Texas is turning up the heat for the Cup Series' Round of 12

As the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs heat up into the Round of 12, the weather is doing the same.

While autumnal tones have fallen over most of the U.S. into late September, Texas Motor Speedway is scorching this weekend, with temperatures creeping into the upper 90s ahead of the Cup Series’ Round of 12 opener, the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400.

Sunday’s race day forecast has temperatures as low as 81 degrees in the morning before climbing as high as 100 degrees in the afternoon, right around when the green flag is set to fly.

“It’s certainly going to be really hot,” William Byron said. “Last year was around 96 degrees. I was looking at that, for reference. But I do think it’s going to be tough.”

While drivers have multiple methods of staying cool, figuratively and literally, inside the race car, the effectiveness of cooling and airflow has been an ongoing process with the Next Gen car.

“These cars are really hot. We take a lot of measures to help cooling on our side, with the cool shirts and all those things. Hopefully all of that stuff works well and we can have a smooth day,” Byron said.

Ryan Blaney is relying on his preparation in the week leading up to the race to ensure he’s comfortable come Sunday. “As drivers, we understand you are going to have days like this and hot race days and you just know that what you do and you rely on what you do as far as prep work, training and hydration, and that stuff is going to work no matter if it is 110 or 50 degrees,” he said. “I don't change up what I do and I have never had an issue too much. I think it is tougher for the people watching the race outside in the heat and a little more difficult for them. For me personally, I think it is just part of the job.”

More NASCAR

Suarez is showing why Spire is on its way to becoming 'a destination'

Busch gets new crew chief with Street replacing Pohlman

Dickerson believes a validated Spire Motorsports is now 'going to be dangerous'

With Sunday’s 400-miler being 100 miles shorter than last year’s race, which was also in the mid to upper 90s, Byron thinks it won’t be as brutal as it potentially could have been.

“It’s a bigger race track, so there’s a little bit more airflow and less work in the corners,” he said. “I feel like if you were at Bristol (Motor Speedway) and it was 100 degrees, you’d have guys really falling out. But here, I think it will be a little bit easier.”

Like any other professional athlete, when drivers are in “the zone,” Blaney says the heat isn’t really something that’s top of mind.

“Honestly it’s just a day at the office and the heat is turned on or the AC is broken. It is just one of those things,” he said. “You don't think about it when you are racing. When it is green and you are running, you aren’t thinking about how hot it is or whatever.”

Rolling off second at his home track, Chris Buescher is prepared for the heat inside the race car, but thinks the higher temperatures will affect the track over the course of the afternoon.

"This is a very track-position-sensitive race track and with the heat this weekend I think it will be even more,” he said. “With that in mind, I guess this probably puts us in the non-preferred lane for the start but we will be watching this Xfinity race very closely and try to pull what we can out of it and see what we can learn for tomorrow.

“If you have a red flag and you are sitting there baking in an oven, then you are thinking about it. Or pre-race, you think about it being hot outside. But when you get in the car and in the mindset of competing, those things fade away and you focus on the job and just do your best.”

The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is scheduled to go green at 3:50 p.m. ET on Sunday. USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) will have live coverage of the event.