IndyCar to test windscreen at Phoenix this Thursday

In an attempt to increase driver safety, IndyCar is set to test a windscreen for the first time on track on Thursday, February 8th.

According to IndyCar, a windscreen is scheduled to be tested on an IndyCar for the the first time this Thursday, February 8th as IndyCar officials look ahead to the future and attempt to increase driver safety.

This test is set to take place on the day designated for rookie testing between 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET. Thursday, February 8th is day before all IndyCar drivers are set to start their two-day test at the track, which is scheduled for Friday, February 9th and Saturday, February 10th.

The driver of the car with the windscreen affixed to it will be four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. The 37-year-old Dixon, who drives the #9 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing as a full-time driver in IndyCar, is set to drive a Honda-powered Chip Ganassi Racing car during the test.

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There have been calls throughout recent years for IndyCar to increase driver safety in the cockpit with some kind of extra head protection.

These calls for extra head protection in the cockpit really picked up after Justin Wilson was killed in a freak accident at Pocono Raceway in 2015 when a piece of debris struck his helmet.

Formula One cars are set to use a “Halo” cockpit protection for the first time in the 2018 season after experiencing several incidents with drivers getting hit in the head over the years. Most recently, Jules Bianchi was killed as a result of injuries he sustained when the cockpit of his car slammed into a bulldozer on the track in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.

Many fans despise to look of the halo, and many IndyCar fans feared that the series may turn to this form of cockpit protection in the future. Given the look of the windscreen, these fans will definitely be hoping for a successful windscreen test on Thursday to avoid this halo.

Here is what Jay Frye, who is the IndyCar President of Competition and Operations, had to say about the windscreen test, according to IndyCar.

"“This has been a long process, one that’s been very methodical and purposeful. We have been striving to create a safety piece that aesthetically looks good and works in all conditions, and this is a test of those things. Any piece we put on an Indy car must work for multiple types of venues and different lighting conditions. It has to be versatile. We’ve tested this at Dallara’s simulator, but this will be the first time it has been on a car at speed. So, this is just the next step in the process.”"

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How do you think the first IndyCar windscreen test will go? Will IndyCar end up using windscreens on cars in seasons in the near future? Don’t miss the initial test on Thursday, February 8th.