<<<Paul,
I feel for you regarding the loss of your friend. However, I still stand by
my opinions of composite materials. Fiberglass, and what we commonly know as
3carbon fiber2 are worlds apart. Yes, they both use woven strands suspended
in resin (did someone call it 3rags and glue2?), but it9s really only a
visual similarity. This is why I was looking for someone more adept (and
qualified) at explaining these materials than I.>>>
Thank you although I never met him. I was on grid ready to qualify when it
happened. It had been raining all weekend and his car apparently hydroplaned
on the straight, the car flipped around backwards and he and hit the Lime
Rock pit exit wall nearly square with the back of his car. The seat tracks
failed and the fiberglass seat went backwards into the roll bar and broke in
two. Ironically, the PCA had just announced that seat back braces would be
required the next year as had already happpened with the SCCA. It may have
saved his life. There was a 2 and a half hour delay as the Connecticut HP
did their accident investigation. A full third of the people decided not to
race that afternoon. I didn't. The start was the scariest thing I have ever
done in my life. Moments after getting the green I could see absolutely
nothing from the spray off the wheels and rain but I kept my foot on the
floor mainly because I thought I'd get rear-ended if I didn't. When we got
to the braking zone for T1 I saw the brake lights from the car that was
apparently right ahead of me. Flags? We don't need no stinking flags
particularly when you cannot see them...
<<<If I had to choose between a fiberglass seat and a well-designed aluminum
one, I might make the same choice as you. But truly advanced composites are
a world away from common fiberglass. You can make 3carbon fiber2 like the
stuff you see in the import tuner catalogs for dash inserts. I9d no more
make a racing seat like that, than I9d build one out of cardboard. However,
put composites in the hands of an expert (like F1 car designers, for
example), and they can make structures of astounding strength. Or they can
make things of good strength, and incredibly light weight. It9s all in the
design and materials, and IMO composites give you greater design flexibility
than aluminum can. In this case, it9s not about the weight, it9s about
making something that fits, and is very strong.>>>
While most of the European seats are tested by the FIA to get their approval
I don't think any of the US made seats are tested by anybody. And I
seriously doubt the top F1 composite guys are doing them either. I wish I
had your faith in them but I don't. After all they are made by the same
people who still make and sell fiberglas seats that look identical in a lot
of cases.
<<<Now for the apology part: I9m sorry that you may have been offended by my
claim that there was misinformation being posted on team.net.* I should have
toned down my original comments. In that sense, perhaps there was some
hypocrisy. However, I stand by my original opinions.>>>
Me too. As I stated I should have better qualified my statemenst lest
someone mistake me for being an expert on anything but some computers games
and possibly streaming internet porn.
<<<I agree, crash data (and crash testing) from all the race series is a
fine
idea.>>>
Thanks. Want to help with the project?
<<<Of course, none of this will make someone fasten their seatbelt, or make
sure that it9s installed properly in the first place. Sigh.>>>
That's the part of the DE story I am having the hardest time dealing with.
Right now I think the blame has to be equally shared between DE and NASCAR.
in the case of DE, live by the sword die by the sword I guess, but ignoring
safety problems when they have been pointed out ahead of time is borderline
criminal and outright stupid. IMHO of course...
Paul Foster
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