Remember how Dick Trickle had a hole drilled in his crash helmet so he could smoke while racing. “I smoke one for every yellow.” He famously said when asked how many cigarettes he smokes per race. And in the world of NASCAR, where even a millisecond counts, drivers will do anything to have an advantage over their competitors, right from modifying their cars so much, as to be called the ‘Yellow Banana’ or having webbed gloves to gain that little bit of advantage over others. 

And you know what, this isn’t about some new high-tech performance enhancer, or a secret fuel for their car, or some over-the-top modification like Junior Johnson. It’s something far more common, something that’s been hiding in plain sight from everyone. Last year Tyler Reddick made news when he was seen with Zyn in his side pocket after his win at Talladega. What’s Zyn? Well, it’s a nicotine pouch that’s an alternative to smoking. 

It caused uproar in the paddock with many claiming it to be the reason for his win with some drivers even pointing out the benefits of nicotine in racing, some even claiming it to be a legal, performance-enhancing substance. The connection between NASCAR drivers and nicotine pouches is more than just a passing trend. Now nicotine pouches aren’t completely uncommon in the sport. Kaulig Racing and Richard Childress Racing both have companies that produce nicotine pouches. Historically, drivers smoked in cars until it was banned by the FDA and by raceways all across the United States. The alternative? Nicotine pouches.

Recently, Noah Gragson, a former protégé of Tony Stewart, shed light on this trend. He revealed that many drivers in the garage use these pouches, often discreetly, to stay alert throughout the day. “Yeah. In the car, on the pit box, from sun up to sun down. There’s a lot of guys in this garage who have one in their lip. You just wouldn’t know it.” Noah Gragson even humorously used to refer to himself as “Noah GragZyn” due to his frequent use of Zyn nicotine pouches. 

The use of nicotine pouches like Zyn in NASCAR has a very fascinating backstory. In the world of racing, focus and alertness are crucial to being fast and successful. Drivers are constantly finding ways to maintain their edge over others. Historically, drivers have used various methods to stay alert, from caffeine before the race to more unconventional means, such as modifying their helmets to smoke cigarettes during the races. 

“There are numerous NASCAR drivers that are racing with Zyns in their mouth. There’s thought processes. I do know there is a scientific backing to the fact that nicotine can be a focus helper. It’s sort of a stimulant just like caffeine, it’s no different. And it can help you focus and that sort of thing. It’s become so prevalent that last year I tried it in the simulator…I didn’t think I felt anything…It’s something that’s a trend right now that no one’s talking about.,” said Henderson Motorsports’ Parker Kligerman last year when asked about the reason for nicotine use.

While using nicotine might help drivers stay sharp during the races, it does not address the root cause of their stress, nor does it come without its own problems.

The Mental Game of Racing

These revelations from Gragson and Kligerman raise some more questions. What do drivers using nicotine pouches say about the pressures and demands of modern racing? Is this a symptom of a larger issue, is this a reflection of the intense physical and mental strain that drivers face when racing?

As NASCAR continues to change, questions are being asked about how drivers can maintain their peak performance without sacrificing their own well-being.  “Nicotine is completely it’s legal …we’re not condoning it…[but]that sort of thing it’s very addictive but there is there’s something happening here, that I just think is happening too often and around me to ignore,” said Kligerman discussing the adverse effects of using nicotine, it might help to enhance your performance for some time, but as anything that is addictive, it causes problems in the long run.

Whether it does indeed help drivers, Kligerman said, “But I will say, long drives, like if I’m on a long drive, and I’m getting a little tired and weary, I’ll have a Zyn and boom, I’m back. Bam, I feel like I can drive the rest of the way. Like after Bristol last year, I did that exact thing. I literally was tired. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna do another energy drink’. And I stopped, got Zyns, put one of those in, and bam, drove all the way home, no problem, felt super awake.”

For fans, the question that rises now is, how can NASCAR help create an environment where drivers don’t feel compelled to use substances like nicotine to cope? In the end, NASCAR drivers using nicotine pouches isn’t about staying sharp while racing, it’s about the complex combination of performance, pressure, and personal health in the world of stock car racing.