IndyCar Series: Safe at Every Stop

In light of what we all witnessed at Texas the other night, I'm working out details of a remote quick-release for the driver's headrest. The video of Simona's crash doesn't show me convincing evidence that the driver's egress would have been aided had the headrest been removed. Perhaps it would have helped. 

Still, there are circumstances where near-instant removal of the headrest could be beneficial. Jon Beekhuis calls it a "head restraint": it's the collar-shaped insert that surrounds the top of the cockpit. The IRL rulebook states that "Headrests must be attached by the IRL-approved mechanism".

Beekhuis said that two "clips" had to be removed to pull the headrest. The CAPE headrest testing video does not show these fasteners, and if anyone has a photo I would appreciate seeing them.

Among other errors witnessed during the aftermath of Simona's crash, I did not see anyone reach for these clips or remove the headrest. If the clips are forward, inside the cockpit, than the attempt may have unsuccessfully been made. There is a better way, more on that at a later date.

Unrelated to this crash, two other recurrent safety issues were in evidence at Texas. One of them was on pit lane. There was a fuel hose disengagement problem for the second consecutive race. Fortunately neither of these avoidable incidents have resulted in injury or fire.

The fuel proximity switch system designed by Honda has not yet been implemented by the IRL. That will happen soon, and will be a welcomed and required safety improvement. Features of the system are fully described below. 

At the time this system was announced last February, I looked at another way to reduce problems involving disengagement of the existing fueling equipment. The result was the suggestion for a procedural change. This change would solve some problems described below, and would remain as a beneficial safety factor even after the future regulation of the proximity switch goes into effect.

The Holmatro Safety Team and Brian Barnhart received this plan, and I received no reply. I'd be interested to read yours. 

Sent:

Tue 2/23/10 12:33 AM

Greetings Mr. Barnhart,
 
I have sent the following initiative to Chris Nodine, who has promised to forward it to Mike Yates. My impression is that any final consideration for this suggestion would be in your hands, so I am attempting to send it to you directly.
 
Any comments or suggestions are welcomed. Thank you and best wishes,
 
Andy Bernstein

"Air up to fuel up"
 
Here's a 17 sec. video of a routine stop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFzDzcKZ3FA&NR=1

When wheel changes are finished:

1) Car hits deck
2) Left Front man holds driver
3) Fueling continues
4) Driver depresses clutch, engages first, blips throttle
5) Team Manager is looking for incoming cars and watching fueler
6) Left front is watching fueler
7) Fueler disengages
8) Team manager says "Go", LF man waves him out
9) Driver dumps clutch and burns out.

Same stop, rear view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71klILe96NU&NR=1

Stop me now if I got any of that wrong.

With the addition of the Honda fuel probe proximity switch, things are a little different. Safer, equal for all, no problem. Steps #4 and #9 will be different:

4) Driver depresses clutch, remains at idle, in neutral.
9) Driver selects first, blips throttle, dumps clutch and burns out.

Maybe that adds a little time, but the safety advantage is great. No problem.
__________________________________________________ ____________ 

"Air Up to Fuel Up"

If a rule is added to only permit fueling of a car while it is still up on jacks, some more things change:

1) Left Front man finishes his wheel change, has time to crank some wing, and get out of the way.

2) Driver doesn't need a wave-out, he knows the moment he hits the deck that he can go.

3) His Team Manager is the one watching for incoming traffic, as before.
Car hits deck, Manager says "Hold up" or "GO"

That call was never the Left Front man's decision: he was just there watching to see when the fueler disengaged. And waiting to hear the Team Manager say "GO".

So if the driver can't select first until the fueling is done (proximity switch),
And the car doesn't hit the deck until the fueling is done (rule change),
Left Front man doesn't have to be jumping backwards into pit lane after releasing the car. He's back at the wall.

That's the first benefit. The second benefit is that it will reduce pit lane collisions. Here's why:

The best example was Wheldon Vs. Patrick, Homestead 2009. Wheldon is on the deck, taking fuel, waiting to be released. The only guy who knows when that is going to happen is the fueler: car full, hose disengaged, Manager says "Hold" or "GO".

Patrick is coming in, she doesn't know if she can duck in or not until she's pretty close to her box. She's watching out for RF man to jump in her path, and turns in assuming she has enough time. Just as Wheldon burns out.

Bang. That's one convenient example, maybe you know of another. Let's consider a fictional one:

You are a driver coming in for a routine stop. Pit lane is crowded: everyone is close to the same sequence because Honda took out the knob. Or it's a yellow flag stop, but most of the cars are in for service.

Your pit box is #8. Cars in #10 and #11 are still taking fuel. Before, when they were on the ground, you don't know when they are going to burn out.
That's pretty much "How lucky do you feel", isn't it?

Now, they're still taking fuel, up on the jacks. You know when they hit the deck, they still need a bit of time to do this:

9) Driver selects first, blips throttle, dumps clutch and burns out.

And you don't have to be watching out for this:

"Left Front man (in video) doesn't have to be jumping backwards into pit lane after releasing the car."

So you get to within maybe six boxes, and you know it's safe to turn in. Without hitting a crewman, or getting T boned.

OR, you see the guy in #11 or #12 hit the deck, and you check up. 'Cause you know exactly when he is coming out. NOW. So you go in behind him.

For a splash-and-go, do it the same way it's always been done: there aren't 15 or 20 cars packed on pit road at the same time.

If you still think the Front tire guy has to be there to hold the car during a routine stop, then so be it. I thought his job at that point was just to make sure the fueler had cleanly disengaged. The switch will do that job now.

It still reduces the chance of incidents like Wheldon Vs. Patrick.

________________________________________________________________

So that's how the suggested regulation change will help, even after the current procedure is enhanced with the new safety equipment.

It's pretty obvious that premature drive-offs at Indy and Texas could have thus been prevented.