20/20 future vision? Surely the title of this particular story contains some misleading advertising. Am I really suggesting that I or any one could have 20/20 vision when it comes to looking into the future of racing? Of course not. 2020 actually refers to the year which we picked as a reference date for this article, which …
Safety Technology
In formula cars, look for fully-enclosed cockpits with Lexan canopies which can pass the “300 mph chicken impact test” that jet fighter canopies go through. This innovation will also require an efficient ale unit. Look for inflatable, air-conditioned “g” suits also like those used in jet fighters. In race cars, the suits will not be used so much to withstand the g pressures, but for added initial impact crash protection.
Look for helmets with heads-up displays including four-corner-intrusion warning systems which will visibly and audibly tell a driver when another is attempting to pass on the inside or the outside. Touted as a safety feature which alerts the driver to a competitor who is between wheels or in his blind spot, this system will also help drivers fend off passes. This system will make the expression “He drives with his mirrors” obsolete. The new expression will be “He is a techno-geek blocker.”
On-board infrared pyrometers which scan and monitor the inside, center and outside temperatures of each tire will let the driver know if he has a defective tire or if he is overheating his tires during a long race. This will make every driver as good as Ron Fellows is at managing his tires during a race.
Integral electronic ABS, traction control, ride height and yaw control systems are already here. The question is whether F1, CART or anyone else will allow their combined use in racing in the future. Remember, since every race series has rules, it is a quasi-spec series. At some point, even the most wealthy F teams will oppose specific advanced technologies if the cost is too high.
In closed-wheeled sports cars, all-wheel-drive systems have been successful–maybe too successful, as Audi found out in the TransAm series. Depending on weight penalties and upon the development of externally adjustable, torque/speed-sensitive GeroDisc differential systems, AWD may be the wave of the future.
For example, the patented GeroDisc (ASHA trademark)…
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