NASCAR Invents SAFER Barrier

[Mike Kellner]

I just saw it on FOX News. A NASCAR puff piece for this week's taxicab crashfest. NASCAR has invented something called the SAFER Barrier. It is a steel and foam thing attached to the outer wall in the turns. They got help from the University of Indiana. All part of NASCAR's constant dedication to be at the forefront of safety.

Not a word about Tiny Tony, that other race at Indy, or the Insignificant Racing League. Whata laugh.

mk

[cart7]

Cool! :cool: Here's hoping OW racing takes a clue from Nascar and starts taking safety more seriously. :thumbup:


-:tongueincheek:-

[mueber]

NASCAR invented draftin' too.

[Madmaxfan2]

More proof that NASCAR=U.S. professional Auto Racing. Thanks Tony! You sure have been used by the France family. Mike Helton has more influence than Tony. BTW, Helton delivered UPS packages for a living 10 years ago.
Tony, born on Third Base but he thinks he hit a triple.

[SteveH]

In many ways NASCAR invented the IRL. So the report isn't all that far from the truth.

[Brickman]

Safer way to race

California Speedway latest to install energy-absorbing 'soft walls'

12:00 AM PDT on Wednesday, April 21, 2004

By JIM SHORT / The Press-Enterprise



FONTANA - Things will be SAFER around California Speedway from now on.


The 2-mile, D-shaped oval, which will be visited by the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series teams April 28-30, is the latest of the series' race tracks around the country to be fitted with the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers commonly referred to as "soft walls."

Elrod Corporation of Indianapolis began the installation two weeks ago, following the Yamaha Superbike Challenge weekend. Company president Jeff Elrod said they were scheduled to pack up and leave town today, after installing about 7,000 linear feet of the barriers on the inside of the speedway's existing concrete walls.

Elrod said the barriers consist of a wall panel made from 8x8x3/16 tube steel. The panel is attached to the existing wall with nylon straps, and polystyrene foam blocks (in a pretty pink color) are installed between the panel and the existing wall.

When a car hits one of the barriers, the energy created by speed and mass is absorbed and dissipated to lessen the potential trauma to the driver. In the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt's fatal accident at Daytona International Speedway in February 2001, several experts were of the opinion that a soft wall might have prevented his death.

"Every track needs it," four-time Nextel Cup champion Jeff Gordon said of the system during a recent conference call. "I think we've learned a lot about soft walls, how they make a big difference, and I'm a big fan of them. I'm in favor of them everywhere we go."

Dr. Dean Sicking, the man who was in charge of the research and development process for the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, said the barriers will be everywhere because NASCAR has mandated them for all 33 venues visited by its Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series - including the road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, N. Y. - by the start of the 2005 racing season.

The SAFER barriers at California Speedway extend from the entrance of Turn 1 through the exit of Turn 2 and the entrance to Turn 3 through the exit of turn 4 on the outside of the track, and from the exit of Turn 2 about two-thirds of the way down the backstretch on the inside retaining wall. Elrod, whose company manufactures and installs the barriers, said that represents over 7 miles and 420 tons of steel and 1,300 to 1,400 foam blocks.

The barriers were first used for the 2002 Indianapolis 500. Since then, they have been installed at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, New Hampshire International Speedway, Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway, Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway and Darlington (S. C.) Raceway. Michigan Speedway and Daytona are next in line for completion, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway recently announced its plans for installation.

California Speedway president Bill Miller said, "I know from a driver's standpoint that it gives them an extra sense of security," and Sicking said knowing he and his staff helped create that sense of well-being has been perhaps the most gratifying byproduct of a project he initially planned to reject.

That was back in 1998, when he was approached by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president and Indy Racing League founder Tony George and his staff. Sicking was not a motor sports fan and said by telephone that his "strategic plan for my program didn't include racing." He also felt the lengthy study required would cost at least $1 million, which at that time represented his department's annual budget, and require hiring new staff at a time when the industry was entering a recession.

Sicking said he relented at the request of two of his primary staff members who were race fans, Dr. Ron Faller and Jim Holloway. Now, he said, the only issue is "dealing with overwhelming success" of the project, which has been funded by George and NASCAR.

He said by March, 2002, enough progress had been made that it was decided to install the barriers at Indianapolis for the 500. Sicking said the barriers "took about 10 hits" during practice and the race and functioned well. They were left in place for NASCAR's Brickyard 400 in August and took several more significant hits, including one by Kurt Busch that Sicking said was "more dangerous than he realized."

Following that race, NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. suggested some modifications, to better absorb the mass of the heavier stock cars while continuing to protect the open-cockpit, open-wheel Indy cars. The redesign was completed last July, and in the latter stages of the 2003 season, the revamped barriers were installed at New Hampshire, Richmond and Homestead.

Sicking said during the events at those tracks, several drivers hit the walls - most notably Jason Keller at New Hampshire and Michael Waltrip at Homestead - and "in every case the drivers walked away uninjured."

Now, ironically, the project Sicking at first didn't want seems likely to be his legacy.

"It's very gratifying to see our work being used ... especially in the application it's being used," he said. "It's one of the reasons I still work in this field, because of the intangible benefits of seeing our work used in a positive way.

"We've had quite a bit of success (with highway safety innovations), "but if you take all the attention from that, it would be 1/10th of what we've gained from this. This has been beyond my wildest dreams. It's beyond anything I thought would ever happen to me or my people."

http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2004/04-21/safewall20b2_216.jpg

Jonathan J. Dwyer / The Press-Enterprise
Workers install the foam portion of the SAFER barriers at California Speedway in preparation for the May 1-2 NASCAR races.

[Mike Kellner]

Hey, this is almost like havin' hwc around. Mention the *****Weasel, and presto, up pops IRL=C^RT PR boilerplate.

mk

[racer2c]

NASCAR tries it's best to distance itself from the rest of the motor sport community. When they continuously refer to their series as "our sport", they are not referring to motor sport in general. When the HANS device became standard in top tier open wheel racing, NASCAR made their own and proclaimed themselves inventor in an attempt to further establish themselves as synonymous with auto racing to the US masses.

The thing that affected my opinion the most about NASCAR, besides the racing, is that I read an article in 'the late 90's with Bill France Jr who stated that his 'mission' for NASCAR was to be the biggest auto racing series in the world and that nothing would get in their way. It was very furor like. Bizarre in fact. I'm still keeping hope that someday, some disgruntled employee will blow the whistle and shed light on the fact the "call" is real and this nonsensical racing will be a thing of the past.

[Brickman]

NASCAR dragged their feet when it came to softer walls and in no way should be credited for safety. Humpy and his side show wasn't the way to go either. It should be known as the Sicking Safer Barrier. I noticed that the foam is now pink, I often wonder how much painting it effects it. It will be interesting to see it at Watkins Glen.

[Andrew Longman]

I noticed that the foam is now pink, I often wonder how much painting it effects it. It will be interesting to see it at Watkins Glen.

No more trademark blue armco?

Actually I've sat through too many red flags at the Glen in the last few years as they repaired armco that a 3500lbs stock car ripped through.

[Mike Kellner]

If Tiny Tony's WonderWall takes a big hit, don't they have to stop the race to replace it?

Also, wasn't Mario's sub-orbital adventure at Indy caused when he hit a big foam chunk that was tossed out onto the track by some other driver hitting the wall right ahead of him?

mk

[Don Quixote]

Check out ole bubba there kicking the foam into place. :laugh:

[devilmaster]

Also, wasn't Mario's sub-orbital adventure at Indy caused when he hit a big foam chunk that was tossed out onto the track by some other driver hitting the wall right ahead of him?

mk

There are some out there who believed it was foam from SAFER...... IMS and others were quick to deny that foam launched Mario's car, claiming it was a wing end plate from the wreck that happened seconds before he went through that area....

Steve

[cart7]

If Tiny Tony's WonderWall takes a big hit, don't they have to stop the race to replace it?

Also, wasn't Mario's sub-orbital adventure at Indy caused when he hit a big foam chunk that was tossed out onto the track by some other driver hitting the wall right ahead of him?

mk

Heck Mike, who can remember anyway. Foam, diffuser off Bracks car, dead sea gull, etc. etc. Besides, after the IMS Men in Black get done with the crash scene, there isn't so much as a tire mark left. Then they cart the witness's off to Hanna for a memory erasure and a new vision implant. ;)

[Brickman]

No more trademark blue armco?

Actually I've sat through too many red flags at the Glen in the last few years as they repaired armco that a 3500lbs stock car ripped through.

Just as they kept the same color for Miami Speedway they will do the same for Watkins Glen.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/images/racing/tracks/homestead.jpg

I don't ever remember a stock car going through the Armco at Watkins Glen. When JD McDuffie died in 91' I don't think he went through it.

[Brickman]

If Tiny Tony's WonderWall takes a big hit, don't they have to stop the race to replace it?

Also, wasn't Mario's sub-orbital adventure at Indy caused when he hit a big foam chunk that was tossed out onto the track by some other driver hitting the wall right ahead of him?

mk

No

"That all changed April 23 when "Air Mario" was involved in a crash late in a private test session at the Speedway. Andretti hit a piece of Kenny Brack's rear wing, lifting the front of Andretti's car off the ground and launching it airborne."

I don't think it was the foam because as you can see from the pictures it is strapped together. I have yet to see a piece loose from Cup cars hitting it, which logically would flatten it more (because of the higher weight) and cause them to slip from the strapping.

[Andrew Longman]

I don't ever remember a stock car going through the Armco at Watkins Glen. When JD McDuffie died in 91' I don't think he went through it.

Two years ago during the Busch North race there were two red flags in the esses for wrecks that ripped the armco. In both cases the cars partially penatrated the wall. In one the car nearly missed fully departing the track and landing in the tunnel.

That was the single worse race I ever attended. It took about 5 hours flag to flag. A late yellow caused a few extra laps at the end becasue they wanted to finish green,white, checkers. But the extra laps caused cars to run out of gas, which caused more yellow laps, which caused more cars to run out of gas, which...

If I remember correctly, last year another car red flagged the race when it took out about 70 ft of armco at the bottom of the esses.

I think McDuffie actually went into a catch fence outside T8 and 9 and a cable entered the car decapitating him.

On the Mario flight, whether it was foam or not is really irrelevant. An open wheel wreck will usually create a debris field. Hit it at 230 mph and bad thinks are likely. If the car is particularly unstable, it may even take flight. Blame the car, not debris, or we shouldn't blame anyone at all.

[Brickman]

Must have been the Dennis Demers crash.

http://www.nascar-info.net/pictures/thisweek/323_demers_crash.jpg

http://www.nascar-info.net/pictures/thisweek/323_demers_crash_2.jpg

I see HDNET will be televising BN races.

[Ed_Severson]

"They got help from the University of Indiana."

I'll take exception to that remark.

Everybody knows that THE University of Indiana is Purdue, and they had no part in the project. ;)

For that matter, neither did indiana university ... it was the University of Nebraska that reasearched the project.

[Mike Kellner]

Sorry, I may have reported that part wrong. Now that you mention it, I am not absolutley sure which U they said.

mk

[Ed_Severson]

Not picking at you, Mike. Just making sure, as any good Boilermaker would, that the world knows the difference between THE University of Indiana and indiana university. ;)

As far as who reported what ... since they've claimed that NASCAR invented the barrier, it wouldn't surprise me if they said it was the Charlotte campus of ITT Tech that did the research. NASCAR runs the universe, you know. :rolleyes:

[racer2c]

NASCAR has it's own engineering schools in the South. Tube frames and two valve per cylinder, pushrod, carburetor fed engines are extremely high tech these days. :gomer:

[Andrew Longman]

[QUOTE=Brickman]Must have been the Dennis Demers crash.
[QUOTE]

Yes, that was 03. I was sitting in the blue stands. He put a wheel off in the going into righthander at the bottom of the esses, overcorrected and went straight into the barrier. The ripped armco bit into the car and flipped it.

Ed: Funny I thought this was Indiana University: http://www.iup.edu/

[Brickman]

[QUOTE=Brickman]Must have been the Dennis Demers crash.
[QUOTE]

Yes, that was 03. I was sitting in the blue stands. He put a wheel off in the going into righthander at the bottom of the esses, overcorrected and went straight into the barrier. The ripped armco bit into the car and flipped it.

Ed: Funny I thought this was Indiana University: http://www.iup.edu/

Never liked the blue satands, use to have seats in The 90, now seats are top row start/finish. Will be selling them this year.

[Andrew Longman]

Never liked the blue satands, use to have seats in The 90, now seats are top row start/finish. Will be selling them this year.

Really?

I've sat almost everywhere and like the Red/White/Blue seats the best. T1 sees lots of action, its fun to watch them blast up the esses and you can see more of the course than anywhere else.

When I've gone on the cheap with kids in tow I also like the grassy hill outside the esses. You can see a lot and there's lots of room for the kids to romp.

Other than that T10 stands were also good.

But there are about 10 places at Road America I'd rather watch a race. The Glen is just close.

[Brickman]

I never sit in the stands long anyways at road courses. I always get down and walk around enjoying the views. I like the outside of turn 1, inside turn 6, braking into the "loop", the back chute going into 10, short chute going into 11. I always liked the Ninety for NASCAR, because of pit road exit. My first wife was from NY, Wellsville, down the road a bit. Love fishing on the finger lakes, good people, been awhile...

[Andrew Longman]

I never sit in the stands long anyways at road courses. I always get down and walk around enjoying the views. I like the outside of turn 1, inside turn 6, braking into the "loop", the back chute going into 10, short chute going into 11. I always liked the Ninety for NASCAR, because of pit road exit. My first wife was from NY, Wellsville, down the road a bit. Love fishing on the finger lakes, good people, been awhile...

It is a beautiful region. I've joined my brother in law there for about 8 years. He's been going and camping with the same friends in the state park outside the track for probably 20. We'll spend 4-5 days total up there every Cup weekend and let kids and cousins romp.

I too like to wander the track. That's how I've come to sit in every stand. At RA its even better because they allow you to ride a bike. But on a Cup raceday at the Glen it is just too crowded along the track to see anything so I settle for a seat.

[Napoleon]

Brickman, you going this year to WG?

[Brickman]

Brickman, you going this year to WG?

Nope selling my tickets.

Going to Sears Point for my RR fix.

Scewed up summer schedule. Tahoe boat show is the 8th same as RA, big conflict. Already booked for Bristol, spouse is gonna love me or hate me because she's going too. Then Cup comes back to Fontana Labor Day weekend. Need to ship daughter to some college somewhere in all this. Typical long answer for a simple question.

[Hot Rod Otis]

Really?

I've sat almost everywhere and like the Red/White/Blue seats the best. T1 sees lots of action, its fun to watch them blast up the esses and you can see more of the course than anywhere else.


I agree Andrew. I used to sit in the Blue stand for the IMSA GTP races @ WGlen and I found that I enjoyed them the most. I sat in "The 90" seats for the 87 Cup race but found the Blue seats a better view. You saw everything you could see from "The 90" seats, plus had a better view of them blasting up thru the esses from the Blue seats.

I haven't been to The Glen since a vintage F1 race n 1998. :( No series I give a crap about races there anymore. D@mn I miss it.

[Andrew Longman]

I agree Andrew. I used to sit in the Blue stand for the IMSA GTP races @ WGlen and I found that I enjoyed them the most. I sat in "The 90" seats for the 87 Cup race but found the Blue seats a better view. You saw everything you could see from "The 90" seats, plus had a better view of them blasting up thru the esses from the Blue seats.

I haven't been to The Glen since a vintage F1 race n 1998. :( No series I give a crap about races there anymore. D@mn I miss it.

Yeah I only do the NASCAR thing there because it is a tradition for my brother in law. 8 years ago Cup bothered me much less and it was fun to watch the cup guys struggle to turn right and brake. Watching Ron Fellows school everyone but Jeff Gordon was fun. But even my diehard nascar fan brother in law and his friends are getting disenchanted. Too many rules, too much security, too sterile and controlling, drivers too corporate.

After last year I thought I'd make the trip to let the kids have fun and enjoy the camping. I'd only get a GA ticket to watch the support stuff on Fri and SAt and stay at the campsite in Sun. Kids will still want to go to the race though.