IRL Seeks Alternative to Catch Fences

[ZzZzZz]

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/36398/

This is the next step in safety. Fencing grabs cars unevenly, tearing them apart and compromising driver safety. It also allows small debris to pass through and injure fans. So, kudos to this effort!

[Jonesi]

It's a great idea if they can come up with something, but it's got to take up to a 3500lb car around 200mph and +120g without shattering and without being so thick it distorts the viewing. That might not be possible until Scotty invents transparent aluminum.

[Komahawk]

Sounds great! Hopefully it won't take too long to develop. But wouldn't bulletproof glas work? It's flexible and doesn't get torn apart, just my 2 cents.

Really, if just half of the money that has been invested into the split had been invested into safety-technology wewould hardly have any injuries by now.

[Easy Drifter]

I would think bullet proof glass would be too heavy and probably couldn't take the impact of a heavy car as opposed to a bullet. If it did shatter there would be flying shards everywhere and then a car hitting the next section to be cut in half. I have seen shatterproof glass in hockey shatter too often.
Lexan might be better but I do not know enough about it. There also could be a reflection problem with both and distortion with the thickness required.
Besides, what would Spiderman do then?

[call_me_andrew]

Besides, what would Spiderman do then?

He would invest in a good pair of suction cups.

I'm not sure how much of an improvement they can really make, but I'm interested to see what they might come up with.

[Komahawk]

You know, in the year 2007 racing-injuries let alone fatalities should really be a thing of the past. IMO it's just being neglected until someone gets it, and then everybody looks at each other wondering how on Earth this could happen.

I'm sure ALL safety issues in racing can be solved, if only there's enough research and funding.

[Peter Olivola]

What's so special about 2007? It's still a compromise situation. Just because the "technology" exists to do something doesn't mean it makes economic sense. One of the things that has always separated racing from other sports is the danger factor. Improvements have always come in fits and starts. We are in the safest era in the history of the sport. More improvements will come on line as they can be digested by the sport and since no one here is paying for this I think it's more than a bit presumptuous to tell the sport what to do.

You know, in the year 2007 racing-injuries let alone fatalities should really be a thing of the past. IMO it's just being neglected until someone gets it, and then everybody looks at each other wondering how on Earth this could happen.

I'm sure ALL safety issues in racing can be solved, if only there's enough research and funding.

[Komahawk]

"Economic sense"? Seems as if they almost had to amputate Perez' leg, does that qualify as an economic sense to intensify research?

I know racing gets safer and safer each season, and I didn't mean to pick on the IRL (like some do). Racing is dangerous, esp OW-racing on ovals.

[Peter Olivola]

I see you're ducking the question: Who pays?

"Economic sense"? Seems as if they almost had to amputate Perez' leg, does that qualify as an economic sense to intensify research?

I know racing gets safer and safer each season, and I didn't mean to pick on the IRL (like some do). Racing is dangerous, esp OW-racing on ovals.

[Marbles]

This would be quite the barrier. However, I think a visit from the Star Ship Enterprise and the development of transparent aluminum would be required for such a structure. The glass itself would have to have remarkable properties along with a TV and fan viewing friendly structure to support it. The glass wall would likely need to have some "give" built into it, just like the hockey boards that were mentioned. Unlike catch fencing, which is somewhat resilient, like a crash helmet, or bullet proof glass for that matter, it would require replacement immediately after an incident. The cost of installing and maintaining it would be huge.

Another problem is that unlike safer barriers which are deployed at strategic points on a track where severe wall contact is most likely, an Indy car can become airborne anywhere on a race track. Having said all that, I would love to see something like it but would be amazed if it were possible.

"...you'll never make race cars completely safe. Things happen at speed." -Greg Moore