NASCAR pursues new safety measures

CONCORD, N.C. -- Gary Nelson sits at the far end of a luxurious conference room just inside the main entrance to NASCAR's expansive research and development center, chuckling as he shares countless tales of a storied career.

Nelson, NASCAR's managing director of competition, is scrolling through a PowerPoint presentation developed to keep NASCAR executives and media abreast of the sanctioning body's extensive safety initiative, spearheaded by Nelson and his team of engineers.

	Gary Nelson, NASCAR managing director of competition

He uses a wireless mouse, laser pointer and detailed graphic illustrations to simplify the cutting-edge engineering.

This is the same guy that created roof flaps out of a McDonald's Happy Meal box 10 years ago.

"Come a long way, haven't we?" Nelson says between bites of salad.

Forget the past 10 years. Safety technology has made great strides in the past 10 months. Presently, Nelson & Co. are working extensively on several initiatives:

Alternate Exit Switch: i.e., roof exit. The mandated head and neck restraints sometimes make it difficult for larger drivers like Michael Waltrip and Dale Jarrett to remove themselves quickly from a car following an accident.

Hence, Nelson sent his engineers in search of a way to build a roof hatch into the current racecars without affecting performance or compromising the stability of the roof. After several unsuccessful attempts, the answer hit one of the engineers at 4 a.m.

The system allows the driver to pull a cord on either side of him to release two spring-loaded hinges, opening the roof flap. A computer model was made and the idea became reality on test cars in just two weeks.

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Nelson said the hatches will be ready by the end of the 2003 season, but will be optional for teams. Jeff Burton and Joe Gibbs Racing team manager Jimmy Makar have done extensive work with this project.

Carbon Monoxide Filtering System: This system started with NASA, but is more prevalent in helicopters, which hover in one position for extended periods of time, building up a pocket of carbon monoxide.

Air enters the system through a passenger side air duct, which leads to a filtering system that utilizes beads to scrub carbon monoxide out of the air. The air then goes into an air conditioning box that cools the air down for the driver to inhale. According to Nelson, the system has reduced carbon monoxide intake by up to 70 percent.

Though not completely finalized, the system is already in use by Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte and Ward Burton, receiving rave reviews from each.

Third roof flap: Ryan Newman's wild barrel roll down the front straightaway at Daytona sped this study up a bit. Original roof flap technology was instituted in 1994, and Nelson hopes to install a third on the front portion of the roof as soon as possible to help ensure that cars stay on the ground when turned around backwards.

Nelson said NASCAR plans to take a test car with the additional roof flap to the wind tunnel soon.

	Credit: Autostock

Head and neck restraints: Work continues with biomechanical Drs. James Raddin, John Melvin and Barry Myers to develop specs for the HANS device. Nelson said that new head and neck technology is thrown their way every day, but the HANS and Hutchens devices remain the only NASCAR-approved head and neck restraints.

Interestingly enough, Myers was the primary source in discounting NASCAR's stance in the investigation into Dale Earnhardt's death. But Nelson said that they wanted the world's best doctors included in this initiative, and the first name uttered by everyone asked was that of Myers.

Soft Walls: NASCAR has done 22 tests on soft wall technology on a deserted airstrip in Lincoln, Neb., with no driver at 130 mph. Each test takes more than 30 days to research and garner results from. Nelson said there was a "noticeable difference" in the crash results when using the SAFER barrier and when not, but don't expect it anytime soon.

All of NASCAR's testing has come on a straight wall, and Nelson said building the SAFER technology into a curved radius is much more difficult. And high-banked tracks present more obstacles yet, mainly gravity and figuring out how to make it stay in place.

The first two tracks on Nelson's list to add SAFER technology? Richmond and Loudon, N.H.

Side impact study: This issue carries much more urgency following Kyle Petty's accident at Bristol and Jerry Nadeau's wreck at Richmond. NASCAR is conducting extensive research on various energy-absorbing materials at the R&D Center with a "Bogie." The Bogie, a makeshift cart built from scrap steel beams and the frame from an old truck found in a junkyard, can simulate typical wreck angles and give valuable feedback as to how those materials perform in an accident.

Car of the future: A larger cockpit area has long been considered a viable safety innovation, but NASCAR is currently only a year into a five-year development program. They built and tested a car with a larger "greenhouse," but have shelved the project for the time being due to the balance of cost and development. Once it is instituted, it has to be a series-wide change due to the vast expense of a complete changeover.

Nelson also said that before the larger greenhouse car hits the track, the engine must be addressed, namely a drop in horsepower. When NASCAR tested the car last year, it was actually faster than the current models.

"We've got a lot going on here," said Nelson as he toured the small group around the complex. Trying to communicate our message to the competitors, media, even our managers, is a full time job. I found out we could answer a lot of questions quickly with these PowerPoint presentations.

"Man, we've come a long way, but there's still a long way to go."