Closed cockpits on open wheeled race cars?

Before you did your big performance you posted a picture of your methanol fuel cell with a rollover valve. And I thought "that's silly, he's never going to roll it." Well, we all know how that turned out.

 

Something like this would be ideal!

 

For protection, I'm going to design a huge car condom. Ribbed, of course. Graphics extra.

 

From ESPN Turn 4--granted, these are NASCAR guys, but some interesting thoughts in there:


Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: It wouldn't be a knee-jerk reaction because the conversations and the research were already underway, to varying extents, throughout motorsports. I know it flies in the face of history. I know we can't be sure if it would have saved Justin Wilson or Jules Bianchi. But racers used to not wear HANS devices because of all the same reasons I've heard this week to not look into canopies -- entrapment, claustrophobia, etc. In the end, I like the idea of having it, at least trying it, before writing it off. I wouldn't say it's inevitable. But I would say it's a necessity.


John Oreovicz, ESPN.com: Both. Any time a driver is killed, the focus naturally turns to the cause of that accident. And viewed in a vacuum, it's easy to conclude that Justin Wilson would not have lost his life had the Indy car he was driving been equipped with some type of cockpit protection. Same with Henry Surtees and even Jules Bianchi and Dan Wheldon, though their impacts were so severe that even a full roll cage may not have been enough to save them. But development of open cockpit protection needs to be done correctly, not quickly. Factors ranging from driver vision and ventilation to the ability to extricate a driver from a crashed car need to be examined. And there is always the possibility that making a change in one area on the grounds of safety can cause other potentially more dangerous problems. The design of the current Indy car, for example, was heavily influenced by Wheldon's fatal accident, resulting in the bumpers behind the rear wheels and a floor that extends all the way to the outer edges of the tires. The huge plan area of that floor is believed to be the chief cause of this year's cars getting up in the air when they spin and travel backwards. Charlie Kimball's qualifying accident at Pocono showed that IndyCar still has work to do in terms of understanding how the current cars react when crashed, and hopefully a solution can be found before the next time the cars run in superspeedway trim.

Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: A canopy might not be inevitable, but more protection for the driver will come, hopefully sooner rather than later. It appears F1 will test a shield that will protect the driver in most instances. Whatever action open-wheel racing series take, it won't be a knee-jerk reaction. How many more people have to get injured or killed? The dangers of open cockpits have been made apparent in several instances over the last dozen years. Tony Renna, Felipe Massa, Dan Wheldon and James Hinchcliffe are just a few of the drivers who have been injured or killed.

Marty Smith, ESPN Insider: Some form of added protection to the cockpit is the intelligent progression to ensure optimum driver safety. It's called open-wheel racing, not open-cockpit racing. Sanctioning bodies are sometimes reluctant to make changes. In their defense, every decision has side effects. NASCAR was reluctant after Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty and Tony Roper died. Dale Earnhardt Sr. changed everything. Big E's death demanded a culture change and a shift in perceptions. HANS devices and closed-faced helmets and SAFER barriers ensued. Speaking of SAFER, until Kyle Busch broke his legs, stock car racing was reluctant to install SAFER barriers everywhere they should be. Fortunately, Kyle recovered well. I'm no open-wheel expert by any stretch, but I do know that, like Earnhardt, Dan Wheldon was beloved. His death should have forced greater change. Maybe Justin Wilson's death will bring about that change. I never met Wilson, but so many of my NASCAR friends did. Rarely do you hear such universal praise of a man's character.

 

Like this only bigger?

 

BBC Sport - Motorsport must find a way to protect drivers - Allan McNish

 

As drivers, we accept that a large element of racing is gladiatorial and that there is an inherent risk in what we do.

But, in general, we do not accept that risks should be unlimited, that nothing should be done to reduce them, or that there is any such thing as "safe enough".

Sums it up for me, and is the most understandable, concise refute to the argument that racing is inherently dangerous and fine the way it is I've read.

 

Another great analysis.........

How easy is it to introduce closed cockpits to F1? - Racecar Engineering