IndyCar will introduce new and stronger rear wheel tethers and a new flexible steering arm in a bid to improve safety.
The new wheel tethers are aimed to ensure the wheel and suspension assemblies, which are heavy and dangerous in the event of an accident, stay connected to the chassis.
The lifespan of the tethers will also be shortened so they keep their strength and efficiency. The RACER confirmed that the improved strength comes from added material within the Tethers made from woven strands of Xylon.
IndyCar’s Tino Belli told RACER “We’ve had to do a few little changes to the tethers and checked the loads on them to measure the loads they can withstand.
“And so, the fibre count has gone up by 60 percent.
“We found that we improved them with the design changes once again, which comes from learning how things break, and when you do get a chance to do redesign things afterward, you can incorporate the things that you learned”
Belli also added to RACER that they have introduced a colour coding system to make it easier to understand when the tethers need to be changed.
The other major suspension safety improvement will be the introduction of a new front suspension piece specifically designed for ovals. Due to drivers sometimes slightly touching their right front wheels with the wall on corner exit during an oval race, they more often than not end up with a bent steering arm.
The new more flexible front steering arms developed by Dallara will be mandatory for the 5 oval events and permitted for use on the remaining street and road courses, if the teams feel it is needed. The new component means that in the event of a big crash, the force and shock going through the drivers’ wrists and hands is reduced, therefore decreasing the chance of injury, as the new steering arms flex under heavy loading due to thinner tubing at the connection to the suspension uprights.
Tino Belli told RACER “I will personally recommend their use everywhere because I think this will reduce thumb and wrist injuries.
“If you hit the wall, the new steering arms tend to give a bit more, so it’s going to be less violent in how the force is received through the steering wheel.”