running water as this will heighten the urge to urinate.
Tips On Controlling Your Bladder
- If you want more control of the schedule of your bladder, you need to “train” your bladder to prolong the time between bathroom visits. Start by completely emptying your bladder first thing in the morning. Then, start training your bladder by not emptying it for at least two to three hours. Then, only visit the bathroom at intervals of two to three hours.
- People tend to visit the bathroom every time they see one. Avoid this behavior as emptying your bladder too regularly makes your bladder “lazy” to store urine.
Try to adhere to the two to three-hour intervals between emptying your bladder.
- Strengthen the pelvic floor by doing Kegel exercises during the day. Kegel exercises help tighten the muscles needed to hold back urine. The stronger your pelvic floor, the less likely the chance of having to urinate at irregular intervals.
Do other Car Racing Drivers Wear Diapers?
Other types of athletes wear diapers during races, including Formula 1 drivers. Because the physical demands of driving a high-performance vehicle can take a toll on the body, diapers are a necessity.
Professional racers are incredibly disciplined and courageous, but some of them also prefer to wear diapers behind the wheel. A diaper is a way to relieve themselves without getting out of the car or removing clothes
Although understandably difficult to find out, longer races The coca cola 600, the Rolex 24, and the Le Mans, and of course Paris Dakar races may need to plan in pit stops for the drivers as well as the cars, and in these high endurances races it may become more of an issue than in the hour plus races of F1 or even the 3 hour plus races of NASCAR.
Conclusion
Diapers or no diapers, NASCAR drivers are exceptional sportspeople that earn hefty incomes through salaries and endorsements. Respect the drivers, respect the sport, and enjoy the races, and if they have to take a pee then just dont stand to close after the race
Sometimes when you gotta go, you gotta go!
References
- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-hold-your-pee
- https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/02/nascar-drivers-bathroom-dale-earnhardt-jr-joey-logano-brad-keselowski-daytona-500-daytona-international-speedway
- https://www.sportscasting.com/do-nascar-drivers-pee-in-their-suits-dale-earnhardt-jr-admits-when-you-gotta-go-you-gotta-go
Why Do NASCAR Drivers Wear Diapers?
The common misconception about nascar drivers is that they need to pee at certain times during a race. That’s simply not the case. They don’t eat and drink much, and they only need to relieve themselves when the urge strikes. Moreover, drivers don’t consume spicy food or caffeine in the days leading up to a race. That way, they can avoid the possibility of experiencing sudden bowel movements.
