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IndyCar to debut cockpit safety device in 2019 Indianapolis 500

By Michael Eubanks

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: Cars race during the 102nd Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 27: Cars race during the 102nd Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on May 27, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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IndyCar is set to implement a new device aimed at ensuring cockpit safety in the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 this May.

When IndyCar hits the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana for the first time this year on Wednesday, April 24, the cars are set to sport a new safety device that is aimed at improving cockpit safety.

Every car participating in the open test will feature the new Advanced Frontal Protection (AFP) device, a titanium piece made by Dallara which is aimed at deflecting debris away from the driver, IndyCar announced in a press release on Tuesday.

The AFP device is set to make its regular season debut during the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, and it will be required from that race throughout the remainder of the 2019 season.

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The AFP device is three inches tall and is approximately three-quarters of an inch wide. According to IndyCar, it will be positioned on the front of the cockpit along the chassis centerline. IndyCar has been exploring different forms of cockpit protection since 2012.

In 2015, Justin Wilson was tragically killed due to injuries that he suffered from being struck by a piece of debris from another car in a race at Pocono Raceway. The goal of the new AFP device is to prevent similar fatalities from happening in the future. Here is what IndyCar president Jay Frye had to say about the development of the AFP device, according to IndyCar.

"“Safety is a never-ending pursuit, and this is INDYCAR’s latest step in the evolution. There are more details to come about the phases to follow.”"

No other details were revealed about the AFP device in the press release, opening up the possibility that it may be a stand-in until a replacement device is implemented for the 2020 season.

IndyCar  previously tested a windscreen manufactured by PPG Aerospace at ISM Raceway and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year.

Drivers who tested the clear windscreen, which is made of a similar material to what the company manufactures for fighter jet canopies, reported no problems with the device, but IndyCar stated that work still remains in order to safely implement a windscreen for racing use.

IndyCar isn’t the only major sanctioning body to recently develop a cockpit protection device. Formula 1 began using a mandatory halo cockpit protection device just last year, and Formula E began doing so this season.

The first IndyCar race to utilize the Advanced Frontal Protection device is set to be the 103rd Indianapolis 500, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 26. It is set to be broadcast live beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET on NBC.