Another safety project we...
Another safety project we found at the center was an initiative to determine how a driver can be moved closer to the center of the car. The problem has always been all the components that get in the way-the transmission tunnel, driveshaft, rear suspension, and other parts. To help determine what is going on, the center has built a test frame where the seat, pedals, and steering column all move together. That unit can be slid to different locations in the car, and engineers can determine what else needs to be redesigned to make the relocation possible.
Sanctioning bodies in all types of racing are tightening up the rulebooks in order to better protect their drivers. Here's a sampling of some of the changes for 2004.
ARCA
* All cars must be equipped with a Race Safe light system.
ASA
* Requires a second dash bar in the car's centersection.
*Added a required metal plate to be installed behind the driver seat to protect the driver's back and head.
* Hood tethers are now required.
* Refined the wording of its rules regarding seat mounting.
* A "sprint" head net is now required on the right side of the driver's head.
* Requires a collapsible steering shaft.
* Requires all cars to be equipped with Audible Alert system to warn drivers of wrecks or cautions on the track.
NASCAR's Regional Touring Series
* Appointed a field investigator for each series, whose only concern is safety. Will act as an information source for drivers as well as a safety inspector.
* An approved head-and-neck restraint system is now required for all drivers.
* Minimum age for driving is now 18 years.
* Anyone over pit wall during a race must wear a full firesuit and helmet.
Southern All-Stars
* Will concentrate this season on in-car fire systems. Will strongly suggest each car have, as a minimum system, a 5-pound Halon bottle (or other equivalent system) plumbed to nozzles aimed at the driver, fuel cell, and engine compartment.
USAR
* Anyone over pit wall during a race must wear a full firesuit and helmet.