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International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide |
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| THE RACERS EDGE | |||||||||||||
| TRAGEDY
HEIGHTENS SAFETY AWARENESS
Opinion by Joe Brittin The World Karting Association (WKA) Dunlop Road Racing Series suffered its second loss of the year with the death of Michael Davis Jr. on December 30, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway. Davis was killed in an enduro kart racing accident when his kart became loose while drafting in a pack of karts and backed into the crossover gate along the front straight. He was competing in the Yamaha Sportsman Lite Class. Witnesses said it appeared he was tapped from behind, which sent him into a fatal spin. The series also lost Ronnie Jackson in an enduro kart racing accident at Summit Point (West Virginia) in July of 2001. Davis is the third kart racer to die at Daytona and the 34th fatality at DIS overall. The previous kart racing fatalities occurred in 1987 (enduro) and 1989 (sprint). The 1987 enduro fatality also involved a spin where the kart backed into a barrier. Daytona is one of the fastest tracks that karts compete on, with speeds often reaching over 100-MPH for enduro karts. Improvements in karting bodywork, which serves to reduce aerodynamic drag, have contributed to escalating speeds in recent years. With the increased speeds that road racing karts are capable of, critics have questioned whether kart road racing has gone too far beyond safety parameters that are available to protect the driver. Unfortunately, it usually takes a serious accident to bring about improvements in karting safety. Safety Issues for kart
racers can be broken down into the following categories:
Why do some kart racing series have a better safety record than others? The answer may be the result of deficiencies in any of the above categories. Most fatal accidents have been the result of a track not being a suitable venue for kart racing in the first place. Barriers designed to keep a 4000-pound stock car away from a crowd might not be suitable for kart racing. Energy absorbing barriers and tire walls are not usually designed for the small mass of a racing kart. Soft wall technology such as air pillows, as applied in motorcycle racing should be investigated for their suitability for kart races. Most tracks have not installed air pillows due to their high cost. Perhaps the entry fees should be increased to help cover the cost of installing air pillows for the benefit of driver safety. Karting and motorcycle clubs could share the cost for installing air pillows. There appears to be a trend in enduro kart racing fatalities — a high-speed spin with a backward impact. The prone position of the enduro drive makes him/her particularly vulnerable to head and neck injuries when involved in a backward impact. Many drivers now feel that a buffer area is needed behind the enduro driver’s head that would serve to absorb and dissipate the energy from a backward impact. A tailpiece made of carbon fiber or plastic might help in this area. Also a crossbar between the rear frame rails might help prevent pushing-related spins by preventing the pushing karts nose from going under the bumper and lifting or loosening the kart in front of them. Another suggestion for the rear area of the enduro kart is to add a hoop or cross-member behind the driver’s head that is integrated to the frame to prevent the kart from submarining under barrier gaps. This hoop, coupled with an energy absorbing tail, would mitigate the effects of the moderate speed (of a) backward enduro crash. The current style of fiberglass tails used by some enduro drivers has served to prevent more serious injuries. Enduro racer Jon Bruner recently “tested” his tail at Indianapolis Raceway Park against a fence pole. Although the tail was destroyed, Jon came away with only a minor concussion. A backwards enduro crash at Putnam Park (Indiana), where the kart had a carbon fiber tail, possibly saved the driver’s life. In both cases, the tail served to dissipate energy and placed the driver further away from the barrier impact. A reduction in road racing speed is another safety enhancement that would be fairly easy to implement through rule changes. Many forms of motorsports have used speed reduction rules to improve driver safety. Escalating speeds can easily be addressed through the use of carb, exhaust and bodywork restrictions. It may be prudent to specify an enduro tail that provides the protection discussed above, along with a flat back plane that creates more aerodynamic turbulence for limiting speed and providing better handling through high speed corners. The flat back plane would also serve to limit tail lift and loose conditions when tapped from behind by another kart. Simply extending the rear frame rails or bumper length would not be as effective since it would transfer the energy absorbed from a backwards impact to the driver. Cost has often been a limiting factor in implementing safety enhancements in karting. Whether it is an expensive helmet, expensive soft wall or an expensive enduro tail, limited funding has always hindered the advancement of safety. Driver conduct and race officiating, however, are two areas where cost has no bearing and should be well defined and enforced by the sanctioning body at every event. The open wheel kart or enclosed wheel kart has proponents on both sides. Some favor a wide rear bumper that protects the rear wheels and prevents karts from climbing over and being launched. The downside to the enclosed wheel is that it may encourage more aggressive driving and energy absorbed from a backwards impact to the driver bumping. Some also favor the G-Man type plastic nose over CIK body work, as it provides more protection to the driver’s feet, but may also encourage more aggressive driving. It is generally agreed that the younger classes should utilize the full width rear bumper. Most are also in agreement that the plastic side-pod for sprint karts is desirable for preventing open wheel contact. In the area of personal safety gear, two devices that should be used by more drivers are the protective rib vest and the improved neck collar that gives more support. More attention should be given to the idea of using protective body armor which shifter driver Ted Tackett uses. Driver conduct and respect for the fellow racer is imperative in this sport. Pushing and rough driving must be controlled by the race officials! A series’ rule book must clearly address these issues so that required driver conduct is well understood. If a competitor feels there is a safety hazard present at a track, he should be sure to point it out to a series official. Drivers should always be sure that the event they are participating in has adequate insurance coverage and know who the insurance carrier is. An accident report should always be filled out after an accident. It is too bad that it
usually takes a tragedy to bring about safety enhancements in karting.
While no sport is going to be free from accidents, it is important that
we all take a pro-active role toward promoting karting safety. Perhaps
each series should form a safety committee that involves drivers and officials.
With the many sanctioning bodies that exist in the sport, it is difficult
to work together in collecting data from accidents and making decisions
that are needed to improve karting safety. Perhaps, a national karting
safety council should be formed so that the various sanctioning bodies
could work together in sharing information to help promote karting safety.
Article courtesy of The
Inside Track
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Kart Marketing Group, Inc. Post Office Box 101 Wheaton, IL 60189 USA Telephone: 630-653-7368 Fax: 630-653-2637 Email: karting@msn.com |
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