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Advanced Frontal Protection Debuts At Indy
- Updated: April 27, 2019
The Advanced Frontal Protection on Spencer Pigot’s Indy Car. [Joe Skibinski Photo]
By Allan Brewer
Indianapolis prides itself as the greatest innovator and test track in the world. For example, the first-ever rear view mirror was used here, a weight-saving device that obviated the need for Ray Harroun to carry a spotter in the passenger seat of his Marmon Wasp that won the inaugural Indianapolis 500.
Now IndyCar has introduced the Advanced Frontal Protection (AFP) bar—a thin, upright longitudinal barrier that sits just forward of the driver on the dorsal aspect of the carbon fiber chassis. Its purpose is to catch and deflect debris or objects that might otherwise smack the driver’s helmet in the face. It looks very much like the little digital receiver/transmitter “shark fin” that sits atop the roof of many, many domestic road cars today.
“It is a distraction,” said Takuma Sato, fastest of the drivers who took part in the Open test today. “Especially when approaching the apex of a turn, I would have to switch from looking with my right eye to the left.”
Sato also noted another in-cockpit difference: the flow of air into the driver’s face and shoulders are buffeted in a different way, an awkward way. “It’s something that will be different for each driver (according to height and size) but will take some getting used to.”
He concluded by noting that hazard avoidance for driver is a work in progress. “Enough is never enough in this business,” he said in reference to continuing development of the AFP, or possible augmentation of it similar to the “halo” of Formula 1 competition.
Officials acknowledge that the AFP offers some, but not all, of the protection for the driver’s head that they desire for safety. A cockpit-wide windscreen is under development but still has not reached a level of assurance adequate to mandate its use full-time going forward into the month of May and remainder of the season.
The AFP, on the other hand, will be fitted to all IndyCar competitors from today’s Open Test onwards, with additional safety measures likely as the year unfolds.
Allan Brewer covers IndyCar and other racing series for RacingNation.com. Allan is a fixture at the race track, armed with keyboard and camera, eager to take you inside open-wheel sport where the news is being made. He comes to RacingNation.com with multiple professional awards from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AWWRBA). He began his motorsports writing career at FastMachines.com; and solely published IndyProRacer.com and A1GP.com, two award-winning websites for open-wheel racing’s junior leagues, prior to becoming IndyCar correspondent at Motorsport.com. He has also covered Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula E, the Indy Lights Series and its predecessor Indy Pro Series, NHRA events and major auto shows. His major interest outside of competition is automotive technology and its application to the cars we drive every day on the public highways.