Roll Cage rules for '08 and current considerations

[Harold Bettes]

Howdy,

Several days ago we were discussing the roll cage "rattle around room" and there were some good responses concerning closing up the space and cushioning. If the thread gets rebuilt, the info was worthwhile to reference.

The tragedy at John Force Racing has sparked the same kind of analysis for axial impact consideration. As I understand it they will be testing a new wider roll cage with lots of internal cushioning just before the Las Vegas race. Might be something for us all to keep tabs on. I am sure that there will be a complete report for evaluation.

Regards to All,
HB2

[JackD]

I get all of the SFI and NHRA specs for that type of stuff if any changes come from the JFR tests this week.
Jack

[desotoman]

Here are some pictures of what JFR has done to their funnycars. John said it worked very well.

Tom G.

[desotoman]

Here is the article that is on the NHRA site.

Tom G.



Force declares test session a success; JFR cars will compete in Las Vegas

After finally generating tire shake on the last of three test runs Wednesday in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 14-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force declared his race team ready to compete in this weekend's eighth annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

Force made runs of 200, 300, and 400 feet primarily to check roll-cage clearances of newly installed padding and determine the drivability of the Mustang after changes made by chassis builder Murf McKinney.

The cockpits of the three John Force Racing Funny Cars and both of the team's Super Comp dragsters were reconfigured to address safety issues raised by the death of JFR driver Eric Medlen in a testing accident last month at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.  The team did not participate in the most recent event in the NHRA POWERade Series.

“The first run, I had a little blurred vision, so we went back and made some adjustments to the padding in the cockpit area,” Force said. ”On the second run, one of the very first times in my career, my vision wasn't blurred when I left the line. That was really impressive to me.

“On the last run, I made a little longer burnout, about three-quarter-track, and I whipped the wheel back and forth, not just once, but three or four times, to get some side-to-side motion, and, bottom line, I felt like a baby in a crib,” said the 122-time tour winner. ”It didn't even try to blur my vision, so I'm approving these changes for my drivers, my daughters Ashley, Brittany, and Courtney, and my son-in-law, Robert Hight. It felt really good out there.

“I want to say that what we did in the driver cockpit area might not be right for everyone, but I'm giving all the clearance data to the NHRA and to Kenny Bernstein to share with the PRO [Professional Racers Owners Organization] membership.”

Force, who was using a seven-point lap belt and a hybrid restraint system, was especially appreciative of the efforts of Trevor Ashline at Safety Solutions, Kris VanGilder of ISP, and of the staff at McKinney Corp., which went above and beyond to make cockpit changes to six race cars in just two and a half weeks.

 The 14-time Auto Racing All-America selection was particularly impressed with the new R3 hybrid restraint system, which was designed to keep the head from moving side to side as well as front to back. It apparently was side-to-side oscillation that caused Medlen's fatal head injuries.

“I want to thank the NHRA, Graham Light and Dan Olson especially, for working with us through this tough time and understanding what we're trying to accomplish,” Force said. ”We're not through, but I feel that what we've done the last three weeks will at least allow us to get back in the game and attempt to race again. It's a good start.”

[hotrod]

Here is an interesting link on the early analysis and information they have on the Eric Medlen crash and injury mechanics that might be useful reading.

http://www.fastmachines.com/archives/nhra/004223.php


Larry

[Harold Bettes]

Anybody know what the covering material is and what the energy absorbing material is? 

Thinking about fire and how that stuff might become a marshmallow.

Regards to All,
HB2

[desotoman]

Harold,

Here is a link to the website www.ispseats.com

Hope this answers your questions.

Tom G.

[Harold Bettes]

Thank you sir!

You guys are a knowledge base that is much more friendly than my local library system.

Regards to All,
HB2

[doug odom]

I believe NASCAR driver and seat maker Randy LaJoie asked the question " Has there ever been a driver hurt by being held too firmly in a seat?"  Sounds right to me.  Doug Odom

[JackD]

I believe NASCAR driver and seat maker Randy LaJoie asked the question " Has there ever been a driver hurt by being held too firmly in a seat?"  Sounds right to me.  Doug Odom

"If only the various systems inside the human body were as well resistant to shock.
The problem is the internal organs are not as well fastened and continue to move everything every time the outside stops travel in any direction.
The stuff you are reading about is not new except to Drag Racing.
A roll bar started as a handle on the floor board you grabbed and held onto inside the car if you were going over.
How many famous sprinters ran with the drivers head above the form fitting bar behind the driver that was to protect the fuel tank at his back ?
Evolution is here to stay and the race car has not been perfected yet.
The sad part is that so many eyes don't look so far ahead."

[doug odom]

"If only the various systems inside the human body were as well resistant to shock.
The problem is the internal organs are not as well fastened and continue to move everything every time the outside stops travel in any direction.

 I remember when we thought that was the case. Now with the data we are able to get we are finding drivers hitting the wall backwards with a 40 to 50 G impact and no brain damage. Now if you have to hit the wall, backwards is the best way to do it with an Indy type car for sure. In 2005 I went to a IRL race and a NHRA race just to look at seats. I was very unimpressed with both the NHRA funny car and dragster seats. The Indy car type seat is much better and can be made to fit in a Liner type car. The newest type NASCAR seat is better in driver safety but I understand that type seat will not fit in a liner type body. 
Doug Odom in big ditch

[Dean Los Angeles]

We tend to look at accidents as a single high G force event, and the Medlen accident shows that multiple impacts can happen. The Hans device was developed for frontal restraint. Side to side has not been as high a criteria. Padding to keep the helmet off the steel tubing was enough. The Force team made the roll cage wider to allow more padding. The trade off they were working on was low clearance to avoid acceleration and not allow vibration to affect vision.

There was a sports car race a few years ago where a Ferrari spun and was sideways on the track over a blind hill. His team mate hit the rear corner. The car spun at an amazing rate. He suffered a broken jaw. The helmet didn't contact anything. Just from the rotational forces.

That eggshell inside the helmet is a tough one to protect. I read an article that said that professional boxers sustain some level of brain injury on every hit.

I'm glad that this research continues so that the racer can continue to race.

[Glen]

John Bjorkman had his entire roll cage padded to fit his helmet, he tested it twice as I recall. It did the job as his first crash was a series of barrel rolls and impacts at El Mirage. Had some red eyes from a few ruptured blood vessels and some sore spots. It did what it was designed to do. There is a lot of merit to this type of head movement. 

[Richard Thomason]

Yep, that's what happens. I had the "pink eye" and my face looked like it had been in a microwave. Thought that maybe I could enroll as a tribal member, but it eventually faded.