HPD earns Schwitzer Award
The Louis Schwitzer Award, presented by engineers to engineers, recognizes individuals who explore and develop new concepts in motorsports technology for use in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. Award sponsor BorgWarner provides a $10,000 cash prize.
Designed to reduce the potential for pit fires and injuries resulting from drivers leaving their pit boxes with refueling equipment still attached – a cause of such fires in the past – the Refueling Safety Interlock System was created by a team at HPD led by Roger Griffiths, Jim Goodloe, Marcelo Martinelli and Robert Bell.
"Every year, as a result of human error or mechanical malfunction, there are instances of drivers leaving their pit boxes with the refueling hose is still attached to the car," said Griffiths, technical director at Santa Clarita, Calif.-based HPD. "All of these incidents create the potential for a fire in the pits and injuries to the driver, crew members, or others in the pit-lane area. The HPD system has been in development since 2009 for use in both the IZOD IndyCar Series and endurance sports car racing. It was introduced by INDYCAR as a mandatory safety improvement at the start of this season."
At the heart of the system is a new fuel-probe electronic sensor, installed in the refueling buckeye (or inlet valve) on an IndyCar chassis. When the sensor detects a the presence of the pit lane refueling nozzle in the buckeye, software in the Engine Control Unit signals the Gearbox Control Unit to place, or hold, the transmission in neutral, and prevents the driver from driving off before the refueling hose is detached from the car.
Racing to Recovery Gala raises funds for spinal cord injury research
The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation's Racing to Recovery Gala on May 18 raised almost $300,000 to support medical research to find a cure for paralysis.
In addition, Schmidt and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears presented Roger Penske with the Legends of Racing Award.
Additional sponsors for Andretti team, Tracy
Andretti Autosport announced it has added Grime Boss, a brand of heavy-duty hand-cleaning wipes manufactured by Nice-Pak, to a sponsorship agreement in support of the team's salute to U.S. Armed Forces for the remainder of the season.
Each of the team's four cars feature a specific unit within a branch of the U.S. military, with an associated emblem just above the numbers on the tub of the race car.
ARMA Energy, an energy snack, will be a sponsor of Paul Tracy for the balance of the season. Tracy will wear a branded ARMA Energy helmet for races at Indianapolis, Texas, Toronto, Edmonton, Sonoma and Las Vegas.
ABC Supply joins Milwaukee 225 event sponsor lineup
ABC Supply Co. Inc. has signed on as an event sponsor of the Milwaukee 225 on June 19 at the Milwaukee Mile.
Headquartered in Beloit, Wis., ABC Supply is the largest wholesale-distributor of roofing in the United States and one of the nation’s largest distributors of siding, windows and other select exterior building products.