Former Indianapolis 500 winners Will Power and Scott Dixon tested IndyCar’s new cockpit protection device on Wednesday and both drivers gave the Aeroscreen a thumbs up, saying it was already fit for racing.
Designed to protect drivers from flying debris, the Aeroscreen covers the open-air cockpit and is anchored by a titanium framework surrounding the driver.
“If you took it off, you’d feel pretty naked because there’s not much protection there. So very happy that we’re moving ahead with it,” Team Penske’s Power told a conference call after testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I can remember a couple of times in the last five years on a Superspeedway, there had been a big crash – actually Scott’s was one of them, and I actually went like that with my arm, not that that’s going to stop anything, it’s going to kill you,” the 38-year-old Australian said.
“But that’s how much stuff you see flying towards your head and how lucky you really get to get through all that stuff.
Five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Dixon, who tested a prototype on a simulator in July, said the Aeroscreen made it a little awkward getting into the car but the New Zealander called it “good to go.”
“Ultimately it’s just very quiet. I can hear my radio for a change. Normally I can’t hear that. So that’s kind of nice,” said Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing.
“But yeah, there’s actually a lot less load on the helmet, too, so visually there’s been really no impairment.”
IndyCar has three more tests scheduled over the next five weeks and Aeroscreens are to be delivered to all NTT IndyCar Series teams before the end of the year and implemented for the 2020 season.