[Racer Duck]

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Side intrusion panels fortify chassis to protect driver
By Dave Lewandowski
IndyCar.com

Last summer, Indy Racing League officials reviewed a safety feature that the FIA, the governing body for motorsports worldwide, would mandate for Formula One and GP2 cars in 2008. The league took the measure a step further.

Side intrusion panels will be adhered to all IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series Dallara chassis for 2008. The sanctioning body took the FIA specs and extended the panels to the pedal bulkhead to further protect the driver's feet. The panels, weighing 10 pounds each, are comprised of 15 layers (7 mm thick) of Zylon -- high-tensile material used on the Suspension Wheel/Wing Energy Management System introduced by the Indy Racing League in 1999.

"We thought it would be a very good application for our Indy Pro Series cars and IndyCar Series cars because we believed it would significantly improve the structural integrity of the chassis," Indy Racing League senior technical director Les Mactaggart said. "Currently, the chassis is very strong because we have another regulation that we build the chassis to.

This is really icing on the cake."

The proactive move further enhances the Indy Racing League's status as the leader in motorsports safety initiatives. Also for 2008, paddle shifters will replace the cockpit shift lever and a variable assist steering rack will be utilized on road/street courses.

"I'm very confident we have a very durable chassis, and the addition of these side intrusion panels will certainly make this chassis serviceable up to the introduction of our new car in 2010," Mactaggart said.

The 2008 carbon fiber monocoque chassis iteration will be the starting point in developing the strength of the next generation of car, according to Mactaggart. The sanctioning body mandates tests the car undergoes "prior to actually turning a wheel on the racetrack."

"Safety continues to be our highest priority," said Brian Barnhart, president of competition and operations for the Indy Racing League. "We continually look for the latest innovations to improve what is already a very safe racing environment. The side intrusion panels are another level of protection for our drivers."

Last week, the Indy Racing League announced that the paddle shifting system mounted on the steering wheel will replace the manual shift lever that was previously located next to a driver's leg. The system will be mandatory at every track except Indianapolis.

Various drivers tested both components at times during 2007, including a postseason Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
"Obviously, technology is advancing, so that's where it's coming from," 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice said. "I think it's definitely going to make it easier to drive, because you don't have to take your hands off the steering wheel. It's a different technique than when you had the lever. Some of these spots where you couldn't shift, because maybe the G loads or something, you'll be able to drive it and shift and not take your hands off the wheel, so obviously from a safety aspect of things it will be better."

Past safety innovations introduced by the Indy Racing League over the years include:

1996
Delphi Safety Team works first race. The Delphi Safety team, which has been present for every IndyCar Series and Indy Pro Series race, manages the on-track rescue and response for all incidents. The team consists of approximately 45 safety personnel with a minimum of 15 attending each race, including two trauma doctors, three paramedics, nine firefighters/EMTs and a safety coordinator, all equipped with state-of-the-art rescue tools and clean-up equipment.
1998
Warning light installed in all cars. In conjunction with Delphi Automotive Systems engineers, the Indy Racing League develops a yellow-light warning system that blinks in the cockpit immediately upon a yellow flag, notifying drivers of the change in track condition.
Track condition radio mounted to dash. In an effort to alert drivers of critical information from race control, . a dash-mounted display is installed into all cars to communicate safety warnings, track condition and pits opened/closed.
Attenuator mounted to rear of all cars. Attenuators are added to the back of the transmission of cars to lessen G forces in rear impact crashes.

1999
SWEMS added to chassis and suspension. The league mandates that Suspension Wheel/Wing Energy Management System (SWEMS) restraints are attached at multiple points to a car's chassis and suspension to minimize the possibility of wheel assemblies becoming detached during high-speed accidents. The restraints are made of zylon, a material with high-tensile properties and wound construction (opposed to woven), that has a breaking strength of 5 tons. Each SWEM restraint has a break load of 100 kilonewtons (kN), which equals 22,480 pound-force.
Headrest development enhanced. The headrest is enhanced with various foams and covers are intensified to form a smooth transition with the seat back.

2000
Collapsible steering column. All cars now contain a collapsible (energy absorbing) steering column that gives way in the event of a heavy impact and helps the driver avoid injuries by keeping the steering wheel away from the driver's head and chest.

2001
SWEMS added to rear wing. The SWEMS restraints were added to the rear wing of IndyCar Series cars.

2002
SAFER Barrier introduced at Indianapolis 500 practice. Indy Racing League CEO Tony George announces that the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier would be installed in all four turns of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in time for practice for that year's Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Under development by the league and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility since 1998, the SAFER Barrier was designed to reduce the severity of impacts by IndyCar Series cars, one of the most effective safety measures taken in the racing industry in recent years. The SAFER Barrier is constructed in 20-foot modules, with each module consisting of four rectangular steel tubes, welded together, to form a unified element. The modules are connected with four internal steel splices. Bundles of 2-inch-thick sheets of extruded, closed-cell polystyrene are placed between the concrete wall and the steel tubing modules.

2003
Accelerometers integrated into earpieces. Theese sensor systems are incorporated into earpieces to measures dynamic forces to a driver's head during an accident. It uses small sensors integrated into the left and right radio earpieces worn by the driver. The six accelerometers – one for each of the three axes on each side – measure acceleration in the X, Y and Z axes during an accident. The combined data from the earpiece sensor system and onboard accident data recorder provide accident researchers valuable data for a clearer picture of what happens during a crash.
Hats Off mandated into helmets. Indy Racing League manadates all helmets be fitted with an "emergency Helmet Removal System" that uses an internal air bladderto allow the helmet to be lifted from the driver without neck strain.
Chassis introduced, emphasizing improved driver safety. The updated chassis was introduced with numerous changes to the chassis to enhance driver safety, including energy absorbent materials for leg protection, rigourus impact and load testing, reduced car weight and minimum core density among other requirements.
Data recorder installed in all cars. All cars are required to carry an Accident Data Recorder (ADR2) that senses and records key vehicle parameters at 1,000 samples per second just prior to, during, and after an accident-triggering event. It is a crash-hardened system that can record data from both the vehicle's internal sensors as well as information from the car's on-board data acquisition system.

2004
Video cameras installed in Delphi Safety Team vehicles. The Delphi Safety Team's safety trucks arere equipped with video cameras in the front and rear so that medical personnel may observe the rescue and prepare for the driver's mandatory visit to the care center.

2005
THOR-FT integrated into safety tests. The Indy Racing League acquired THOR-FT (Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint – Frontal Technology), which is able to replicate human body movements and can record 136 items of data in a single test. Delphi engineers working with the Indy Racing League's technology and safety departments use the data to evaluate safety systems such as seat belt function and feet protection in addition to helping develop the next-generation driver safety systems such as seat belts, head and neck restraints, seat and helmet designs and cockpit surround systems.

2007
Next Generation SAFER Barrier installed at Iowa Speedway. Newly-constructed Iowa Speedway installs the Alternative Backup Structure for the SAFER Barrier into its track design. Up until now, the system has been "retro-fitted" to the existing concrete walls (mainly in the turns) of race tracks. Iowa Speedway is not only the first track to ever have the SAFER Barrier System around the entire perimeter of the track, but is also the first to install the new system, which does not have a concrete wall behind it.
Rear safety light/rain light mounted on attenuator. The sanctioning body adds high-intensity flashing LEDs to the rear of the cars (between the rear wing and attenuator) The safety light serves as the drivers' fifth indicator of caution, complementing yellow caution lights on racetracks, an in-car yellow light, yellow flag waved by the starter and audio from Race Control. The flashing lights also is used on road/street courses when it's raining.

2008
Paddle shifters and variable assist steering rack installed. Paddle shifting and a variable assist steering rack are introducted for the 2008 season. Both will increase driver safety, by allowing drivers to keep both hands on the wheel while shifting and maintaining better car control while going through turns.
Side Intrusion Panels bonded to chassis.