Delphi's Test Sled Facility is One-of-a-Kind Safety Testing Service For Motor Sports Industry

Delphi's Vandalia, Ohio, Facility Provides Sled Test Service To Help Advance Safety in Racing

TROY, Mich., May 21 -- Delphi Corp. is the first company to provide comprehensive sled testing to racing series and racing equipment manufacturers. Delphi's Vandalia, Ohio, facility is state-of-the- art, offering one of the most comprehensive safety testing services in North America.

"Delphi recognizes safety is a top priority for all constituents of the racing community. In fact, many of our racing products were designed to help improve safety in the sport. We have one of the most highly advanced testing facilities in the U.S. and it was only natural to extend those services, and the benefits of sled testing, to the motor sports industry," said Glen Gray, motor sports technical manager for Delphi.

In 1999, Delphi's testing facility became the first to build a hydraulic sled in North America. Outside the motor sports world, the test sled is used to support research and development for automotive safety in the advancement of air bags, seat belts and safety systems to meet the needs of global vehicle manufacturers.

The test can simulate an actual crash using data from Delphi's earpiece sensor system (DESS) and Accident Data Recorder 2 (ADR2). The test sled reverses the event by accelerating a test vehicle to simulate the change in velocity measured upon impact, and thus subjecting test dummies to the loads the driver would have experienced. The sled has a nominal thrust equivalent to that of two 747 airplanes. It also features on-board data acquisition and on- and off-board digital video sampled at 1,000 and 45,000 frames per second respectively.

Delphi has provided automotive manufacturers with comprehensive safety testing for decades, and now that the technology has moved into the racing world, testing already has been completed for key motor sports organizations including GM Racing, Indy Racing League (IRL), Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), Kelley Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

"It is an unfortunate reality that for so long we've had to rely on data only as it came from accidents during races and practice," said Dr. Henry Bock, medical director for the Indy Racing League. "With this type of testing, we can be much more proactive in developing and implementing safety improvements."

Beyond the testing service, many of the products Delphi supplies to racing focus on safety, including:

* Delphi Earpiece Sensor System -- measures dynamic forces to a driver's head during an accident. It uses small sensors integrated into the left and right radio earpieces worn by the driver. The six accelerometers -- one for each of the three axes on each side -- measure acceleration in the X, Y and Z axes during an accident. The combined data from the earpiece sensor system and onboard accident data recorder provide accident researchers valuable data for a clearer picture of what happens during a crash.

* Accident Data Recorder (ADR2) -- senses and records key vehicle parameters at 1000 samples per second just prior to, during, and after an accident-triggering event. It is a crash-hardened system that can record data from both the vehicle's internal sensors as well as information from the car's on-board data acquisition system. It can also be used to record data from external sensors like Delphi's earpiece sensor system.

* Track Condition Radio -- helps alert drivers with critical information by transmitting messages from race control to the racecar. A dash-mounted display communicates messages including safety warnings, track condition and pits opened/closed.

* Radio Telemetry Module -- transmits engine and chassis data from a speeding racecar to race team engineers located in the pits. The telemetry module helps enhance driver safety and race team strategy by making real-time data available.

For more information about Delphi Racing, refer to the 2003 Delphi Racing Press Kit found at www.delphi.com/media .