While the Sprint Cup, IndyCar, and Formula 1 drivers get all the glory, the overwhelming majority of drivers are weekend warriors, guys and gals who spend their own money on their cars, and race for the love of the sport. These drivers aren’t “professionals” per se, but they still have a love for the sport.
It was on these drivers that the Sports Car Club of America, or SCCA was founded in 1949. It wasn’t about professionals, it was about enthusiasts who loved the sport, and who loved to race. As time went on, however, battles for control of sports car racing, and battles for control over professional auto racing became too great, and the SCCA had to start sanctioning professional events. With help from Curtis LeMay of the United States Air Force, the SCCA started racing at Air Force bases, and they became a nationally recogized auto racing sanctioning body.
Today, the SCCA sponsors many different forms of auto racing, including professional, hill climbing, autocross, rally racing, and club racing, which features unpaid amateur racers. As in all sports, the need for fire protection is constant. So what do drivers wear in the SCCA?
Made in November of 1992, this suit was made for Tommy Nilsson, who raced in a number of events in the SCCA California Sports Car Club Region.
It features a purple and yellow color scheme, with a small number of patches.It shows great use, and has a lot of wear on it.No arm gussets,or design on the shoulder epaulets,cuffed legs, and no logos on the legs,
This is the perfect example of the weekend warrior suit. Not designed for the driver, but bought by the driver. Not customized for the driver, but customized by the driver. An example of the uniforms worn by the majority of the people who make up this sport.
Wheel Reviews
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is more of a goofy racing comedy, featuring Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, and John C. Reilly as Cal Naughton, Jr., Ricky Bobby’s teammate. Ricky is a hot driver, winning all the races, while Cal comes in second, and harbors jealousy toward Ricky as such. As Jean Girard, a French former F1 driver begins to challenge him, he pushes himself too far, and wrecks at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
He thinks his career is done, but gets back in the car, only to have fear overtake him and is fired by his team. His wife leaves him, and he winds up taking a job as a pizza deliveryman, before his estranged father comes back into his life, and helps him conquer his fear, by having him drive a muscle car with a live cougar inside it, and he starts his own team and fields a car at Talladega.
Ricky patches things up with Cal, Girard, and his team, and then the race starts. Ricky passes the entire field after starting at the back, but Girard retains the lead. After his replacement driver at his old team causes The Big One, only Ricky and Gerard are in contention for the race, due to the fact that their cars are the only ones running. The two crash into each other during the final laps, both cars stop short of the finish line, and both Ricky and Girard exit their cars and run across the finish line. Cal comes out as the winner.
Bascially it is a goofy Will Ferrell comedy, and from a technical standpoint it is really good. The driver suits look really good, and I love what the movie did with sponsors. Wonderbread Old Spice, and Perrier are all primary sponsors, and in terms of the humor of the movie works well. I can’t say anything bad about the movie, so it gets an A+
So let’s ask a hypothetical question. You are a weekend warrior. You have spent all your money on a bitchin’ Chevy Nova, and a plain driver suit. You want to decorate the suit, but can’t afford to give it the professional treatment. What do you do? If your name is James Wells, you get an iron-on and a couple of Sharpies, and you make do!
This unique example dates to the early 1980’s, and shows how a low budget team can have an attractive suit. The front of the suit has a Chevy Bowtie logo with “08 FOLSOM RACING” on the right and 08 JAMES WELLS written in Sharpie on the front. I also love the drop shadow effect that Wells tried to use.On the back, Wells used a NOVA SS iron on. Yes it looks really cool, but there is an issue. This is a single-layer suit. The iron on can clearly be seen on the inside of the suit. I get the feeling that it would negate the fire protection in the event of a fire. It’s a good thing that scenario never took place. I kept this entry short because of this week’s
Wheel Reviews
Released in December of 1966, Grand Prix is one of the best racing movies made, and is very accurate in detail of the racing itself. The plot centers around four drivers, American Pete Aron who is looking to make a comeback. Scott Stoddard is an English driver who needs to make a comeback as well. Frenchman Jean-Pierre Sarti is an older but wiser driver who is nearing the end of his career. Former motorcross rider Nino Barlini is a bright rookie, who is looking to make his mark on the sport.
The main plot centers around the battle for the 1966 Formula 1 World Championship. The season starts at Monacco, where Pete Aron is fighting both his teammate Scott Stoddard and a damaged transmission. The transmission freezes, causing a crash which sends Aron into the harbor, and Stoddard to the hospital. While this is taking place, Jean-Pierre Sarti wins the race and Barlini comes in second. From there, 4 sub plots, each focusing on one driver start.
Aron is fired from British Racing Motors, and is relegated to a job as a TV interviewer for the Federal Broadcasting Company. At the next event, he runs into Pat Stoddard, Scott’s unhappy wife, and the two of them begin an affair. After one race as an interviewer, he is signed by Yamaha Motors, wins the Belgium Grand Prix and starts his improbable run at the championship.
Scott Stoddard meanwhile is out of the car with his injuries, and spends a number of weeks in a British hospital. He eventually learns of his wife’s affair with Aron, and confronts her about it. She openly admits she wants out of the marriage, and leaves. Later, during the British Grand Prix, Stoddard takes a couple of pain killers to help him with the pain, but they cause him to nearly lose consciousness. He returns to the pits, and Aron takes the lead, but catches fire and Nino wins the race, setting up the battle for the championship.
Jean-Pierre Sarti and Nino Barlini race for Ferarri, and are both heavily involved for the championship. At an after race party in Monacco, Sarti meets attractive American fashion writer Louise Frederickson. The two begin an affair that lasts until the end of the season. Sarti is also upset that the cars are not working to his liking, and suffers some setbacks. At the Belgium Grand Prix, he suffers a suspension failure, and crashes into a barn, killing two kids accidentally. This has an effect on him, as he then begins to realize how absurd his life really is. While watching Nino celebrate after winning the British Grand Prix, he laments “I suppose what’s wrong with me is my life. But I can’t change that…or I won’t. I’ve begun to see the absurdity of it. All of us, proving what? That we can go faster, and perhaps remain alive? Nino, gambling his life for a trophy, then filling it with beer and doing tricks. Stoddard filling himself with drugs to drive, and still passing out from the pain. Don’t you see how absurd it is? Who cares?
Nino is a young single driver who comes from motorcycle racing to Formula 1. After the Monacco Grand Prix he meets Lisa, an attractive woman with no personality, and they start a relationship. Nino is a fun loving playboy, who take racing seriously. In the 2 car Ferarri team, Nino is the second car. After winning at Silverstone, he becomes the points leader. But before the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Lisa sees him with two Japanese models, and leaves him for another man. That sets up the final race of the fictional 1966 season, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Before the race, Sarti’s car is late from the factory, and Louise has told him she is going back to America. Sarti’s wife shows up, and is none too happy about the affair.. Nino is sad about Lisa, but is able to put it behind him for the race. After a divorce seems inevitable, Scott and Pat fix their relationship. Pete has been watching footage of his previous races to help him get an edge. When Sarti’s car finally shows up, it is not to his liking. He argues with team manager Agostini Manetta, who says that he will decide to retire Sarti after the race. Sarti leaves, visibly disgusted by the proceedings.
The race starts, and Sarti stalls the car. He is able to get it fired, but loses a lot of time. Nino jumps to an early lead, with Aron and Stoddard, behind him. Sarti makes up a lot of time. During the last race, each driver is heard in voice overs and flash backs explaining why they do what they do. Toward the end of the race, Sarti makes it up to fourth, but then a piece comes off Aron’s car, hits Sartis car, and Sartiis involved in a fatal crash. His wife is shaken, Louise is horrified. Agostini does what no team owner ever wants to do, and shows the black flag to Nino, calling him into the pits as a result of Sarti’s death. Nino sadly complies with the order, visibly shaken. Stoddard and Aron are unaware of what has happened to Sarti, and battle for the win and the championship, with Aron coming out on top. While celebrating the championship, Aron calls Stoddard up, and the two rivals celebrate together. As they celebrate, the track announcer states that Sarti has died, and the celebration is cut short. The movie ends with Aron walking through the now empty race track, and looking at the starting grid, and hearing the engines, and the crowd on race day.
Overall this was a great movie, but it did have some issues. The in-car camera angles were revolutionary for the day, but there were a lot of needless visual effects during races. The use of race footage was a great move, and it looks really good. The schedule for the fictional 1966 F1 racing season, differs significantly from the real 1966 season, but it still looks good. Interestingly, Nomex was mentioned by a track announcer after a firey crash. It was likely added during editing, since in 1966, Nomex was being tested as a material for driver suits. I give this movie an A+
If you ask people what the quintessential NASCAR movie is, most would say Days of Thunder. Certainly it is a good movie. It stars Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle, who is based on Tim Richmond, and Robert Duvall as Harry Hogge, based on Harry Hyde. The movie starts with the Daytona 500, which features Rowdy Burns, played by Michael Rooker, wrecking Richard Petty, and while this is going on, Tim Dalland, based on Rich Hendrick, recruits Harry Hogge, a former crew chief who left the sport after the death of a driver was linked to his methods. Dalland talks Hogge into meeting Cole Trickle, a sprint car driver with no stock car experience. Rowdy sets up a car for a test, and Cole proves his talents fast.
Hogge and Cole don’t agree on much during their first races, and they meet little success. Finally, Hogge takes Cole to a track and tells him that if he races Hogge’s way, he can win, but if he races Cole’s way, he won’t. He is quickly proven right, and Cole becomes a winner. Rowdy and Cole develop a fierce rivalry, and at the Firecracker 400 at Daytona in July, they get into a crash, and both are seriously injured.
As they recover, they become good friends. Cole meets Dr. Claire Lewicki, and the two begin a romantic relationship. Dalland hires Russ Wheeler, based on Rusty Wallace, to fill in for Cole. Cole is back in the car before the end of the season, but Rowdy’s injuries are career ending. Russ proves himself to be a dirty driver, and wins at North Wilksboro after wrecking Cole on pit road. An understandably upset Cole wrecks him after the race, and is fired by Dalland.
Rowdy asks Cole to race for him in the Daytona 500, and Cole agrees. Russ gets dirty again, and damages Cole’s transmission. Cole comes back and wins the race. Standard Hollywood ending. But what makes this movie really good is that there are a lot of things that happened in real life. There is a scene where Cole wants to pit, but because the crew is eating ice cream, he can’t. That happened to Benny Parsons in 1987. A subplot where Rowdy and Cole must drive together to have dinner took place with Dale Earnhardt and Geoff Bodine in the 1980’s. The scene where Cole and Rowdy race a pair of rental cars to the breaking point was a common occurrence between Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly.
The 1990’s uniforms are amazing, but the really odd thing is after Cole wins the Daytona 500, his uniform is heavily soiled, and has a large tear in the leg. I still don’t understand how a brand new suit can get that level of damage, after one race. I still love this movie, and I highly recommend it.
I did this as a stand alone post because I came across something that I felt deserved to be on the blog. I found this:
Editor’s note, for the next 3 weeks, I will be taking a badly needed vacation, so while I have articles ready to go, I won’t have any paint scheme reviews until I come back.
A couple of weeks ago, I discussed the events in 1964 that led to the invention of the Nomex driver suit. I also briefly discussed what one of these pre-Nomex suits looked like. Well that was meant as a Uni-Watch article, and was written differently than I would normally write it. It didn’t run on Uni-Watch for a myriad of reasons not worth getting in to. So for this week, I will analyze the suit in Driver Suit Blog style
Before Nomex became the standard for driver suits, racing was living in the dark ages. Drivers would race in whatever they were wearing when they came to the track. Little if any consideration was given to fire safety. As such, many drivers perished in on-track fires. Even when the fire retardant suits began to spring up, they were of little value. Prior to 1967, and for some time after, your standard driver suit was little more than a cotton or polyester suit dipped in borax and other chemicals. This made them fire retardant, but very uncomfortable to wear. Nomex made the driver suit safe and comfortable to wear.
But what did these suits look like? Well this is an example of a polyester suit. It was worn by an Indianapolis based driver named Bill Brach. He was a member of the Murat Shrine in Indianapolis, and he raced in this suit.The suit itself dates to 1972 at least, because of an Archie Bunker For President patch.It has a tag that says “Untreated, will burn,should be dipped.”The polyester material is very flimsy, and is ripped in one part.It has a classic racing stripe up the side, similar to what Paul Newman wore in LeMans.The belt has a metal-clasp to close it, unlike most suits, which use VelcroThe sleeves can be unzipped for comfort, which compromises the fire protection.The back has MURAT 500 SHRINE CLUB in chain stitching on the back.
This is an example of a suit from yesteryear. One that has been made obsolete. It is delicate, thin, and in a fire was of limited value. Nomex has become the standard, and suits like this are now simply relics.
Brad Keselowski #2 Redd’s Apple Ale Ford FusionBlack and Red is always a good scheme, and the overall design is good. The sticking point for me with this scheme is that APPLE ALE is almost invisible on the quarter panel. So for a final grade, it gets a B-
Alex Kennedy #33 Dream Factory Chevy SS Yeah it is a tad overdesigned, but it is for a charity to help children with life-threatening illnesses. So I’ll give it a B
Kurt Busch #41 Haas Chevy SS If the black were blue, and the red and white stripes were kept, I would like it more, but this scheme earns a C.
Kyle Larson #42 Cottonelle Chevy SS The blue looks decent, but the target logos on blue look awkward. The 42 would look better in white than dark blue as well. C+
Aric Almirola #43 Nathans Hot Dogs Ford Fusion As much as I like Nathans Hot Dogs, this is awful! The clash between the green and blue is horrific, and I can’t give this a passing grade.
The 2014 Sprint All Star race is behind us, and as usual, there were a myriad of different paint schemes. Some were good, others not so much, but I have to say there were a lot of great schemes in this year’s race. Let’s start with the Sprint Showdown. Unlike in previous years, The Showdown took place on Friday, and the All-Star Race was on Saturday. The Showdown was a great event, which saw Clint Bowyer winning, AJ Allmendinger finishing second, and in the upset of the year, Josh Wise winning the Sprint Fan vote, and advancing to the All Star Race. Let’s get to the grades:
#10 Cole Whitt #26 Speed Stick Gear Toyota Camry This is one of the few schemes that has both a classic and modern look at the same time, and paired with a great color scheme, it earns an A
#13 Austin Dillon #3 Dow Chevy SS While I like the color scheme and number and logo designs, the white stripe up the side kills the look. It takes an A scheme to a B+ scheme.
#14 Kyle Larson #42 Target Chevy SS The scheme looks decent, I like the red on the back, though I do not like the Target logos at the bottom. That takes a scheme that was an A grade to a B-
#16 Michael Annett #7 Pilot/Flying J Chevy SS Good color scheme, but the awful template is back for Tommy Baldwin. It is really sad, because this could be a great scheme, but the template takes it from an A to a C-
#19 JJ Yeley #44 Phoenix Warehouse Chevy SS My first thought when I saw this scheme was it looked like the color scheme from the 1994-1995 NBA All-Star Game jerseys which is a decent color scheme. But to say the car is overdesigned is an understatement. This scheme is awful. Not even a great color scheme can help this car pass. F
Now we move on to the All-Star Race, which saw Jamie McMurray pull an upset and take the win, thus guaranteeing him entry into the event for the next 10 years. Overall there were a lot of great schemes, though I wish more teams would run special schemes.
#5 David Ragan #34 Taco Bell Ford Fusion Overall design and color schemes are good, and the only complaint is that the Taco Bell logo should be in color as opposed to black and white. A+
#11 Jeff Gordon #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SS Great overall design, great color scheme, though the D on the hood reversed to miror the curves of the hood looks odd. Still it’s a good scheme and Ill give it an A
#12 Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 National Guard Chevy SS The new metallic numbers work, and the overall design is decent, since it incorporates the design used on the numbers. I’ll give it an B+
#13 Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry The front nose design and stripes are awful. The color schemes are great, as are the logos and numbers, but the stripes kill it. The best grade I can give is a C+
#15 Kasey Kahne #5 Time Warner Cable Chevy SS It is a good color scheme, but the design on the side needs a little tweaking. Get rid of the needless zig-zag pattern and it works a whole lot better. It is still a decent scheme, so I will give it a C
#17 Matt Kenseth #20 Home Depot/Huskey Toyota Camry I would give this scheme an A grade, but the yellow back bumper ruins it. The clash between the two just works awkward, and it takes an A scheme down to a C
#19 Ryan Newman #31 Cat/Quicken Loans Chevy SS What in the blue hell is going on here? I’ve liked Ryan’s schemes this year but this is an F scheme, even though I like the color scheme.
#22 Greg Biffle#16 3M Ford Fusion-The sides and roof have gotten worse from last year. I have to give it an F in that respect.
Also, check this video out concerning how different pit stops in open wheel racing were between 1950 and today:
The video shows how far we have come in pit stops, but we also have come a long way in driver uniforms.
By David G. Firestone
50 years ago this week, events over the course of 6 days in May of 1964 changed the culture, cars, and uniforms of auto racing forever. Three deaths in two races over those six days demonstrated that current safety methods were ineffective at best, and 3 talented drivers lost their lives. The 1964 World 600 and the 1964 Indianapolis 500 helped introduce reenforced fuel tanks and Nomex driver suits, among other things. 50 years later, those events are still being felt
The World 600 began in the early afternoon on May 24, 1964. For the first six laps, it was business as usual, but on lap 7, on the backstretch, Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett wrecked, and Glenn “Fireball” Roberts swerved to avoid them, and wrecked. He was trapped in the car by the pedals, and his car caught fire. Ned Jarrett ran and pulled Roberts from the car, and paramedics took him to the hospital. 39 days after the wreck, while still in the hospital from his injuries, he died from pneumonia.
NASCAR had rules concerning “fire retardant” uniforms but these were inadequate at best. These uniforms were cotton coveralls traditionally used by workmen that had been dipped in a number of fire retardant materials including Borax. These were not only ineffective, but were extremely uncomfortable to wear. They were known for inflaming the skin, and aggravating asthma. Fireball was not wearing these coveralls during that race, because he had a doctor’s note stating he should not wear them. There is some debate over what the doctor’s note was for, either for asthma or skin hives. It llustrates why these uniforms were not popular, they were so uncomfortable to wear that drivers did not want to wear them.
6 days later, on May 30, the 48th Indianapolis 500 was held. Dave MacDonald started 14th, and Eddie Sachs started 17th when the green flag dropped. MacDonald was racing a car built by racing innovator Mickey Thompson, which by all accounts was badly built and difficult to drive. The first lap led into the second, which saw Dave MacDonald lose control of his car and smash into the inside wall. The fuel tank instantly ignited and the car went across the track, and collected a number of other cars, including Eddie Sachs car, which also exploded on impact. Sachs was killed by the impact, but MacDonald was seriously burned, and his lungs were scorched, the lung damage proved to be fatal.
Inspired by these events, the Nomex firesuit was introduced in 1967 as a replacement for the cotton coveralls dipped in chemicals. It was a lot more comfortable and safer than chemical-dipped cotton, so drivers were more willing to wear them. Like most new safety equipment in sports, it took a while to catch on. Nomex was created in 1967, for NASA. Its main use at the time was for the Apollo Command Module parachutes. NASA needed a material that could stand up to the heat of reentering the earth’s atmosphere, and still remain fully functional.
Bill Simpson is credited with introducing Nomex to driver suits. The story goes that Simpson started making Nomex suits after learning about the material from astronaut Pete Conrad while Simpson was working as a consultant for NASA. One of the pivital moments in the history of the suit was when Simpson had heard that a competitor had been badmouthing his products, and so, in something he said later was “the dumbest thing I have ever done,” challenged the competitor to a “burn off.” Simpson put on his suit and lit himself on fire. He later recreated this for a Mazda commercial.
Why did it take so long to make critical changes to driver uniforms? The events that took place in 1964 were tragic, and it clearly illustrated why the old system didn’t work. The only change made immediately after the events was the rule that fire retardant suits were now mandatory, regardless of how it made the driver feel. In today’s sports safety culture, there would be focus groups, meetings within the sanctioning body, and changes within a few months after the event. But by 1964 standards, just rigidly enforcing the rule was the best course of action. Remember that in 1964 race car drivers were seen as somewhat expendable. Driver deaths in racing were stunningly common back then. As such, while there was a need for improvement, it was not a priority for sanctioning bodies. The sad fact is that back then, driver deaths were part of the allure of racing. People would go to these events and hope to see a fatal crash, as crass as that sounds. As for the suits themselves, the only other options besides chemical dipped cotton was aluminized cotton or aluminized kevlar, which was not more comfortable, as it was like wearing aluminum foil.
So what did these pre-Nomex driver suits look like? They looked like this. This is a driver suit made by Hinchman in Indianapolis. It is basically a polyester suit that is customizedto thedriver’spreference. It is not all that different than a jumpsuit that one would wear to work. It is a very flimsy material, has no cuffson the arms or legs, and, most amazingly, the tag states that the suit is “Untreated, will burn, must be dipped.” This suit was worn circa 1972, which is indicated by the “Archie Bunker for President” patch sewn into the chest. Like any new safety technology in sports, it takes time for it to become the standard, and for Nomex, this is no exception.
This race, along with the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2001 Daytona 500 have their legacies written in death, but unlike other similar events, the lessons they had to teach were learned, and the racing world as a whole is better for them. The deaths in these events were not in vain, and others are alive because of them. 50 years later, those 6 days in May 1964 are still having an impact on racing.
Today, at 4PM Eastern Time, the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 5 drivers will be voted on and announced. The nominees are:
Red Byron-First NASCAR Race Winner, First NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion
Richard Childress-Owner with 197 race victories,12 championships, first to win a Championship in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Seres,
Jerry Cook-One of the best all-time modified drivers in NASCAR history
Bill Elliot-1988 Sprint Cup Champion, two time Daytona 500 winner, Winner of the Winston Million in 1985, 16 time most popular driver
Ray Fox-One of the best early engine builders in NASCAR
Rick Hendrick-Owner with 15 Championships across all 3 of NASCAR’s top series, 269 race victories, and an unprecedented 11 Sprint Cup Championships
Bobby Isaac-1970 Sprint Cup Championship winner, 37 wins, Record holder for most poles in a season
Terry Labonte-Two time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, 1984, 1996.
Fred Lorenzen-Unstoppable between 1962 and 1967, 1965 Daytona 500 winner,
Raymond Parks-Red Byron’s 1949 car owner
Benny Parsons-1973 Sprint Cup Champion, 1975 Daytona 500 winner, longtime broadcaster and analyst.
Larry Phillips-won seven NASCAR Weekly Series regional championships and thirteen track championships
Wendell Scott-First African American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Race
O. Bruton Smith-Bulder of Charlotte Motor Speedway, owner/CEO of NASCAR track owner Speedway Motorsports, Inc
Mike Stefanik-7 time Wheelin Modified Series Champion-1989,1991,1997, 1998, 2001,2002, 2006, Two time Busch North Series Champion, 1997, 1998, 1999 Camping World Truck Series rookie of the year,
Curtis Turner-Won first race at Rockingham, 1965 Southern 500 Winner, Led NASCAR convertible division in poles-23, Wins-38, Wins in a season-22, Poles in a season-16,
Joe Weatherly-2 time Sprint Cup Championships-1962, 1963, 25 Sprint Cup wins
Rex White-1960 Sprint Cup Champion, 25 race wins,
Robert Yates-Owner with 1999 Sprint Cup Championship,58 Race Victories
First something I find to be unusual. Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, and Robert Yates are all represented, but for some unknown reason, Jack Roush ISN’T! How is that possible? He has 315 wins and 7 championships in the Big 3 series in NASCAR! Why does he get left off, but Robert Yates gets a place? I just don’t get that at all.
Second, here are my picks for the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame class: Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Wendell Scott, Benny Parsons, and Bill Elliott. Last year I stated who I thought would make it in, but I did not like how that turned out, so I won’t do that this year.
The season 11 finale will feature a Mike Skinner race-worn and autographed driver suit from his 1997 rookie of the year campaign. Next week, we will have the Season 2 Premier of Introduction to Tobacco Cards.
I was ready to present a behind the scenes video this week, but I’m gonna put that on the back burner until next week. Last Saturday was the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, an IndyCar race on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race as a whole was fun, but it did have some issues. There was a huge wreck on the standing start, fortunately all were Ok. The same cannot be said for James Hinchcliffe.
The 2011 Rookie of The Year suffered a concussion when he was hit by a piece of flying debris. Watching it live, it looked like after he had gotten hit, he pulled off the track and he was stunned by what had happened. The report was, at the time, that he had hurt his hand. The race went on, no caution flag flew because the safety crew was able to get the car out of harms way quickly. It looked like everything was normal, then suddenly the camera shows Hinchcliffe on a stretcher being led away seemingly in distress. He was loaded onto an ambulance, and was taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a concussion and his future status for the season is yet to be determined.
This incident reminded me of something Tony Schumacher said last year. I was in his hospitality tent listening to him make a speech, and he took a number of questions. One of them concerned the canopy he has over his cockpit. He stated that it took some time to convince the NHRA to allow a cockpit canopy. He stated that he is really scared of hitting a bird with his helmet, stating that “I’ve taken a few out with my tail, and if you catch one of those with your helmet, you’re getting coloring books for Christmas for the rest of your life.”
I’m wondering if in the near future canopies will come to IndyCar. With the current safety culture in racing, I’m kind of shocked it hasn’t yet. Racing fans will complain that it breaks tradition, but at the same time, nobody wants another Dan Wheldon. Fans do not want to watch a driver to die. I think that canopies will come to IndyCar, I want them to come to IndyCar, and I think that safety should take precedence over tradition.
The other factor that needs to be discussed is that there is a parallel to the recent concussion lawsuit filed with the NFL. The information that was gained from that suit was that no helmet can definitely prevent all head injuries. As such, a canopy could very well prevent a fatality in that respect. Give the driver an extra layer of protection so that he could walk away. These canopies are not plexiglass, they are the same exact material used to make F-16 bulletproof canopies. It is a very durable material that could have prevented what happened to Hinchcliffe.
Shifting gears now, I want to discuss something else. Starting in a couple of weeks, I will be restarting Wheel Reviews. I started with Rush, an amazing F1 movie by Ron Howard about James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 1976 F1 season. So what I am going to do is to alternate the paint scheme reviews and Wheel Reviews. I’ve got 13 movies in total to review so far, and I hope to find some more. With that, we move on to…
Ryan Newman #31 Cat/Quicken Loans Chevy SS What in the blue hell is going on here? I’ve liked Ryan’s schemes this year but this is an F scheme, even though I like the color scheme.
Landon Cassill #40 Cars For Sale Chevy SS I like the design, but to be honest, I don’t know where I stand on the color scheme. The red is good, but the when it comes to yellow/green I’m not sure if I like it or hate it. I’ll give it a C
Aric Almirola #43 US Air Force Ford Fusion I’ve been tough on military schemes this year, but this is the best one! The dark blue sky theme, with two small fighters with light clouds works perfectly, and earns an A+. See, military schemes CAN be done well without camo.
By David G. Firestone
It shows great use, and has a lot of wear on it.
No arm gussets,or design on the shoulder epaulets,
cuffed legs, and no logos on the legs,
The Driver Suit Blog 