2020 Aeroscreen and other things

[TravelGal]

Somebody's got to start a 2020 thread. Spoiler alert!



I'll start by saying Scott's my guy so I was elated at the outcome of the first race. I felt like I was watching a video game with the stylized cars and the aeroscreen. I just hope they don't have to get out those contraptions quickly. I know it's safer for the majority of predictable scenarios but it looks like a deathtrap to me. Halfway through the race it occurred to me that this was an IRL dream. No need to explain why there was no one in the stands!!!

I think it's pretty clear who Scott's competition is and I don't mean Joe New or RHR or maybe not even Pags. I may have to go search out some aquavit because I think I'll be making some toasts with it this year. I hope I'll like it better than I did when I was a child. (Both great grandparents were from Sweden so we always had it in the house.)

What say the cognoscenti? Good, bad, indifferent?

[TedN]

I understand the need to improve driver safety but I have a major concern with the aero screen. How can the safety crew quickly get to a driver who is badly injured? Think back to James Hinchcliffe at Indy in 2015.Hoping that the series has accounted for these possible scenarios.

Also I think it was Hunter-Reay who commented post-race that the cockpit was really hot with no air circulation.

Ted

[WickerBill]

I hate the big wide advertising stripe on the top. The cars would look so much less cartoonish without it.

Supposedly the aeroscreen has a quick release, but of course you can't account for damage to the release mechanism in an accident.

[opinionated ow]

I believe it is no harder to get out of than the Halo. There's a reasonably efficient way that the safety team have to remove the screen if its one of those lift the driver out of the car scenarios but it's not 10seconds.

[datachicane]

I look forward to the day I can give AOW another chance. Today is not that day.

[Elmo T]

Supposedly the aeroscreen has a quick release, but of course you can't account for damage to the release mechanism in an accident.

I heard the same on the quick release.

Most auto racing is cars that have roofs. The safety teams are well equipped with a wide variety of hydraulic rescue tools (aka Jaws of Life). The only time you need a quick egress is fire. The rest of the time is slow and methodical.

It is cost/benefit. The risk of flying parts has shown to be the greater risk.

[rabbit]

I read somewhere awhile back that the safety team was involved in the development process and driver extrication was tested in the lead up to it being implemented. As far as heat in the cockpit, that seems to be the most universal complaint. Teams have tested a number of cooling options. Imagine 500 miles in August in Indy in that thing. Yikes. Hope they get that sorted out.

As far as looks, the side view looks pretty sleek, IMHO. But the front view, I'm still struggling to get used to that. Still, I think about guys like Justin Wilson, Dan Wheldon, Cristiano da Matta, etc, who could still be racing today if they had an aeroscreen, and it makes it easier to adjust to. Hopefully, with the next-gen car being designed with the aeroscreen in mind (rather than a bolted-on afterthought), the flow of design will be much better.

https://d2i8ejbvsgsqtt.cloudfront.net/gallery/texas/2020/20200606-cjones/med/_4CJ1163A.jpg
https://d2i8ejbvsgsqtt.cloudfront.net/gallery/texas/2020/20200606-cowens/med/16CO6287-1.jpg

[datachicane]

It's like the unholy offspring of a Jart and a Daytona Prototype. It makes F1's Halo look clean and elegant, and that's a terrifying thought.
I hope Roger gets the chance to turn this ship around before he runs out of time.

[nissan gtp]

I'm all in for the aero screens. It's pretty certain Justin Wilson would still be here, and maybe even Weldon. Going further back Greg Moore might have walked away. For me, that's enough.

The look from the side is pretty good, even when tacked onto a car that wasn't designed for it. From the front, yeah that's not a great look :saywhat:

It's silly, but I do miss seeing all the different helmets, but anymore they are such a complex mess plus all the sponsorship, it hardly matters.

Hopefully with the current leadership, who got the looks of the new aero kit pretty spot-on give the constraints, the new car, should it ever arrive, will be great looking. It might even have wheel covers. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Hard Driver]

http://d2i8ejbvsgsqtt.cloudfront.net/gallery/indy/2020/20200704-jcote/med/JDC_IMS-GP_7-2-2020_0364.jpg

Aeroscreens put to the heat test at the Indy GP. Drivers said it was hot, seems like helmet hoses and vents at least made it manageable. Besides that, it seems like drivers can see and drive.

Looks, not bad. And if it saves some lives, it is worth it.

[RTKar]

I look forward to the day I can give AOW another chance. Today is not that day.

I've been trying, I attended Road America the last few years. It's something to do and I enjoy the track. I'm nowhere near as invested in it as I was was though....4,5,6 races a year The current cars are a huge improvement over the first gen irl sleds, although I do wish they had a bit more HP. The series itself is no where near CART, the weekends themselves aren't the event that a CART weekend was but with Penske buying the speedway, I'd wager the profile of the series will rise once the economy improves. Penske doesn't fail.

As far as the aero screen it's not as bad in person, especially from the side. Over time I think I'll get used to it.

[opinionated ow]

Seems like it did its job today

[indyfan31]

I watched the rescue crew try to extract a driver during on of the last 2 or 3 races. The driver wasn't hurt, but they seemed to be having a lot trouble, especially with the steering wheel. It was like watching two guys trying to pull someone out of a manhole.

[RTKar]

I watched the rescue crew try to extract a driver during on of the last 2 or 3 races. The driver wasn't hurt, but they seemed to be having a lot trouble, especially with the steering wheel. It was like watching two guys trying to pull someone out of a manhole.

I noticed that too.

[rabbit]

Veekay's aeroscreen and roll hoop after tangling with Herta...
1053

[Hard Driver]

Veekay's aeroscreen and roll hoop after tangling with Herta...
1053

Looks like that could have been really bad without the halo part of the aeroscreen.