Are canopies the answer in the IndyCar Series?
The open cockpit design is one of the signatures of open-wheel racing. When you think of an open-wheel car, you likely think of a driver with his head sticking out of the car navigating the tricky turns of Monaco or the high-speed, 90-degree corners of Indianapolis.
Tradition is admittedly a tough thing to let go of. But after IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson’s death from a head injury sustained at Pocono on Sunday afternoon, it’s time to have a serious conversation about the open-cockpit tradition and consider if canopies – or at the very least, enhanced protection – are necessary to keep drivers as safe as possible.
Wilson died Monday because his head was exposed. When Sage Karam crashed, his car shattered into a bunch of pieces. One of those pieces appeared to be his car’s nose cone. That piece of debris found Wilson and hit his helmet. It shot high into the air. Wilson’s car veered to the right and slammed into the inside wall on Pocono’s Long Pond Straightaway.
The meeting between the piece of debris from Karam’s car and Wilson’s helmet was a one-in-a-hundred chance. Possibly one-in-a-thousand. But what were the odds that Formula 1 driver Jules Bianchi would slide into a tractor at Suzuka last fall? And what were the odds that Dan Wheldon’s car would flip into the Las Vegas catchfence in a fiery crash in 2011?
They were slim. But in each, the ultimate worst-case scenario happened.
The IndyCar Series had been playing Russian Roulette with debris from its cars all season. The series installed the long-awaited aero-kits on its cars at the beginning of 2015. The trim pieces were designed to enhance the manufacturer identity of the Honda and Chevy cars, giving each a unique look. And while the kits have done just that, they’ve also made the cars seem like they were made of LEGO bricks.
The ease with which an aero-kitted IndyCar exploded was on display from the first race of the season. And at Indianapolis, the first lap was a reminder of how dangerous flying debris could be. Look at how close this piece of car was to Takuma Sato’s head.
It’s no secret that pieces breaking apart helps with energy dissipation in a crash. The more energy dissipated by the car means the less energy a driver has to absorb, and, ultimately, keeping him or her safer. But with drivers racing at high speed around accidents, the increase of pieces flying off cars increased the opportunities for drivers to be hit.
And heck, flying parts were a danger before the aero kits too. James Hinchcliffe, the man impaled by a suspension part during a practice crash for the Indianapolis 500 in May, was concussed when he was hit in the head – coincidentally – by a piece of Wilson’s car at the 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
Canopies in open-wheel cars aren’t a brand new idea. NHRA Top Fuel cars have had canopies for the last few seasons and most all of the well-funded Top Fuel teams run chassis equipped with them. It’s an idea that the IndyCar Series could implement before the 2016 season with minimal issues.
Of course, the idea doesn’t come without drawbacks. Mechanisms would need to be installed to make sure that the canopy could be opened in the event of any type of crash. Without doors, escaping through the canopy is the only way out for drivers.
Or maybe a canopy isn’t the answer. Pocono winner and former IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay said he’s seen ideas for increased head protection for drivers. Is it possible to make a roof of sorts over and around a driver’s head while still keeping the open-air feel of an IndyCar? Modern engineering is a wonderful thing. We think it could be done.
But either way, there’s no excuse for IndyCar to maintain the status quo with its chassis design as it heads into the 2016 season. Even if the aero kits are tweaked and car parts are given more tethers to remain attached to the vehicle, it’s clear that something needs to be done to protect drivers’ heads. And if the answer means disregarding tradition, then so be it.
Safety has come a long way in auto racing. But complacency after the loss of a human life is inexcusable even if death is a sad staple of motorsports. While Wilson’s death might have been simply the confluence of random events, the possibility of a similar situation happening again should be minimized as much as possible.
The future of the IndyCar Series might just depend on it.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
