News

Green Light for Racing Safety

Delphi "crash box" is helping contribute to safety innovation in NHRA^® drag racing.

Top Fuel dragsters, the fastest cars of NHRA^® professional drag racing, can cover a quarter mile in less than five seconds at speeds well in excess of 300 mph (483 kph). But in those five seconds, it can be overwhelming to think of everything that must function precisely to get down the track.

Delphi technology, in the form of its third-generation Accident Data Recorder (ADR3), is helping the teams and chassis designers involved in NHRA drag racing build safer racecars to help reduce the likelihood of driver injury if an accident does occur during one of the high-speed runs. The ADR3 records a variety of sophisticated vehicle data that when analyzed can significantly assist with understanding why the accident occurred. Such research can provide valuable information that can be useful to groups working on ways to improve safety systems. Data collected by ADR3 units have proven beneficial to car builders and even track designers in other racing series, including IndyCar^®.

With significant technical and financial support from a major OEM, all NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car dragsters are now equipped with ADR3s. GM provided technical, financial, and logistical support for a similar program that now provides all NHRA Pro Stock teams with ADR3s.

"Our experience in other racing series, and the data collected there, has given us an excellent baseline to work from as we apply the ADR3 to NHRA drag racing," said Brad Stout, Delphi senior manager of motorsports marketing and technical operations. "Although some of the forces placed on a car differ in drag racing compared to oval or road racing, the data collected in all series have helped correlate the crash models engineers and safety experts have been working with."

In drag racing, as in all motorsports, data gained from the ADR3 boxes in the event of a crash can be analyzed alongside supporting medical reports, photographs, and video to help determine if additional safety measures can be designed and implemented into the cars. But just as importantly as understanding what didn't work, Delphi's ADR3 can help examiners determine what did work. Information can be shared with the teams and manufacturers to help them build safer racecars.

On Guard The familiar red, yellow, and black livery was missing from the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series® grid this season, but Delphi is proud to have traded those colors in for red, white, and blue as part of a Panther Racing primary sponsorship program with the National Guard. The partnership produced an exciting finish for Panther Racing's former driver Vitor Meira and his Honda-powered Dallara—an impressive second-place run at the 92nd Indianapolis 500. Delphi and the National Guard also teamed up as sponsors of fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NASCAR® Nationwide Series Chevrolet, while Delphi Motorsports also ventured into drag racing this season with a primary sponsorship program with John Force Racing on the NHRA tour. In addition, Delphi's role in helping improve motorsports safety was showcased on an episode of "Modern Marvels," which aired on The History Channel. The show spotlighted several Delphi motorsports safety products, including the Accident Data Recorder and its associated sensors, as well as the on-board yellow safety light used in the IRL. "Delphi has a long and distinguished record of participating in the highest levels of motorsports, and we are excited about our partnerships with some of the most respected and talented teams in the IRL, NASCAR, and the NHRA in 2008," said Brad Stout, Delphi senior manager of motorsports marketing and technical operations. "From Indianapolis to Daytona, Delphi will continue to be a visible participant, reinforcing our commitment to developing a wide range of high-performance products."

ADR3 lowdown

Packaged in a small, lightweight box, the ADR3 can record signals from multiple sensors at speeds of up to 1,000 samples per second. Monitored parameters can include wheel speed, throttle position, steering angle, tire pressure, three-axes acceleration, and even seatbelt loads.

Since not all of those are relevant in drag racing, Delphi's engineers have modified the ADR3 to collect data only from accelerometers located in the car's roll hoop—which is subject to intense vibrations—as well as under the seat, and, in many cases, even the driver's earpiece. (In Pro Stock cars, the sensors are located in the unit itself.) These accelerometers measure changes in velocity, allowing the forces on the car and the driver to be calculated.

The shorter run times inherent in drag racing compared to other forms of motorsports also enabled Delphi to adjust the ADR3 to record data for a run's entirety rather than just the 90 seconds before and 30 seconds after engine shutdown common in other applications. And since a complete drag race run lasts only a few minutes from engine startup to shutdown, the ADR3 has been modified to run off its own battery power rather than add to the draw on the car's power system.

"All of the data is stored in memory, and can be retrieved via a high-speed data link to a personal computer," said Stout. "That provides researchers convenient access to the data so it can be analyzed to assist in understanding what was going on in the car at any given point during a run."

Driving Force

One beneficiary of safety enhancements made as a result of information gleaned from the ADR3 is legendary Funny Car racer and team owner John Force, a 14-time NHRA champion. After the tragic death of John Force Racing driver Eric Medlen in March 2007 as a result of injuries suffered in a crash during a Funny Car test, Force launched the Eric Medlen Project dedicated to improving safety in the sport. Force was an early proponent of using crash data recorders to help researchers learn more about the forces cars and drivers are subjected to during an accident.

With support from a major OEM, in 2007 Force equipped his Mustang Funny Cars with a Delphi-designed ADR3 and other safety measures, including additional extra head padding in the cockpit and to changes to the chassis to make it stiffer and therefore stronger and more resilient in an impact. Those measures paid almost immediate dividends for Force, as he escaped a serious crash in Dallas in September 2007 with injuries to his hands, feet, legs, and arms, but with no head or internal injuries.

While acknowledging that racing will always have the potential to be dangerous, any effort to improve safety and help prevent serious injuries and fatalities is welcomed by Force and all NHRA participants.

"The NHRA has, since its inception, always been committed to improve safety in the sport," said Graham Light, senior vice president of racing operations. "And, during that time, the NHRA has worked on an ongoing basis with manufacturers and the racing community to enhance the safety of these vehicles. We are very proud of our safety record, given the inherent risks in the sport, and look forward to analyzing the data we anticipate to receive from the ADR3 initiative to further our commitment to safety."

For more information about Delphi's ADR3, click here. For more information on all of Delphi's motorsports products, click here.

NHRA is a registered trademark of the National Hot Rod Association.
IndyCar Series is a registered trademark of Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. and/or licensed to the IRL for use.
NASCAR is a registered trademark of the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing.