Except wasn't he driving the Indy version of NASCAR's 'car of the future' prototype, which I would assume had more protection?
I don't know, I didn't follow it, sorry to be ignorant.
I don't know if a full cage would have helped one bit from the sound of things.
I think it's kind of a problem inherent with the very design of Indy/F1. Composites, minimal, light weight over any other consideration. I caught a F1 race flipping thru the channels some time back and cars look like mutant insects now, too delicate by far for the forces imposed on them. I recall Indy and F1 from the '70s when cars had substance.
He had been testing out the 2012 version racecar in the weeks before this race, but he was still only driving a current version competition car. The current explanation of events is that his car was thrown airborne, flew over the safety wall and into the steel fencing, where he was thrown head-first into the metal webbing and pilings.
The cars now are designed that the cockpit tub is tough enough to withstand the forces of the accident alone, and everything else breaks off to lesson the energy of the impacts. But unlike on closed-cockpit cars, the Indy and F1 cars don't have any protection from anything coming at the car from above. A NASCAR stocker driver can shrug off a rollover in his car. The Indy and F1 boys...they need some help here.
now, see, I recall there being a built-in roll bar as part of the headrest area back in the '70s But just a 'u' behind the head (and often no higher than the helmet) doesn't seem like much protection.
I seem to recall that the driver tub is actually the core now that everything hangs off of, and maybe that isn't as safe as thought either.
I have no answers. I was there at Indy when 'Salt' Walther had his big crash and a roll cage wouldn't have helped him a bit.
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I don't know, I didn't follow it, sorry to be ignorant.
I don't know if a full cage would have helped one bit from the sound of things.
I think it's kind of a problem inherent with the very design of Indy/F1. Composites, minimal, light weight over any other consideration. I caught a F1 race flipping thru the channels some time back and cars look like mutant insects now, too delicate by far for the forces imposed on them. I recall Indy and F1 from the '70s when cars had substance.
But, like I said, I don't really know.
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The cars now are designed that the cockpit tub is tough enough to withstand the forces of the accident alone, and everything else breaks off to lesson the energy of the impacts. But unlike on closed-cockpit cars, the Indy and F1 cars don't have any protection from anything coming at the car from above. A NASCAR stocker driver can shrug off a rollover in his car. The Indy and F1 boys...they need some help here.
Reply
I seem to recall that the driver tub is actually the core now that everything hangs off of, and maybe that isn't as safe as thought either.
I have no answers. I was there at Indy when 'Salt' Walther had his big crash and a roll cage wouldn't have helped him a bit.
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