WHEN COMPETITION BENEFITS THE RACER
Sat, 2007-04-14 12:47
It’s not often when competing aftermarket companies are seen working closely
together, but that’s exactly what’s going on with two firms normally found in
NASCARland. Innovative Safety Products (ISP) of Concord, NC and Safety Solutions
of nearby Mooresville, NC are playing a significant role in the modifications
being made to many Funny Cars as a result of the Eric Medlen tragedy.
Kris Van Glider of ISP manufactures complete driver compartment safety systems, including seats, restraints and related accessories, while Trevor Ashline of Safety Solutions specializes in head and neck restraints. Together they’re producing items that will shortly become commonplace in NHRA competition, with John Force Race cars being their first customers.
Ashline’s products include the mounting hardware for dual straps that will attach to the front portion of the driver’s helmet on either side of the chin to help keep the head in place under acceleration. This system will replace the more commonly seen single “tie-down” strap that many drivers currently have affixed to their helmets, and that can let the head move from side to side. It’s not often when competing aftermarket companies are seen working closely together, but that’s exactly what’s going on with two firms normally found in NASCARland. Innovative Safety Products (ISP) of Concord, NC and Safety Solutions of nearby Mooresville, NC are playing a significant role in the modifications being made to many Funny Cars as a result of the Eric Medlen tragedy.
Kris Van Glider of ISP manufactures complete driver compartment safety systems, including seats, restraints and related accessories, while Trevor Ashline of Safety Solutions specializes in head and neck restraints. Together they’re producing items that will shortly become commonplace in NHRA competition, with John Force Race cars being their first customers.
Ashline’s products include the mounting hardware for dual straps that will attach to the front portion of the driver’s helmet on either side of the chin to help keep the head in place under acceleration. This system will replace the more commonly seen single “tie-down” strap that many drivers currently have affixed to their helmets, and that can let the head move from side to side.
Ashline has also shortened the back brace of the Hans device to provide more clearance around the seat, but it does not weaken the unit’s overall strength. He emphasized that in order for everything to work correctly proper helmet fit is a must, and that means a relatively tight fight. “You shouldn’t be able to turn the helmet from side to side while holding your head straight,” he said.
VanGilder is designing new seats for Funny Cars that will closely resemble the designs currently being used in stock car racing that “embrace” the driver in almost a cocoon of surrounding aluminum and carbon fiber for strength. “What we’re doing is the result of years of testing,” he told Torco’s Competitionplus.com. “Molded seats – ones that closely fit a driver’s physical dimensions – provide a significant advantage over a ‘stock’ item that could
allow the driver’s body to shift around during a run. We want to prevent that from taking place.”
Both companies are working with what VanGilder called “safety professionals,” and praised the work being done by Dr. John Melvin of Wayne State Univerisyt in assisting John Force Racing in not only analyzing the Medlen accident, but in working towards designing a safer driver’s compartment for Funny Cars. “Everything we’re doing hs been 100% successful so far,” he said. It’s all really basic stuff. It’s the system that counts.”
What’s been largely unknown until now is that ISP products have been utilized on both the Morgan Lucas and Bob Vandergriff Top Fuel cars for almost three years, but the weight of the roll cage pads and the like have kept them out of other cars as tuners continue to fight to eliminate an ounce here and another on there. But what’s a few ounces when it comes to driver safety?
Kris Van Glider of ISP manufactures complete driver compartment safety systems, including seats, restraints and related accessories, while Trevor Ashline of Safety Solutions specializes in head and neck restraints. Together they’re producing items that will shortly become commonplace in NHRA competition, with John Force Race cars being their first customers.
Ashline’s products include the mounting hardware for dual straps that will attach to the front portion of the driver’s helmet on either side of the chin to help keep the head in place under acceleration. This system will replace the more commonly seen single “tie-down” strap that many drivers currently have affixed to their helmets, and that can let the head move from side to side. It’s not often when competing aftermarket companies are seen working closely together, but that’s exactly what’s going on with two firms normally found in NASCARland. Innovative Safety Products (ISP) of Concord, NC and Safety Solutions of nearby Mooresville, NC are playing a significant role in the modifications being made to many Funny Cars as a result of the Eric Medlen tragedy.
Kris Van Glider of ISP manufactures complete driver compartment safety systems, including seats, restraints and related accessories, while Trevor Ashline of Safety Solutions specializes in head and neck restraints. Together they’re producing items that will shortly become commonplace in NHRA competition, with John Force Race cars being their first customers.
Ashline’s products include the mounting hardware for dual straps that will attach to the front portion of the driver’s helmet on either side of the chin to help keep the head in place under acceleration. This system will replace the more commonly seen single “tie-down” strap that many drivers currently have affixed to their helmets, and that can let the head move from side to side.
Ashline has also shortened the back brace of the Hans device to provide more clearance around the seat, but it does not weaken the unit’s overall strength. He emphasized that in order for everything to work correctly proper helmet fit is a must, and that means a relatively tight fight. “You shouldn’t be able to turn the helmet from side to side while holding your head straight,” he said.
VanGilder is designing new seats for Funny Cars that will closely resemble the designs currently being used in stock car racing that “embrace” the driver in almost a cocoon of surrounding aluminum and carbon fiber for strength. “What we’re doing is the result of years of testing,” he told Torco’s Competitionplus.com. “Molded seats – ones that closely fit a driver’s physical dimensions – provide a significant advantage over a ‘stock’ item that could
allow the driver’s body to shift around during a run. We want to prevent that from taking place.”
Both companies are working with what VanGilder called “safety professionals,” and praised the work being done by Dr. John Melvin of Wayne State Univerisyt in assisting John Force Racing in not only analyzing the Medlen accident, but in working towards designing a safer driver’s compartment for Funny Cars. “Everything we’re doing hs been 100% successful so far,” he said. It’s all really basic stuff. It’s the system that counts.”
What’s been largely unknown until now is that ISP products have been utilized on both the Morgan Lucas and Bob Vandergriff Top Fuel cars for almost three years, but the weight of the roll cage pads and the like have kept them out of other cars as tuners continue to fight to eliminate an ounce here and another on there. But what’s a few ounces when it comes to driver safety?
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