NASCAR WCUP: PPI Motorsports implements team specific safety measures for 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

HICKORY, NC- In an effort to improve safety for its NASCAR Winston Cup athletes and personnel, PPI Motorsports will implement several new and continuing initiatives for its Tide Racing and McDonald's Racing teams this season. The team's safety measures, which will be developed and used throughout the season, include the following components:

* Testing and development of pit safety helmets for over-the-wall crews

* Required use of race day fire suits by all pit support personnel

* Utilization of the HANS device by drivers Ricky Craven (No. 32 Tide Ford) and Andy Houston (No. 96 McDonald's Ford)

* Installation of six-point safety harnesses, foam bead seat liners, pedal-activated throttle safety switches and cable-activated throttles in the team's Tide and McDonald's Fords

PPI Motorsports began testing and using the HANS device, six-point safety harnesses, foam bead seat liners and throttle mechanisms last season with positive results. The team's new measures - pit safety helmets and fire suits - extend the initiative beyond the drivers to include other at-risk personnel.

"Safety is and always will be the top priority for our racing programs," said Cal Wells III, president and owner of PPI Motorsports. "The sport has seen a marked increase in safety awareness over the past few years, and we as a team have been inspired by some of the safety measures recently discussed.

"If we can take some of these ideas and help create a safer work environment for our own personnel, then we will explore every available option," Wells explained. "As our intensive work with the ongoing seat design project has shown, we're deeply committed to researching and developing improved safety measures for our crews, our athletes and our equipment. We're very excited to again take some positive new steps in that direction."

Following is a breakdown of each safety component and how PPI Motorsports will implement it this season:

Pit Safety Helmets

PPI Motorsports will utilize pit safety helmets for its over-the-wall crews in an effort to reduce the risk of serious head injury if a pit incident should occur. Both crews will test the helmets in Daytona to determine any necessary modifications before implementing their use full-time. The protective, full-face helmets are designed specifically for pit crews, with wider openings around the eyes for unobstructed vision and additional ventilation.

Pit Support Fire Suits

All PPI Motorsports over-the-wall and pit support personnel will wear fire suits during race events. The suits, made of single- and multi-layer fire retardant material, are intended to help minimize injury in the event of a pit fire. While NASCAR already recommends fire suits for over-the-wall crews, PPI Motorsports will require all personnel working in the pits - regardless of whether they go over the wall - to wear them on race day. Suits are currently being manufactured and should be ready by the Rockingham event.

HANS Device

Both Ricky Craven and Andy Houston will wear the HANS device at race events this season. The HANS device, a custom-fitted carbon fiber harness worn around a driver's neck, provides head and neck support by restricting a wide range of movement in an impact. Both drivers developed customized Hubbard Downing-supplied HANS devices in winter testing.

Six-Point Safety Harness (Seat Belt)

While most NASCAR Winston Cup teams utilize a protective five-point safety harness, PPI Motorsports has begun utilizing a six-point harness for both Craven and Houston. The additional support across the upper body helps distribute forward motion more evenly in an impact, lessening the strain on the shoulder belt area.

Foam Bead Seat Liners

Since last season, PPI Motorsports has used custom-made foam bead liners in the driver's seats of its Tide and McDonald's Fords. The liners, which are custom-fitted to the contours of the individual driver's body, provide all-around support for the driver in conjunction with seat belt use. In the event of an impact, the liners not only act as shock absorbers but also help prevent a wide range of movement (and potential injury) by keeping the torso snugly secured in the seat.

Pedal Activated Throttle Safety Switch

In addition to NASCAR-mandated throttle kill switches mounted on the dash of each car, PPI Motorsports has developed a secondary pedal-activated throttle kill switch. The switch, a flat metal plate activated by the top of the foot, shuts off the throttle when the driver's foot is pulled toward the body and away from the throttle pedal. PPI Motorsports tested the device during the 2000 season and has installed it in its new 2001 fleet.

Cable Activated Throttle

As is common in Winston Cup car construction, air filter boxes often do not provide comfortable clearance above throttle linkage cables in the car's engine compartment -- creating the potential for throttle linkage joints, when pushed forward during throttle activation, to get stuck. The PPI Motorsports-designed cable activated throttle replaces the standard push throttle linkage system with a cable - routing the linkage around the air filter box to pull (rather than push) the throttle activation unit from the other side, where clearance is not an issue.

In addition to implementing team-specific safety improvements, PPI Motorsports continues its involvement this season in the new seat design project. Led by PPI Motorsports technical director Mark McArdle, the team's engineering group has contributed design concepts and specifications for prototype seats as well as maintaining involvement in the project's crash testing and evaluation program under the direction of consultant Dr. John Melvin. A competition-ready seat is expected by the summer of 2001.

Text Provided By Amy Riley

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