Mark Martin says there's no use complaining about the heat, unless ... Credit: Autostock

Sonoma the hot spot with above-average temps

Drivers say 90-degree weather will make a difference at Infineon

SONOMA, Calif. -- Infineon Raceway's 12 tricky turns won't be the only reason why drivers will be hot under the collar for Sunday's Dodge/SaveMart 350.

Temperatures in the North Bay are forecast to be in the 90s this weekend, well above average for this time of the year, which will add an unknown element to both driver and machine.

SLIPPERY WHEN ... Greg Biffle and Robby Gordon were hot about the slippery conditions at Sonoma during Friday's qualifying session.  •   Complete story, click here •   Race lineup, click here

"Road-course racing is very hot," Jeff Burton said. "The brakes are hot, gears are hot, transmission is hot and that all transfers to the driver, so you have to be in shape if you want to do this."

Scott Pruett said heat could be a factor, especially as the race winds down.

"Last year, I'm guessing it was 15 degrees cooler for race time, compared to what they're taking about this year, and it's just going to make it that much more difficult for everybody," Pruett said.

"You're talking about being in the car for that long. It gets pretty hot and I see some guys falling out of the saddle Sunday. I think it's going to be tougher than you think."

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The key, according to Clint Bowyer, is to drink plenty of fluids. It'll be even more important for him, since he'll be trying to commute between Sonoma and Milwaukee, site of the Busch Series race.

"That's all you can do," Bowyer said. "Not only are you going to be hot and sweaty, you're going to be pretty worn out with lack of sleep and things like that. You still have to keep the electrolytes in you, keep fluids in you, and just stay hydrated."

Mark Martin looks at it this way: Everybody will be facing the same situation.

"It won't be nice to them and it won't be nice to us, either," Martin said. "It's been hot out here before and made for a really tough race, especially if there's a red flag, which I hope we don't have. That's the worst. It's brutal for the drivers if they red-flag it."

The heat is one more thing that could affect someone like Matt Kenseth, who is not a fan of road-course racing.

"Even though it's a relatively short race, it's usually one of the more physically demanding races," Kenseth said. "For me, I'm not real comfortable at road courses. I'm maybe a little more intense and it gets real hot here with the braking and all that stuff."

Hot weather will also affect the track, making it slippery.

"You'll lose grip," Pruett said. "That's what you're looking for, anyway. We struggle for that every time we come here, rear grip, overall grip. It just takes away that much more of it."

Kasey Kahne said the driver-car combination best suited for the conditions on Sunday may be the one pulling into Victory Lane at the end of the race.

"The track is hot and your tires will be hot and your car is going to slide around more," Kahne said. "That's where it's going to be exciting. You just have to figure it out."