Delphi will Sponsor IRL Safety Team in 2004
Delphi Becomes Official Safety Supplier to IRL
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 27 -- As the Indy Racing League (IRL) continues its quest to be a leader in safety, it has reached a safety team sponsorship agreement with Delphi Corp. , a global leader in automotive safety systems. The sponsorship is the first-ever of its kind for the league and designates Delphi as the "Official Safety Supplier" to the IRL.
"The difference between Delphi and other possible sponsors is that we can actively help to advance safety in the league," said William A. Lafontaine, corporate director of media relations and marketing communications for Delphi. "We've already done a significant amount of work to help bring enhanced safety to the sport through our electronics expertise. This sponsorship will bring an even more comprehensive approach to the league's initiative."
Beginning this year, the league's safety and rescue team will become the Delphi Indy Racing League Safety Team. The Delphi Indy Racing League Safety Team includes 15 trained professionals who will attend all IndyCar Series and Menards Infiniti Pro Series events to handle on-site emergencies. In addition, Delphi will provide new safety technologies for safety vehicles used by the team and will provide hydraulic sled testing and analysis services at the Delphi Safety Systems Test Center, a state-of-the-art safety testing facility in Vandalia, Ohio.
"We've been approached by other companies interested in sponsoring our safety team in the past," noted Brian Barnhart, senior vice president of operations for the Indy Racing League. "Safety is our number one priority and we didn't want to minimize its importance through commercialization. With Delphi taking an active role by providing some of the latest technologies for our trucks, we look forward to establishing the standard for safety in racing."
As part of the sponsorship, the entire safety team will wear Delphi- branded uniforms. Safety and rescue trucks will also be branded with the Delphi Indy Racing League Safety Team logo.
Delphi has been a leader in safety systems for the automotive market for several decades. Safety milestones for the company include being the first to produce a padded instrument panel in 1956 and the first to provide a production airbag in 1973. Delphi was also the first to introduce an airbag module integrated into the steering wheel in 1996.
Delphi has been involved in open-wheel racing since 1988. Today, a majority of the vehicles in the IRL are equipped with several of Delphi's racing products, 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 on-board 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 1,000 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 racecar. A dash-mounted display communicates messages including safety warnings, track condition and pits opened/closed.
* Comprehensive Safety Testing - Delphi provides several testing services to the racing industry, including hydraulic sled testing and analysis at the Delphi Safety Systems Test Center in Vandalia, Ohio. Using one of the few hydraulic test sleds in the U.S., and information obtained from Delphi's earpiece sensor system and ADR2, Delphi can simulate a crash and provide feedback including information from on-board data acquisition, on- and off- board digital video monitoring.
For more information about Delphi and its subsidiaries, visit Delphi's media room at www.delphi.com/media . For more information about the Indy Racing League, visit www.indyracing.com .
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