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All George has done is save lives

 
Tony George’s push for softer walls might be the sport’s greatest safety measure.
Tony George’s push for softer walls might be the sport’s greatest safety measure.
Published May 22, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS — When James Hinchcliffe slammed into a wall at more than 220 mph, he hit an energy-absorbing barrier that likely saved his life. One of racing's most important safety developments, its origins began at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Tony George.

George, 55, watched replays of Hinchcliffe's crash and came to one conclusion.

"That would have been just like Gordon Smiley if he had not hit a SAFER barrier," said George, referring to the fatal 1982 crash during Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Smiley was killed instantly when his car hit the Turn 3 wall and his body tumbled hundreds of feet across the track.

Hinchcliffe wrecked Monday in almost the same spot as Smiley, only the concrete wall is now protected by a steel and foam barrier. His injuries were from a piece of the suspension breaking off and piercing his left leg, rather than the trauma of an impact that registered at 125 Gs.

"He wouldn't be alive if not for the SAFER barrier," said 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan. "I really believe that."

Said Hinchcliffe team co-owner Sam Schmidt, who is a quadriplegic due to a 2000 crash at Walt Disney World Speedway: "I think that's the hardest impact we've seen here … and, you know, to literally walk away with no (damage to the) heart, no chest, no spinal cord, no bone breakage — it's pretty unbelievable."

SAFER barriers have been spotlighted following NASCAR driver Kyle Busch's crash into a concrete wall at Daytona in February. Busch broke his right leg and left foot. He returned to competition last weekend after missing 11 races.

Immediately after his wreck, Daytona officials vowed to install additional SAFER barriers around the entire facility, and NASCAR began an inspection of all its national tracks. Most will be installing additional soft walls by the end of the year.

NASCAR is often credited for the soft walls, but the series had just a small role in their development and only after George's project was almost complete.

The project began in the late 1990s, when Indianapolis Motor Speedway created a safety committee. George's family has owned Indy since his grand­father purchased the dilapidated track after World War II and, though widely criticized by race fans for dividing open wheel racing, always has been quietly helping the sport.

George, who rarely grants interviews, recently joined IndyCar race director Brian Barnhart for a lengthy discussion with the Associated Press about the evolution of the SAFER barrier and the speedway's role in the development.

George and Barnhart laughed at their memories of early prototypes and the comical testing practices they had. "We looked like the Clampets of the Beverly Hillbillies," Barnhart said. He recalled the first barrier system that went in for the 1998 Indianapolis 500 and how it didn't come into play until Arie Luyendyk crashed hard into the barrier during an IROC race that year.

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Barnhart heard the impact and raced down to A.J. Foyt's suite, where the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner praised the barrier. "A.J. said to me, 'I think your barrier just saved Luyendyk's life,' " Barnhart recalled. "Then he said, 'But there's (stuff) all over the track.' "

The impact had destroyed the barrier and littered the track with debris, leading the safety committee to deduce it had maxed out its ability to develop the wall. It turned to the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility for assistance.

"We realized the whole project was far and above anything we could deal with," Barnhart said. "So we got hooked up with the University of Nebraska and brought them as much information as we could with videos and examples and diagrams, and told them what we wanted."

It took another four years of development and testing for the SAFER barrier to be finished, and it was installed for the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

BRISCOE IN: Ryan Briscoe will replace Hinchcliffe in the Indianapolis 500. Briscoe arrived in Indianapolis on Wednesday, just in time to get fitted for the car, and headed onto the track for the first time Thursday for a familiarization session. He got a call from team co-owner Sam Schmidt after Hinchcliffe was injured in Monday's practice wreck.

KENSETH ON POLE: Matt Kenseth won his second Sprint Cup pole of the season, capturing the top spot for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C. He turned in a dominating lap of 194.252 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Joey Logano was second and starts alongside Kenseth on the front row. Carl Edwards was third, followed by Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin.

GORDON ON TV: Jeff Gordon will join Fox as a full-time analyst in 2016, when he will join Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip in the three-man booth. Gordon, who signed a multiyear contract with Fox, is retiring as a full-time driver at the end of this season.