NASCAR wants more testing before approving bumper
By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
October 18, 2001
3:49 PM EDT (1949 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. -- While NASCAR has officially mandated the use of head-and-neck restraint systems for use by drivers in all three of its main divisions, further testing of procedures on the cars themselves remains unchanged.
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H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler
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According to NASCAR officials, further testing of the "Humpy Bumper" needs to be done. While some tests have been conducted, the speeds used during tests were not the same speeds race cars reach at impact with a wall.
The bumper was designed and manufactured by Lew Composites of Las Vegas. H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president of Lowe's Motor Speedway, has been the driving force behind the development, testing and approval of the device.
NASCAR would like to see more testing and data before giving its stamp of approval.
"The data that is available, and testing that has been done, does not allow us to draw any conclusions that are meaningful," said George Pyne, senior vice president of NASCAR. "Because, speeds at which the tests have been done will not allow us to.
"Even if the tests were done at speeds that would allow us to develop meaningful conclusions, we have concerns, based on our independent experts, regarding composite fiber and its effectiveness in managing energy.
We have no data in front of us that suggests that the Humpy Bumper would be effective in managing energy."
The bumper is a one-piece unit that would slide into the front-frame of a racecar. It is made of directional-carbon fiber and is designed to absorb the energy of a right-front angle, high-speed contact with the wall.
Much like the accidents that claimed the lives of Dale Earnhardt and Blaise Alexander this year, the bumper was designed to absorb the potentially fatal energy. Wheeler feels that better communication between all parties may be needed.
"With all due respect to NASCAR's experts, we obviously need to do a better job of explaining how this energy-absorbing bumper works," Wheeler said. "The difficulty in understanding this bumper is that it is made of directional carbon fiber.
"Only five percent of all carbon fiber usage is directional. Therefore, only those who work closely with it really understand its remarkable ability to redirect energy.
"This is exactly the same type of directional carbon fiber that has saved the lives of many Indy Car and Formula One drivers in the last couple of years since its placement in the front, rear and sides of the open-wheel cars. Its safety record, especially in these high-speed crashes, is proof that it works.
"The statement that these tests were done at wall speeds 10 mph or less than ideal, can also be debated. While some tests were run at slower speeds, most were in the proper range. The crash test at Charlotte, witnessed by themedia, was at a wall speed in excess of 40 mph, similar to Dale Earnhardt's accident."
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Blaise Alexander
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After Alexander's death in an ARCA race at Lowe's Motor Speedway earlier this month, Wheeler said that NASCAR wasn't doing everything they could. He went on to say he felt the sanctioning body was moving too slow for his liking.
Pyne said that NASCAR is addressing the situation.
"Everyone at NASCAR is aggressively pursuing any legitimate safety opportunity," he said. "We've done so on this case, and we will continue to do so with the people from Lew Composites, Humpy Wheeler and anybody that wants to pursue a legitimate safety cause."
Dr. Dean Sicking, a key member of the investigation into the death of Earnhardt, shared his concerns about the bumper.
"It incorporates heavy steel box sections that are welded to the existing frame rail elements," said Sicking. "The frame rail is our primary energy absorber.
"By welding this large steel box to that frame rail, we're taking out the existing energy absorption and by making it very stiff, essentially eliminating it."
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