Data recorders' next use coming soon
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
September 29, 2001
1:09 PM EDT (1709 GMT)
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- NASCAR Winston Cup director Gary Nelson said the sanctioning body’s first use of data recorders, in three divisions last weekend at Dover Downs International Speedway, was a successful first step toward comprehensively using the devices in its three national touring series in the 2002 season.
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Gary Nelson
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Nelson took a break in preparations for Sunday’s inaugural Winston Cup Protection One 400 at Kansas Speedway to discuss the so-called "black boxes" that are most well known for their use in studying airplane crashes. They are also widely used in Indy car and Formula One racing.
Nelson confirmed that the primary goal in the first application of the data recorders -- which were installed in seven Winston Cup cars -- was to test their heat sensitively, their susceptibility to vibration and the use of alkaline batteries for the self-contained units.
“The heat was not a problem and the solid mounts we used were not a problem with the vibration, either,” Nelson said. “The batteries we used were alkaline cells, the same you would use in a flashlight, and they did fine.”
Nelson said the recorders did fine in acquiring data, including readings from the car of defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte, which was involved in a crash early in the 400-lap race. Nelson declined to elaborate on what was found on Labonte’s recorder, though he did say “we got data from that.”
Nelson said the black box mounted in Jeremy Mayfield's No. 12 Ford, which was involved in a violent front end collision with the outside wall that resulted in a partially torn lap belt, was set to record a "limited set of data."
“The purpose of the test wasn’t to obtain data or any readings we would evaluate at this time,” Nelson said. “It was strictly to assess or evaluate the environment in which the recorders would have to function and in that respect, they worked fine.”
The devices were used in the Busch North Series, cars of race winner Dale Shaw and Tom Carey Jr.; the Busch Series machines of Jimmie Johnson and Jason Keller; and the Cup cars of Labonte, Mayfield, Jeff Gordon, Ricky Craven, Kenny Wallace, Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott. Elliott's car was also involved in the accident with Labonte.
Nelson said the devices would not be used at Kansas Speedway this weekend. He did say he was looking at using them in an upcoming Craftsman Truck Series race, possibly Oct. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway.
“We’ve got a couple of ideas we’re looking at and we will probably look at using them within the next couple of weeks,” Nelson said. “Our plan is to use them in all three divisions: Winston Cup, Busch and Trucks, at the beginning of next season.
“We need to test them to be sure we’re not going to have any problems, and we need to do that in the races left this season.”
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