www.racetechmag.com 58 SAFETY Concussion fears

BELOW ’s BTCC title hopes were ended when he was diagnosed with concussion following this Brands shunt, keeping him out of the day’s final race competitors, than is currently the case. These injuries are concussions. Many drivers and those around them dismiss concussion as merely ‘a bang on the head’. But Doctor Paul Trafford, Medical Director to the British Touring Car Championship for 26 years and today a leading figure in motorsport medical safety, argues that they are much more than that. “One way of classifying traumatic brain injuries is as mild, moderate, or severe, and a concussion is a brain injury, usually at the mild end,” Dr Trafford says. “The phrase ought to be thrown away, however, because people don’t consider concussion as an injury to the brain – they say “he’s PSP Images fine, a bit of a bang on the head, a bit concussed, but he’ll be okay.’” The definition of concussion is a chemical change in the brain as a result of some insult to it, principally through rotational forces. While there is no bleed into the BIG BANG brain, it can be described as fibres being torn releasing chemicals. “It’s not defined by symptoms such as a headache, or loss of vision, or being grumpy, it’s a chemical imbalance in the brain – the symptoms can THEORY vary,” says Dr Trafford. Concussion injuries are often dismissed as ‘a bang on the head’ but are becoming a very real concern in A NEW ISSUE

motorsport. Andrew Charman learns that accepting Several factors have contributed to the seriousness of such injuries is as big an issue as concussion perhaps not being given the prominence it requires. To begin with, finding a foolproof method to diagnose them Dr Trafford admits that such injuries have only recently become commonplace in HE subject of head injuries in motorsport has assumed more Tprominence in recent times, highlighted by high-profile incidences in single-seater racing. Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa missed eight races of the 2009 season after being hit on the helmet by a spring from another car at the Hungarian GP and sustaining initially life- threatening injuries, while in the US IndyCar driver Justin Wilson sadly succumbed to injuries sustained when his helmet was hit by debris from another car at Pocono in 2015. As this is written both series are testing cockpit protection devices, the controversial Halo and Aeroscreen, with a view to mandating them in the near future. According to medical staff throughout the sport, however, there is a far greater, ABOVE Opening eyes: Dr Trafford and growing incidence of head injuries believes educating drivers on the effects of concussion, here in the occurring, a trend that needs to be taken BTCC-supporting single-seater much more seriously, particularly by Jakob Ebrey/BTCC British F4 series, is highly important

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motorsport: “I’ve chased hundreds of races in a medical car and you would stop at an Learning lessons from F1 accident and go over to the driver and they would either be injured or they would be A FACTOR that will be taken into account by the ongoing research into all right. Now we are arriving and finding concussion is that such injuries are virtually unknown in single-seater racing, drivers bursting into tears, who can’t whether Formula 1 with its 190 mph impacts or at national level such as the remember who they are, or what’s going on, Formula 4 series that supports the British Touring Car Championship. and they get quite distressed.” Dr Trafford believes a number of factors could be contributing to this, principally A prime example of how concussion has the way that the driver is held in the car. “The headrest has more foam on it, you moved up the agenda was seen during are held more precisely in the cockpit than in a closed car,” he says. the final British Touring Car Championship “Also the head protection, the ‘ears’ of the are sited much closer together meeting of 2016 at in in a single-seater. Interestingly in conversation with Tom Gideon, Director of Safety October, during which Dr Trafford Initiatives for NASCAR, we’ve learnt that they have moved the seat ears closer suspended four drivers from racing with together, almost pushing the helmet backwards so that the head is better held.” such injuries, in the process ending This is all very well for NASCAR, where drivers do not need to look around BTCC driver Matt Neal’s championship bid. them as they have an external spotter radioing instructions into their helmet – in In America, NASCAR’s most popular driver Touring Cars all-round vision is more essential. “That’s the big difficulty, so one Dale Earnhardt Jr has missed half the 2016 of the areas we are looking at is whether we could introduce more foam to the season with concussion-related injuries seat,” he says. “Today’s are more solid and rigid than previously – so you sustained as a result of two crashes of a are not absorbing that energy. Whether you are instead transmitting it through the level the sport considers commonplace seat, we don’t currently know. and unremarkable. “[BTCC driver] was telling me that he added padding to his Motorsport medical personnel are now HANS device, as he was aware when he had his big accident at Snetterton in discussing concussion far more frequently – August that his helmet went back and hit the HANS – but it’s all theory. the subject was again on the agenda for the “The problem is we can to some extent dial out the movement of the head by FIA’s biannual medical conference in Vienna holding it rigidly, but the brain is like a jelly inside the hard shell of the skull. Even in December. The discussions are concluding if you hold the skull rigidly, if you stop suddenly your brain will still be sloshing around, you can’t dial it out completely.”

When you use BELOW The way the driver is held the phrase ‘brain in a single-seater might offer clues injury’ they take in the fight to prevent concussion it a bit more seriously” that the rise in such injuries could be as the result of safety advances – that introduction of such measures as better seat design, the HANS (head and neck restraint system) Device and such like, may have resulted in drivers escaping from accidents that would previously have caused serious head injuries, with a concussion instead. WilliamsF1 “To be honest we don’t know, it’s early days for studies into concussion, but we do seem to have fewer serious head injuries these days,” Dr Trafford says. will you injure or kill yourself, but also fellow admitted to not feeling normal when first Currently there is no proven, fail-safe way competitors, spectators, officials… So that’s returning to the sport after the incident. to diagnose a concussion injury, but the why in motor racing it is now being taken Of those who responded to the competitor consequences of not properly diagnosing or more seriously.” survey, 45 per cent admitted suffering treating the symptom could be particularly A survey on concussion carried out across concussion-related symptoms following an severe in motorsport. “If you play rugby the sport in 2015 by the FIA’s Auto+Medical, accident, principally dizziness, headaches with a concussion, you don’t feel right, a safety journal started by Dr Trafford, and confusion, but only 36 per cent of these but the worst you are going to do is kill produced some dramatic conclusions. sought medical advice as a result. yourself,” reasons Dr Trafford. “In any sport Of drivers who admitted to suffering a Because concussion does not appear to be with mechanical elements such as motor concussive episode, only half had discussed a physical injury, it is difficult to get across racing there is a very real risk that not only it with a doctor, though 70 per cent to competitors and those around them

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BELOW NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr missed the final 18 races of the Sprint Cup season after experiencing concussion-like how serious it is. “If you have broken your symptoms. He previously missed races following a pair of crashes leg or such like, or you have a bandage on, in 2012, and is believed to have people can see you have an injury, but with had several other concussions concussion, people think ‘what’s wrong related to racing incidents with him, he looks perfectly healthy,’” Dr Trafford says. This has been particularly noticeable in the case of Dale Earnhardt Jr, who while out of the cockpit of his NASCAR car has been attending the race meetings, holding press conferences discussing his injuries and helping with the TV commentary, Getty Images/NASCAR prompting fans to wonder why he cannot race. “The problem is people don’t understand that when racing you have to sleep so well, but all the symptoms are a the team’s mechanics could have the car really concentrate to put that car where it bit woolly. It’s not like ‘I have a pain here, ready to go again in a very short time, but needs to be,” says Dr Trafford. “If you can’t it moves there,’ instead it’s ‘I am not quite Andrew couldn’t remember the pin number do it right, firstly you won’t be very good right, I’m not sleeping properly, shouting for his phone to call his dad. These are the and will be at the back, getting in the way at my family,’ so it’s quite difficult for us to alarm signs.” of the other drivers, and you’ll be liable to even diagnose.” So medical staff are now calling for the injure yourself or someone else.” He adds that diagnosis is far easier with a development of guidelines to aid the person one knows: “if I see you every week diagnosis of concussion. Over the past EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSIS and suddenly one day you are not quite season Britain’s motorsport governing body right, I can tell. But if I’ve never met you the MSA has introduced regulations to Education on the effects of concussion is before it’s more difficult to tell whether that’s suspend the licence of those with concussion important, but equally so is finding a way normal behaviour. and the BTCC has been trialling a similar to effectively diagnose the symptoms. “Matt (Neal) was far from right after his system to that used in such sports as football Dr Trafford points out that concussion accident, he got himself out but he was a and horse racing, which employs a test can range across different symptoms, for bit dizzy and that persisted. When Andrew known as the SCAT – Serious Concussion example hearing, balance, sight. “The Jordan had a crash at Snetterton in 2014 Assessment Tool. driver can get headaches, feel grumpy, not it was the kind of typical incident in which Effectively SCAT tests the level of a person’s

Jakob Ebrey/BTCC RIGHT & INSET On the sidelines: Relegating a driver to the role of spectator when he appears to be fine, such as Andrew Jordan following his BTCC crash at Snetterton in 2014 (inset), is a tough but necessary call for medical staff

PSP Images

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BELOW NASCAR, like Touring Cars, provides dramatic accidents from which drivers usually walk away, making both series prime environments in which to study ways of improving protection

Getty Images/NASCAR

consciousness based on their responses to The sport of rugby now employs a video which isn’t of much use.” questions, which must require use of short- surveillance system, experts watching a TV Matt Neal was also wearing ear term memory – a typical one in football is screen looking solely for potential concussion accelerometers at the time of his crash and “which team scored the last goal?” While incidences that can be played back to the data from these will be analysed along this is irrelevant to motorsport, specialist doctors, and motorsport is looking to follow with in-car and external footage from the questions can be developed to achieve the suit. From 2017 the BTCC is hoping to incident. Like many before him Dr Trafford same result. run a trial with cameras mounted in the describes the sport as a very good research “From 2017 we will be using a system cockpit and pointing directly at the driver’s tool: “You not only see incidents first-hand called ImPACT, which is a computer-based head, purely to observe their reaction in as you are there watching, but you are at psychometric test, to assess competitors an accident. And this will form part of a such an incident immediately, and you can who we think may be concussed – we have growing drive to gather more information record all the data you need.” already undertaken baseline tests on all about concussion in the sport. The research will continue using the live BTCC competitors and many within all the “We have an advantage in Touring Cars environment of the BTCC, with the results support championships,” Dr Trafford adds. in that bolting a camera onto the roll cage being passed on to the wider motorsport won’t affect anything because all the cars arena. Dr Trafford is working closely with EVIDENCE ON CAMERA are of the same weight,” notes Dr Trafford. Professor Peter Hutchinson, chief medical “Not all of the drivers wear full-face helmets, officer at Silverstone, also the head of Concussion can occur without causing loss and even if they do they often race with neurosurgery at Cambridge University. He of consciousness, but if a driver is knocked the visors up. So the eyes are visible, which has available a new MRI scanner, believed unconscious in an accident medical staff is what you need to see, unlike Formula 1 to be the only one of its type in the UK, need to know, and this is being aided by where all you are looking at is the helmet that can measure the level of chemical the rise of in-car cameras. Often it is not imbalance in the brain. Where there is any apparent that a driver has been briefly doubt, all drivers removed from racing knocked out in a crash as they usually come due to concussion injuries must be cleared round by the time marshals reach the car. by Professor Hutchinson before returning “All the cars have cameras in now, and to competition, and the MRI scan forms while they usually point forward, if you part of that process, adding to the look in the rear-view mirror you can see the information gained. driver’s head, their face,” says Dr Trafford. Dr Trafford would also like to see “In a crash their head goes down, they are motorsport authorities putting more unconscious for perhaps five seconds, and investment into information for drivers: by the time the accident stops they are “We want to try and raise awareness of coming round, the marshals get there, or us concussion amongst competitors and to if it’s the first lap, and they are going, ‘I’m that end we need some sort of education fine, I’m fine.’ programme – we are pushing very hard

“Nobody knows they’ve been knocked Jakob Ebrey/BTCC for the FIA and the MSA to get behind us out because nobody witnesses it, unlike in on that. rugby where you are watching from the “Already a great deal of money is invested ABOVE Looking for answers: BTCC Medical side so you can see because they fall on Director Dr Paul Trafford is in the forefront of in making drivers aware of what not to do, the ground.” research to learn more about concussion injuries such as taking drugs, but frankly concussion

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Overcoming opinion

JUST as this feature was completed an incident in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series demonstrated the difficulty medical staff face in convincing drivers of the potential serious nature of concussion injuries. Driver Matt DiBenedetto was diagnosed with a concussion following a crash in the second- ABOVE Roll protection: Drivers are becoming division Xfinity Series race at Texas aware of the need for further protection. Hunter Speedway in November. Having Abbott added extra foam to his HANS device before exited the car himself DiBenedetto Jakob Ebrey/BTCC his dramatic accident at Snetterton in August 2016 was prevented from racing in is a far more common and enduring thing the problem is there, educating doctors and the following day’s Sprint Cup than drug taking – I think we should channel paramedics to know that concussion is a Series event. Instead of resting as money into alerting drivers to what the real thing and the driver needs taking out recommended, the driver sat on the symptoms are, what the consequences are, of competition, and finally about trying to pit box during the race, and described explaining that the most likely outcome is gather information as a research tool. The himself as “frustrated but not angry,” that they will get better within a few days, latter can determine whether prevention at NASCAR. but they have to follow some guidelines and can be improved, and the incidence of DiBenedetto also expressed his take it really seriously. concussion predicted, determining at what frustrations on social media, saying “We also need to educate the medical point a threshold is triggered where such an that he felt fine, which prompted 2013 people involved in motorsport to look injury will be likely. Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski for concussion, what advice to give and “If we can work out what’s causing the to question why he was being kept understand how competitors should be concussion, then maybe we can start to out of the car. Keselowski has been reintegrated after a concussion. dial it out – maybe through seat design, a persistent critic of concussion “You have to respect that your body needs helmet design, things like that. But it’s protocols in the past, questioning time to heal. You haven’t had a bleed into quite a road to travel and it will involve why doctors should be able to make the brain, but it’s been bounced around, organisations such as the FIA’s research such decisions when in his opinion the torn a few of its fibres and a few chemicals arm, the Global Institute. driver is in the best position to decide have been released. We do say to drivers “I’m not an engineer or a research scientist, whether they are fit to race. now, ‘It’s concussion, a mild form of brain but we know enough to collect the data, Speaking to NBC Sports after the injury,’ because when you use the phrase and we are trying to collect enough to say DiBenedetto incident, Keselowski said brain injury they take it a bit more seriously.” there is a problem here, we’re seeing this that concussion remains too much Dr Trafford sums up the concussion issue and we didn’t see it before, and this is the of a grey area: “I’m very fortunate to as partly about educating people to know level of impact we’re seeing it at.” make a living as a driver in this sport, so are a lot of others, and that can be very easily taken away from you by someone who wants to make a conservative decision.” Dr Trafford believes this incident demonstrates why there is a need for education and protocols in place and more research to allow more educated decisions to be made. “Drivers will nearly always tell you they are okay,” he says. “They have to learn to be honest with us and realise doctors have no interest in stopping them racing – it would be more helpful if drivers got behind the Jakob Ebrey/BTCC research to help us find out what’s going on rather than be critical about ABOVE The wider use of in-car cameras, and the tendency of BTCC drivers to race without visors down, is helping decisions to protect them and their medical teams to look for evidence of concussion injuries fellow competitors.”

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OEM-derived computational modeling factortechnology developed to improve crash tests is now boosting driver safety in racing

WORDS BY ANDREW CHARMAN

Toyota’s THUMS will enable a better understanding of the effect of an impact on the human body, helping develop safer racing cars

Crash Test Technology International 012 SEPTEMBER 2017 MOTORSPORT

Crash Test Technology International SEPTEMBER 2017 013 MOTORSPORT

Soichiro Honda, founder of the automotive manufacturer that bears his name, first coined the quote ‘racing improves the breed’, but the reverse is equally true – motorsport has never been afraid to take advantage of advances made in either the automotive or the aerospace industries. So when Japanese vehicle manufacturer Toyota developed THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety), a computer model of the human body, with the aim of obtaining much more extensive information as to the likely injuries sustained in a crash than a physical crash test dummy could provide, it attracted interest from the Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety (GIMSS) – the official safety partner of international motorsport governing body, the FIA. The FIA first worked with Toyota using THUMS technology back in 2007, and in 2012 embarked on a specific study of racing driver spinal injuries. The 2012 study focused on a nasty crash that befell World Endurance Championship (WEC) driver Anthony Davidson at the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours – his LMP1 class Toyota collided with another car and was flipped into a barrier at high speed, Davidson suffering two broken vertebrae in his back. “We saw the opportunity of a serious research program looking at the causes and potential solutions to spinal injuries in frontal impacts,” says Peter Wright, senior research advisor for GIMSS. That particular study concluded in 2015 and produced some specific recommendations on seat back angles, seat foams and harness geometry and that are being incorporated in forthcoming new LMP regulations. What is THUMS? Toyota has been developing the bone until it is broken,” explains THUMS since the start of Kreuzinger. “It is entirely different the 21st century. Dr Tjark to using a crash test dummy – if you Kreuzinger sums it up eloquently increase the force, you simply see an as “a tool that allows engineers to increasing response from a sensor.” develop safety systems much better With THUMS, the full crash test than using crash test dummies”, process takes place in a computer. while adding that THUMS V5 boasts The THUMS model is incorporated more than one million elements into a representation of the vehicle compared with the approximately environment, and a simulation is then

100,000 of the first version. run. According to Kreuzinger, “the Ebrey/BTCC The CAE tool effectively models computing power needed to run these a human body, including all of its kinds of simulations is huge, and over FOUR-PRONGED STUDY physical properties such as bones, the past 20 years has increased by at “As with any research you end up answering some ligaments, organs, muscles and least 100 times”. skin, drawing on publicly available As an example of a typical THUMS questions and generating a whole lot of new ones,” information gained over decades of test, Kreuzinger describes a person’s says Wright. So now a new four-year program has bio-mechanical research conducted knee being hit by the dashboard. “A been announced with a much wider remit. It will all over the world. sensor in the upper leg of a dummy be undertaken over four stages, initially analyzing a A conventional crash test using might record a 3.8kN load, which suite of accidents in Formula 1 and GP2 Series single- a dummy provides measurements of we know in most adult men will not seater racing, IndyCar single-seaters in the USA, and forces, acceleration and movement, cause an injury. Increase the load WEC sports cars. “Some of these accidents resulted but doesn’t provide direct information and we only know statistically that in spinal injuries and some didn’t when we expected on what physical damage a person there may be an injury. would sustain in such a crash. THUMS, “With THUMS, however, I can adapt there would be – we are very interested to find out why on the other hand, measures strain the profile to an elderly man, female that didn’t happen.” rather than force, as it is strain that or child, and produce a higher level Motorsport authorities today collect as much data damages human tissue. of accuracy and quality of information, from a given accident as is possible, and this data will “Too high a strain causes bones to showing for example whether there provide the essential starting point for the program. “If start fracturing at one location, and will be a bone fracture resulting from it’s Formula 1 we have data coming out of our ears, if this then propagates further through the incident.” it’s a national series, which we find just as interesting, there’s not so much data gathering.”

Crash Test Technology International 014 SEPTEMBER 2017 MOTORSPORT Verizon IndyCar Series IndyCar Verizon

Essential to the simulations are the geometry of drivers are smaller than the average male,” explains ABOVE (LEFT): Single-seater the driver’s environment, the seat and the cockpit area, Kreuzinger. “Racing drivers also have a more or less accidents can often be high- speed incidents, particularly the driver’s size, and ideally a crash pulse from an slouched seating position, which is very different in IndyCar racing in the USA accident data recorder. The complete environment, from passenger car drivers – it’s a completely special LEFT: The latest study will evolve including such elements as the driver’s helmet and the environment. But our human models have to be to look at sedan car racing such race harness, is modeled as a finite element model with adjusted anyway for every passenger vehicle that as British Touring Cars – the study of such incidents has what Wright describes as a “constantly increasing is under research as they are all very different – highlighted the limitations of number of elements”. This will all be incorporated seating position, seatback, airbag specification and using dummies in simulations with the THUMS model into a simulation and the seatbelt pre-tensioners.” ABOVE: Toyota has developed results analyzed. Wright adds that the conventional Hybrid III THUMS over two decades into a As road-going passenger vehicle crash testing dummy used in crash tests is simply not designed highly complex computer model that can provide a great deal of using THUMS has evolved, Toyota has created a to be put in the position adopted by racing drivers. information to safety developers family of models, representing adult males, females, “THUMS is very adaptable, you simply need to get pregnant females, children, more elderly people, the size right and put it in the correct position, which and such like. These will need to be adjusted for the is defined by the geometry of the seat and such like.” racing application, as Dr Tjark Kreuzinger, senior After its initial phase, the research program will manager of safety research and technical affairs at be widened, encompassing lateral impacts in LMP Toyota Motor Europe, explains. “GIMSS will define sports cars, and then in sedan and GT racing cars the kind of people we are testing – most racing that employ protective nets in their side windows.

“THUMS is very adaptable, you simply need to get the size right and put it in the correct position, which is defined by the geometry of the seat and such like” Peter Wright, senior research advisor, Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety

Crash Test Technology International SEPTEMBER 2017 015 MOTORSPORT

The tests will be progressive, and Wright expects the results to determine progress of the program: “We will look at the results and change direction if we need to – we have an overall four-year program, but it may change as a result of what we learn.” Meanwhile, Kreuzinger is not surprised Toyota’s research has attracted attention of the motorsport authorities: “Motorsport has been trying to increase safety for many years, and it’s only natural that now we have this tool – creating very sophisticated and TOP: THUMS model of the driver “The development of nets showed up major problems unique environments – that the FIA will want to use when seated in an LMP1 car in using physical dummies for crash tests; it’s a very it to improve motorsport safety. ABOVE: Anthony Davidson’s difficult area of research and raises many questions,” “It makes sense because they can only use crash crash at Le Mans has led to the THUMS collaboration with the says Wright. “We suspect that THUMS might be the test dummies in certain types of impacts – the level FIA and the first specific program better tool for such tests.” of assessment of race cars you can obtain by using focused on LMP1 sports cars dummies is limited, so it’s only natural to then look INSET: The single-seater racing DIFFERENT LOAD at human modeling.” environment is very different to The final phase will study rally and off-road cars, Wright believes the final outcome of the four-year the conventional application of THUMS and requires specifically which Wright describes as an area of motorsport study will benefit all involved. “Toyota has this really tailored computer modeling with completely different safety challenges. “So wonderful model that it has spent the last 20 years far, we’ve looked at longitudinal impacts where the developing and which takes a great deal of time to inclined seating position sends a lot of longitudinal run on a supercomputer, and it has the people it deceleration up the spine, whereas in rally cars it is needs to drive it,” he says. “We have the accidents much more of a vertical impact – when they come and we need to do something about them. off bumps and land heavily, there is a combined “The value to Toyota, we believe, is to help refine longitudinal and vertical load on the occupants. We and develop THUMS, which of course is mainly a are concerned about seating positions, particularly road-car development tool. It’s a good collaboration of the co-driver, who often is crouched over his notes – motorsport provides data you just don’t get from when the accident occurs.” road cars.” ‹

“GIMSS will define the kind of people we are testing – most racing drivers are smaller than the average male. Racing drivers also have a more or less slouched seating position, which is very different from a passenger car driver’s environment” Dr Tjark Kreuzinger, senior manager of safety research and technical affairs, Toyota Motor Europe

Crash Test Technology International 016 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.racetechmag.com 52 TOURING CARS BTCC safety

ACCESS ALL AREAS Andrew Charman discovers how the British Touring Car Championship is constantly seeking to improve its product, whether it’s making the racing safer or giving the fans a better show

UNDAY July 31 2015 was ‘one of camera gantry, that seared itself on the SEAT OF THE ISSUE those days’ for the British Touring Car memories of both spectators and the live TV SChampionship. At the end of it, most audience. All were glad to see both Abbott Safety has always been a prime concern of involved in the UK’s biggest motorsport and the cameraman walk away, the latter the BTCC and all involved. Part of the wide series were simply glad to get away from having remarkably kept focused on the car appeal of the series is the body-rubbing the Norfolk circuit of Snetterton after as it flew towards him. nature of the racing, but this inevitably unprecedented mechanical carnage. In a strange way, however, when one results in clashes, causing much mechanical No one could remember the last time two looked under the surface a day which no- damage but thankfully seldom resulting in successive BTCC races had been brought to one wanted to repeat also served to illustrate injuries to drivers. Series officials, however, a stop by red flags, the first caused by an just how the BTCC is seeking to constantly can never be complacent. expensive multi-car crash on the fastest part upgrade its product across all areas. While Since 2015 the BTCC Next Generation of the circuit during race two. the accidents highlighted the reason for the Touring Car (NGTC) formula has also It was, however, the sight of Hunter latest evolution of the series’ safety package, been specified as the TCN-1 regulations of Abbott’s Chevrolet barrel-rolling along the clearing up the carnage also showed how the FIA, the world motorsport governing straight at the start of race three, finishing the BTCC is constantly trying to please its body’s major national Touring Car up atop a barrier having demolished a TV fanbase with more racing and fewer delays. formula and effectively the step below

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the FIA’s lead series the World Touring Car originally developed in 2002 for the Dodge effectively make the seat out of concrete, Championship (WTCC). Viper race project by the late Dr John Melvin, so that it is absolutely rigid – it has to have As BTCC technical director Peter Riches a much-admired independent racing safety some energy absorbency, to help keep the explains, generally the NGTC way with consultant to the FIA, Indy Racing League driver safe.” regard to safety is to introduce any changes and NASCAR. Installing such seats into cars requires a year after they have been adopted by the As David Phillips from Racetech Europe modifications to the roll cage, principally WTCC. So before the 2016 season, BTCC explains, under 8862-2009 the seat is to provide a means of attaching the teams were informed that they would effectively integrated into the structure of rear mount, in addition to the usual need to upgrade their driver seats from the the car, particularly around the head and rails. In the case of the BTCC, the MSA’s previous 8858-1999 FIA safety standard to shoulder areas – the most critical – so that rollcage homologation document gained the new 8862-2009 version. impact loads are transferred to the chassis. a one-page addendum allowing for the The latter standard is mandated for most “Integrating the seat into the chassis at installation of an extra bar on which to FIA series at global level, including Le Mans, shoulder level produced much greater attach the seat back mount. GT3 and the World Rally Championship, strength and improvement to how the driver “The roll structure has to have some and was created following a number of was kept safe in a crash, rather than the seat way of holding the seat, but it is fairly fatalities resulting from 8858-1999 standard deforming and allowing movement in the simple,” Phillips says. “Some roll cage seats failing in crashes. David Black of upper part of the driver’s body,” Phillips says. manufacturers weld threaded bosses into New Zealand-based seat manufacturer The 8862-2009 seats also have to survive the roll cage, while some just use a clamp Racetech helped write the 8862 standard, a much more intensive testing procedure: to attach the mount to the cage, and this which particularly features an upper back “The seat has to be a lot stronger; the is also perfectly acceptable – there are a mount connecting the seat to the car’s roll destructive forces the test puts them through number of ways of doing it.” protection structure. This concept had been are a lot higher. But equally you can’t The of the 8862-2009 standard

OPPOSITE, ABOVE & BELOW Safety first: That Hunter Abbott emerged unscathed from his Chevrolet’s destruction of a camera tower at Snetterton owed a lot to the upgraded design of his race seat

Photos: PSP Images

Subscribe +44 (0) 208 446 2100 November 2016 Issue 192 www.racetechmag.com 53 54 54 Andrew Charman www.racetechmag.com Proton at Snetterton distorted every partofthecar– excepttheseat Snettertondistorted every Proton at ABOVE Written off: The unprecedenteddestruction ofDaniel Welch’s 2016 period,however, wasthetimescale with BTCCteamsinthewinter2015- ThemajordifficultyPhillipsexperienced nothing,” saysPhillips. to thecostofbuildingandrunningacarit’s about thecostofthem,butinproportion carbon Kevlarroute.“Teams docomplain not surprisinglymostBTCCteamswentthe of thelatter, butalsohalftheweight,and composite. Theformeraretwicethecost in twomaterials,carbonKevlarorglassfibre success ballast”,talland&wide), for whatPhillipsdescribesas“Driverswith seat ismadeinfoursizes(standard,wide cost-focus orweight-focus–theRacetech Teams wereabletochoosebetweena their predecessors. year lifecyclecomparedtothefiveyearsof seats –thoughthenewdohavea10- double thepriceofprevious8858-1999 significantly heavier, alliedtoacostaround extensive testinginvolved,madethem extra materialintheseats,andmore on thegroundsofcostandweight.The resistance fromBTCCteams,principally new seats,thechangesproducedinevitable engineering involvedtoincorporatethe Despitetheapparentsimplicityof supply 23ofthe32carsonBTCCgrid. and betweenthemCobraRacetechnow ago as2008,atie-upwastheobviousmove, having solditsfirst8862-2009seataslong a relationshipwithRacetechandthelatter many teams.With Cobraalreadyenjoying new standardbutdidhavecontactswith Dunsford, whichdidnotmakeaseattothe and Telford-based Cobra,runbyMark produce itsown8862-2009standardseat, have beenCorbeau,whichwasableto the twomajorseatsupplierstoseries involvement intheBTCC.Inrecentyears significantly increasedRacetech’s TOURING CARS BTCCsafety www.racetechmag.com November 2016Issue192

PSP Images ’s DynamicsHondaCivic the Speedworks Toyota Avensis of Tom Ingramand suppliedbyCobra/Racetechin the 2016-specseat ABOVE &BELOWSittingcomfortably: Two viewsof but theirdriversallwalkedaway toseveralcars,caused majordamage Snetterton accident onthestraightat BELOW Straightintodisaster: The Subscribe +44(0)208446 2100

Ebrey/BTCC www.racetechmag.com 56 TOURING CARS BTCC safety

BELOW Head strong: In this view of the Cobra seat in the Speedworks of Matt Simpson the upper mount can just be seen Ebrey/BTCC

provided in which to install the seats. “Our ability to perform and deliver was tested,” he admits. “Teams were reluctant to make the changes and we didn’t get the go-ahead until really late, just before the season started. “Each seat takes a week to make and they are manufactured in New Zealand, so they need shipping over. We had all-nighters helping teams install seats leading up to the first round of the series but we still managed to get everybody on the grid for the first race.” Initial reaction to the seats from drivers was

somewhat negative, until they realised that the gains Ebrey/BTCC were not just in safety. “I spoke to (Honda’s) Matt Neal when he first had his seat, and he didn’t like it, ABOVE & BELOW All change: These views of the 2015-spec Corbeau seat in said it was uncomfortable,” recounts Phillips. “Just a Andrew Jordan’s MG and the 2016 version in ’s few weeks later I spoke to him again and he said he’d Powermaxed clearly show the enhanced side protection got comfortable in it and loved it. “(BMW driver) told us that the seat gave him such better feedback – he’s now up at the front of the grid contending for the championship and we think it’s because he can better feel what the car is doing.” The real value of the seats, however, was proved beyond doubt at Snetterton. Following his wild roll along the barrier Hunter Abbott was able to step out of his Chevrolet, which was fitted with a Corbeau seat to the 8862-2009 standard. Earlier in the day Daniel Welch had walked away from an impact to his Proton that left the car written off with an unprecedented level of damage. Welch was so impressed with his Cobra/Racetech

56 www.racetechmag.com November 2016 Issue 192 Subscribe +44 (0) 208 446 2100 www.racetechmag.com 58 TOURING CARS BTCC safety RML Ltd

seat he phoned Mark Dunsford on the ABOVE These CAD drawings show the new design of lifting eyes Tuesday following the race to thank him. devised by RML Ltd and mandatory for 2017-spec BTCC cars “The only straight bit of the car following the crash was the seat,” says Welch. engineer can’t do.” inevitably results in accidents, and while “Every part of the car was distorted except He believes that after initial resistance, red-flagged races are rare, laps behind a the seat and its mounting – it did its job in the teams and the drivers understand the safety car while crashes are cleared away are the impact. value of the new seats, and not just in terms routine – at this year’s Rockingham meeting “We actually wanted to fit these seats to of safety, saying: “Quite simply, the seat one race alone was broken up by three our BTCC cars three years ago, we were enables the driver to drive faster for longer.” safety-car periods. running them in our endurance car at the Gone are the days when the BTCC race time – they are so much safer and you get a LIFTING THE SHOW was a single event of many laps, so that a much better feel for driving the car.” safety-car period made little difference to the Phillips believes that lessons have been Safety is of course the leading concern for all outcome. Today there are three races at each learnt in the installation of the new seats involved in the BTCC but another significant meeting, and each one can be of as little as and any initial issues won’t be seen in future: priority is the show itself. Series head Alan 16 laps. The first three laps lost under the “It will be a lot easier for car builders to Gow has never hidden his appreciation for, safety car are added to the race distance, but integrate the seat. There is some variation and inspiration from, the fan-centric attitude even so running around in convoy frustrates – if you know the angle the driver wants displayed by such US series as NASCAR, and the drivers and particularly the fans, as well the seat positioned at, it’s easy to integrate has always been concerned with the quality as potentially putting a tight programme it into the roll structure. But if the driver’s of the action presented to the fans at the orchestrated by TV timing requirements not involved in the construction they may circuits and watching on the TV. behind schedule. require the angle changed once they’ve sat Over the past couple of seasons such So the BTCC has focused on the efficiency in it and some engineering will be necessary attention to detail has expanded beyond the of the clean-up process. The first moves to make an interface change. But it’s not cars themselves to the ‘support team’. As in this area were seen last season with difficult, only a case of making brackets was so clearly demonstrated at Snetterton, the launch of the ‘BTCC Genius’, a more in the correct materials, nothing a BTCC the close, action-packed nature of the BTCC effective and more rapid method of dealing

Andrew Charman BELOW Having a strop: Revised lifting strops, designed and manufactured by specialist T & C Services, also form a part of the new-for-2017 system

ABOVE The Team Parker Ford Focus of Alex Martin was selected to test the new lifting system and the eyes installed Andrew Charman

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with track debris such as oil spillages or mud. A specially-adapted pick-up truck No net gain is now part of the emergency team at all BTCC meetings. WHILE as stated in the main text the BTCC generally adopts the safety The major issue for clean-up teams, upgrades of the WTCC a year later, this is not always the case. As well as however, is recovering damaged cars, mandating the new seat requirements for 2016, this season’s technical particularly immovable examples in regulations also informed teams that for 2017 the series would change its need of placing on a flatbed truck – the protective window net regulations to a new format already applied to the WTCC. lengthy process of ensuring a car can However this move has now been postponed. be safely lifted without tipping forwards BTCC technical director Peter Riches explains that the new net standard had or backwards can soon eat into time. originally been created for GT3 racing, where the driver sits in a much more laid- After Hunter Abbott’s Snetterton startline back position compared to that of a Touring Car. accident the rescue teams remarkably had “We have decided to delay this move as the new nets are not ideal with the everything ready to go within 45 minutes, upright seating position of a touring car with regard to mirror visibility and stick but coming at the end of a difficult day shifting – we have drivers’ elbows catching in the net when turning the steering the inevitable result was a reduced race wheel,” Riches says. He adds that the BTCC will now be looking for a more distance and the postponement to a practical solution. later meeting of a round of the Ginetta Supercup, due to race after the BTCC. Therefore early in 2016 the BTCC set its requirement to install the lifting eyes. that when a car needs to be pulled away new chassis supplier, RML Ltd, the task of These will be combined with twin steel from a parallel position against a barrier, an producing a more effective solution. After towing eyes front and rear, with a two- equal load is put on both towing eyes. studying the problem, the chosen way tonne capacity, an upgrade to be adopted Few BTCC fans will ever be aware of these forward was to adapt a method used in the by the MSA across all appropriate series in behind the scenes changes – but as a result support series. All cars 2017. Recovery crews will be provided with of them, they will enjoy more laps of racing, competing in this series must be fitted with appropriate towing straps that will ensure and fewer laps of high-speed convoys… lifting eyes at their centre-of-gravity point, which allows them to be easily connected and transferred onto a recovery vehicle. While all the cars in the Porsche support series are the same, however, BTCC grids comprise a variety of body shapes, front and rear-wheel-drive formats, with corresponding variations in the centre of gravity. As a result the design of a lifting system to work across all formats proved quite complex. A solution was arrived at based around two lifting eyes built into the car and a new design of strop and lift beam, which were designed and built for the series ABOVE Having been test bed for the new BTCC by specialist T & C Services, based near system, the Parker Ford Focus called upon it Buntingford in Hertfordshire for real following the Snetterton start line crash The Dextra Racing with Team Parker Ford Focus entry of Alex Martin was selected as a ‘guinea pig’ and fitted with the new lifting eyes prior to the mid-season tyre test at Snetterton, so that recovery crews could practice with the system. Further tests were carried out at the meeting in August, with excellent results. Ironically, following the startline crash at the Snetterton race meeting, Martin’s damaged car became the first to be lifted out of necessity using the new system. For the 2017 season the BTCC will be issuing circuits with several sets of the new strops and lifting arms. A technical bulletin ABOVE Wheel off: Further tests of the system at Knockhill were carried out has also been issued informing teams of the using a different lifting vehicle and with the car’s rear wheels removed

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