March 2013 NASCAR_Layout 1 3/21/13 2:07 PM Page 18
Track Talk Inside NASCAR’s Black Box
team of field investigators In 1992, General Motors was recorder. In the event of a places a looking for ways to decrease crash, big or small, NASCAR recorder into the number of lower leg officials are able to retrieve the that bracket. injuries to their Indy Car driv- data and details of the crash, Once a magers. In their research, they were including the rate of decelera- netic sensor lacking one piece of technolo- tion when the car hits a barrier. inside the gy to help them do this: a way According to Tom Gideon, box detects to measure the force drivers senior director of safety, it’s been During a race, the “black box” measures the accelwere subject to in crashes. research and development for placed into eration or deceleration of a racecar 10,000 times They did, however, have a NASCAR, the incident data the car, it per second. device placed in shipments of recorder has not failed to col- goes into a state of readiness. NASCAR also uses these expensive equipment going lect information on a crash yet. Because the units don’t have devices to reconstruct actual overseas to determine how the “From 2002 to now, we’ve an on/off switch, the magnet crashes to improve safety and cargo was being handled, and recorded over 6,000 incidents sensor helps to preserve battery to test new developments. track when it was mishandled in the national series,” he said. when they aren’t in a car. Technicians are able to take the and by whom. With a few “All the vehicles in our nation- During a race, the device meas- numbers from a wreck and, tweaks, such as an increased al series – which include ures the acceleration or deceler- using a hydraulic cylinder and range of measurement, the NASCAR Sprint Cup, ation of the car 10,000 times dummy model, examine the company realized these devices Nationwide and Camping per second. NASCAR officials effects on the body of that could be placed in cars to World Series racecars and remove the IDRs from the car identical force. They’ve even measure the impact of a crash. trucks – are required to have a after each race, recording infor- used these data recorders to That was the beginning of crash recorder.” mation from those in cars test the Generation-6 car’s the Incident Data Recorder, or Since 2002, the accident involved in wrecks. improved roll cage by captur“black box,” in automobile rac- data recorders have ridden Once NASCAR extracts the ing the impact when a car is ing. along with NASCAR drivers. data from a crash, the numbers dropped upside down in the Today, NASCAR supplies Teams are responsible only for are then released to the team Research and Development each of the cars in its three the aluminum bracket that whose car held the recorder. Center parking lot. national racing series with an holds the recorder into place in Teams use this information to “We’re at all times looking updated version of that that car. Before each race, a determine how hard the car was for improvements to the car hit, and that we can validate, so that whether the when we finally put it in the impact was car, we’re not worried that big enough maybe we did something to cause wrong,” Gideon said. damage to Learn more about the the seat and latest technological advances restraints. If in NASCAR by visiting the so, the seat – new NASCAR Autowhich can motive Technology Center cost up to Engineered By Mobil 1: $12,000 – www.nascar.com/automotivetechwill be fully nology inspected before being replaced or By Kristen Boghosian, An incident data recorder, also known as a “black box,” gives NASCAR officials the ability to repaired. NASCAR.COM measure the effects of crashes.
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