Race Car Drivers Research Articles

Agglomeration, Tax Differentials, and the Mobility of Professional Athletes

Interstate mobility may limit states’ ability to choose their desired tax policies. The forces of agglomeration, however, may allow states more leeway in setting tax rates. Moreover, mobility and agglomeration effects are not uniform for all individuals within a state and may vary significantly across different groups. We explore this heterogeneity by examining the residential location decisions of professional racecar drivers and golfers, which have similar industry characteristics but different levels of agglomeration. Consistent with our theory, we show that tax preferences are a powerful determinant of golfer residential patterns, while agglomeration mitigates much of this effect among racecar drivers. These findings highlight the need to better understand how competition and agglomeration interact when formulating tax policy.

Through Racing Goggles: Modernity, the West, Ambiguous Siamese Alterities and the Construction of Thai Nationalism

Prince Chulachakrabongse and Prince Birabongse Bhanudej were sent to England to study at Harrow and Eton in the 1920s. They lived as Thai princes among the English upper class and indulged in the pastimes of that class, such as athletics, flying and motor car racing. Bira became a successful race car driver on the White Mouse Racing Team, managed by Chula. He even won the Gold Star, awarded to the best “British” race car driver, in three consecutive years — 1936, 1937 and 1938. His achievements were celebrated in Siam as a sign of national greatness and of Siam’s parity with the West. Racing was and still is closely associated with the nation. Bira’s and Chula’s story contributes to the study of the top-down construction of Thai nationalism. Thai nationalism is not about an armed struggle against colonial oppressors. It is about mastering Western civilization in attempts to appear equal. It is a nationalism closely associated with the monarchy, members of the royal family, aristocrats and bureaucratic servants of the crown.

A revolution in preventing fatal craniovertebral junction injuries: lessons learned from the Head and Neck Support device in professional auto racing

Fatal craniovertebral junction (CVJ) injuries were the most common cause of death in high-speed motor sports prior to 2001. Following the death of a mutual friend and race car driver, Patrick Jacquemart (1946-1981), biomechanical engineer Dr. Robert Hubbard, along with race car driver and brother-in-law Jim Downing, developed the concept for the Head and Neck Support (HANS) device to prevent flexion-distraction injuries during high-velocity impact. Biomechanical testing showed that neck shear and loading forces experienced during collisions were 3 times the required amount for a catastrophic injury. Crash sled testing with and without the HANS device elucidated reductions in neck tension, neck compression, head acceleration, and chest acceleration experienced by dummies during high-energy crashes. Simultaneously, motor sports accidents such as Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s fatal crash in 2001 galvanized public opinion in favor of serious safety reform. Analysis of Earnhardt's accident demonstrated that his car's velocity parallel to the barrier was more than 150 miles per hour (mph), with deceleration upon impact of roughly 43 mph in a total of 0.08 seconds. After careful review, several major racing series such as the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Championship Auto Racing Team (CART) made major changes to ensure the safety of drivers at the turn of the 21st century. Since the rule requiring the HANS device in professional auto racing series was put in place, there has not been a single reported case of a fatal CVJ injury.

Speed ratio but cabin temperature positively correlated with increased heart rates among professional drivers during car races.

The present study measures heart rate (HR) on a number of professional race-car drivers during actual car races through annual seasons to test hypotheses that faster relative speed and higher cabin temperature would induce higher HR. Heart rates in fifteen male drivers (31.2±5.5years old) were obtained by chest-strap sensors during official-professional 13 races. Average HR was calculated while the driver was racing from the start to the end of each race. The average HR during races was 164.5±15.1 beatsmin-1 and the average amount of time each driver spent driving per race was 54.2±13.7min. Average HR significantly and positively correlated with mean speed ratio (P<0.001), but not with the average cabin temperatures (P=0.533, range 25.6-41.8°C) by the multiple linear regression analysis. Both average HR and mean speed ratio were significantly lower under wet, than dry conditions (151.9±16.5 vs. 168.3±12.5 beatsmin-1, 86.9±4.4 vs. 93.4±1.5%). The cardiovascular system of drivers is considerably stressed at extremely high HR. This high average HR positively correlated with mean speed ratio, suggesting that faster driving speed would induce greater cardiovascular stress to professional drivers during actual races. However, contrary to our hypothesis, cabin temperature was not significantly correlated with average HR. It is speculated that direct body cooling systems used in this professional race category work well against increases in HR by thermal stress under the temperature range found herein.

A Sequential Two-Step Algorithm for Fast Generation of Vehicle Racing Trajectories

The problem of maneuvering a vehicle through a race course in minimum time requires computation of both longitudinal (brake and throttle) and lateral (steering wheel) control inputs. Unfortunately, solving the resulting nonlinear optimal control problem is typically computationally expensive and infeasible for real-time trajectory planning. This paper presents an iterative algorithm that divides the path generation task into two sequential subproblems that are significantly easier to solve. Given an initial path through the race track, the algorithm runs a forward–backward integration scheme to determine the minimum-time longitudinal speed profile, subject to tire friction constraints. With this fixed speed profile, the algorithm updates the vehicle's path by solving a convex optimization problem that minimizes the resulting path curvature while staying within track boundaries and obeying affine, time-varying vehicle dynamics constraints. This two-step process is repeated iteratively until the predicted lap time no longer improves. While providing no guarantees of convergence or a globally optimal solution, the approach performs very well when validated on the Thunderhill Raceway course in Willows, CA. The predicted lap time converges after four to five iterations, with each iteration over the full 4.5 km race course requiring only 30 s of computation time on a laptop computer. The resulting trajectory is experimentally driven at the race circuit with an autonomous Audi TTS test vehicle, and the resulting lap time and racing line are comparable to both a nonlinear gradient descent solution and a trajectory recorded from a professional racecar driver. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is a viable option for online trajectory planning in the near future.

Off to the Races

This article is on the efforts that are being made to manufacture and launch automatic cars successfully. Chris Gerdes and his team have been doing research and putting lot of efforts in designing self-driving cars that can handle emergencies even better than the very best human drivers. The research team studies professional race car drivers to learn minutest details for their algorithms and measurements. In a way, the research team analysts teach a car to drive like a race car driver - to calculate when to brake before a turn, how much to let up on the brake entering a turn, and how much to throttle coming out of it. Impressive for a car with no driver, however, Gerdes and his team want to raise the stakes. However, the team’s autonomous cars have operated alone on the tracks or roads. Now, Gerdes is ready to test them in traffic and on icy roads that will force the automated cars to adapt driving tactics midstream.

Waving the Green Flag to Emergency Arbitration under the Swiss Rules: the Sauber Saga

On 11 March 2015 – just four days before the start of the 2015 Grand Prix season in Melbourne – the Australian courts enforced a Partial Award effectively ordering the Sauber Formula One team to allow the race car driver, Mr van der Garde, to race in the 2015 Formula One season as one of its team drivers. An appeal was rejected the following day and the parties thereafter settled just over 24 hours before the start of the Melbourne Grand Prix with Mr van der Garde not proceeding to the starting grid. This dramatic turn of events was the culmination of a dispute arising from the ousting of Mr van der Garde from the Sauber team’s 2015 lineup which started with the initiation of emergency arbitrator proceedings before the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution in November 2014. The present article focuses on the emergency arbitrator mechanism under the Swiss Rules in both theory and practice. The first part of the article examines the theory behind this mechanism by elucidating the main aims underlying Article 43 of the Swiss Rules and how the latter provision sets out to achieve such aims. A comparison with emergency arbitrator provisions under other arbitral rules highlights the heightened degree of flexibility in the emergency arbitrator mechanism under the Swiss Rules as well as the unique possibility of obtaining ex parte relief available under these Rules. The second part of the article focuses on the experience of the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution with respect to the emergency arbitrator mechanism with particular emphasis on the “Sauber saga” as an illustrative example of how effectively this mechanism is working in practice.

From Annoying to Appreciated: Turning clinical decision support systems into a medical professional's best friend.

There's a big difference between driving suggestions that come from a newly licensed, know-it-all teenager and those that come from a professional racecar driver who has spent years honing skills on the course. The first is one you just want to be quiet, and the second is one you actually want to speak up.

Agglomeration, Tax Differentials, and the Mobility of Professional Athletes

Interstate mobility may limit states’ ability to choose their desired tax rates. The forces of agglomeration, however, may allow states more leeway in setting tax rates. Mobility and agglomeration effects, however, are not uniform for all individuals within a state, and may vary significantly across different groups. We explore this heterogeneity by examining the residential location decisions of race car drivers, who are subject to agglomeration effects, and professional golfers, who are not. Consistent with our theory, we show that the probability of residing in tax-advantaged states depends on income and age only for the group not subject to agglomeration effects. These findings highlight the need to better understand how competition and agglomeration interact when formulating tax policy.

My heart is racing! Psychophysiological dynamics of skilled racecar drivers

Our purpose was to test the multi-action plan model assumptions in which athletes’ psychophysiological patterns differ among optimal and suboptimal performance experiences. Nine professional drivers competing in premier race categories (e.g. Formula 3, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge) completed the study. Data collection involved monitoring the drivers’ perceived hedonic tone, accuracy on core components of action, posture, skin temperature, respiration rate and heart rate responses during a 40-lap simulated race. Time marks, gathered at three standardised sectors, served as the performance variable. The A1GP racing simulator (Allinsport, Modena) established a realistic race platform. Specifically, the Barcelona track was chosen because of its inherently difficult nature characterised by intermittent deceleration points. Idiosyncratic analyses showed large individual differences in the drivers’ psychophysiological profile, as well as distinct patterns in regards to optimal and suboptimal performance experiences. Limitations and future research avenues are discussed. Action- (e.g. attentional control) and emotion (e.g. biofeedback training)-centred applied sport psychology implications are advanced.

Musculoskeletal Injuries in Auto Racing: A Retrospective Study of 137 Drivers

Background and Purpose: The effect of continuous exposure of a driver's bones and muscles to vibration and G forces to years of automobile racing and the effect on overall health have not yet been examined in detail. The goal of this study was to investigate via questionnaire the musculoskeletal injuries and influencing parameters in 130 amateur and 7 professional race car drivers. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire, translated in English and German, was used to investigate the parameters that influence the racing performance and the character of resulting injuries. Results: This investigation involved 137 drivers (133 men and 4 women) with a mean age of 42 years (standard deviation = 15). Approximately half of the drivers had < 10 years of experience in auto racing (49%). The drivers mainly complained about pains in the lumbar (n = 36; 26%), shoulder (n = 27; 20%), and neck regions (n = 25; 18%). The driver's posture and the comfort of the seat were statistically significant for causing lower back and upper legs pains. The race duration was relevant to neck and shoulder discomfort. Conclusion: The high incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in race car driving indicates the need for further improvements. Elimination of driver complaints about pain in the spine and upper extremities can be achieved through technical development, as already accomplished in Formula One racing.

Design, Development and Testing of an Improved Stock Car Driver's Window Net Mounting System

First required in 1970 in NASCAR® (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc) the driver's window safety net or driver's window net has continually evolved and improved. The driver's window net has played an important role in protecting race car drivers from injury. Driver's window nets were originally used to help keep the driver's upper torso, head and arms inside the interior of the race vehicle during crashes. As restraint systems were improved, the role of the driver's window net in stock car racing has transitioned to keeping flailing hands inside the interior of the car while also serving as a shield to protect the driver from intruding debris. This paper describes three separate window net and window net mounting tests and the use of these tests to design an improved window net mounting system. Also shown are test results of previously used window net mounting systems and the improved NASCAR system which has been incorporated into the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series vehicles. Language: en

Chemists Rev Engines In Indianapolis

With Midwestern hospitality, Indianapolis welcomed attendees to the 246th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition last week. Stars from the worlds of science, racing, film, and television lent glamour to a swirl of activities centering around the meeting theme of “Chemistry in Motion.” Actor Alan Alda, who starred in the television series “M*A*S*H” in the 1970s and ’80s and hosted the PBS series “Scientific American Frontiers” from 1993 to 2005, delighted an overflow crowd at the ACS Board of Directors open meeting. He told amusing stories about his recent work fostering science communication, and said scientists “understand the poetry of the universe.” The board presented Alda with the ACS Award for Public Service. Former Indianapolis 500 race car driver Stephan Gregoire showed up at a racing chemistry symposium in full uniform, complete with racing helmet, to regale attendees with his inside-the-cockpit perspective on racing-related materials chemistry innovations. Other speakers ...

Book Review: Mediated Images of the South: The Portrayal of Dixie in Popular Culture, by Alison F. Slade, Dedria Givens-Carroll, and Amber J. Narro

Mediated Images of the South: Portrayal of Dixie in Popular Culture. Alison F. Slade, Dedria Givens-Carroll, and Amber J. Narro, eds. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2012. $65 hbk. $64.99 eBook.Known for its beaches, catfish, collard greens, college football games, dirt roads, fishing boats, grits, moss-draped trees, porch swings, and church steeples, the American celebrates much of its historical and regional identity. However, it also is the object of more than its share of caricatures and stereotypes, ranging from Li'l Abner and Daisy Mae Yokum to Scarlett O'Hara to the General Lee with its Confederate flag in Dukes of Hazzard. From the cover photos of footballs, magnolias, and Protestant hym- nals to its final page, Mediated Images of the South: Portrayal of Dixie in Popular elevates some images of the American and excoriates others.In the ambitious and sprawling collection of essays that make up Mediated Images of the South, the reader encounters a colorful, historical, and even whimsical region. However, beginning with the first line of the introduction, the editors identify harsh and demeaning descriptions of southerners as well: Poor white trash. Racecar drivers. Drunkards. Racists. Extricating dangerous and negative images from the ones that help to establish and encourage regional pride (racecar drivers, for example, are hardly equivalent to drunkards), authors and editors present a well-organized, broadly conceived, and persuasive argument.The editors know much of their content from their own living and working experi- ence. Alison Slade is a professor of communication at the University of Alabama in Mobile, Dedria Givens-Carroll is a professor of mass communication at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and Amber J. Narro is an assistant professor of communication at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.The exploration into portrayals of the American begins with the etymology of the word stereotype itself. idea of a printing stamp that made it possible to cre- ate multiple copies from a single model or mold devolved into what the editors call a standardized mental picture held in common by members of groups that repre- sents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment. One problem, of course, is that stereotypes cannot-and probably should not-be entirely obliterated. Generalizations can help people to order their world, organize their impressions, and draw significant conclusions. In short, stereotypes are both off-put- ting and compelling; one might even argue that they are inevitable. But if this is true, which stereotypes are useful and which ones are destructive to critical thinking and human development?The chapters of Mediated Images of the revolve around the central argument established in the introduction, Images in Popular Culture, in which the editors set the frame: While there are proud traditions in the South, not all of them involve slow-talking arguments about Friday night football and carefree Sunday din- ners and grandma's dirt-road mobile home positioned on cinder blocks. Essays address a wide variety of topics that underscore the central thesis: An Acceptable Stereotype: Southern Image in Television Programming (Alison Slade and Amber J. Narro); An Ethical Inquiry of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour's Appropriation and Commodification of Redneck Culture (Mark Glantz); Hip Hop, Commerce, and the 'Death' of Southern Black Manhood (Franklin E. Forts Jr.); and The Rise, Fall, and Rise of the Kingfish-How Southern Politicians Are Successful in the Face of Overwhelming Stereotypes (Kevin Unter, John Sutherlin, and Joshua Stockley).Other chapters are Magnolias and Manufacturing: Southern Imagery in Mississippi's Promotional Publications, 1945-1955 (Burt Buchanan); Recognizing the Past, Celebrating Change: 'Mississippi Believe It!' Campaign Redefines the South (Wendy Atkins-Sayre); Poor as Job's Turkey: Back to the Land as a Rhetoric of Authenticity in Foxfire's Appalachia (Jason Waite); The Trivialization of Traditional Southern Religion in the Film Grass Harp (Michael P. …

The Case for Driver Science in Motorsport: A Review and Recommendations

When discussing sports and the athletes who participate in them, it has long been recognized that fitness is a prerequisite for optimal performance. The goal of training to improve fitness levels in athletes is ultimately to minimize the stress that the body experiences during competition. When it comes to the topic of racecar drivers, however, drivers and their trainers have largely been left to their own devices to figure out the stressors and the areas of specific training focus. Unfortunately, racecar drivers have battled the stereotype that they are not athletes, and with little regard for them as athletes, drivers are seldom the focus of scientific research related to their performance. Like the cars they drive, driver-athletes are complex, but from a physiological perspective. However, unlike the cars they drive, driver-athletes have not been examined, evaluated, and tweaked to the same degree. The purpose of this review is two-fold: first, by examining the available literature, to make the case for new research into the driver's role in the driver-car system (i.e. driver science) and the stresses experienced; second, to make the case for more extensive use of microtechnology in the real-time monitoring of driver-athletes. With the miniaturization of sensors and the advent of portable data storage devices, the prospect of quantifying the stresses unique to the driver are no longer as daunting, and the relative impossibility and difficulties associated with measuring the driver-athlete in real-time no longer need to be as challenging. Using microtechnology in the assessment of the driver-athlete and with a more public discussion and dissemination of information on the topic of driver science, the scientific community has the opportunity to quantify that which has been largely assumed and speculated. The current article will offer the following recommendations: first, rather than examining a singular physiological stressor, to examine the interaction of stressors; second, to examine variables/stressors that are more representative of the changing driver demographics; third, to measure drivers in real-time during actual race events; lastly, to work to develop training programs that more accurately apply to the driver and the stresses experienced. In uncovering this information, there is an opportunity to contribute to racing becoming that much safer, that much more competitive, and that much more comprehensive for the driver, the team, and the sport.

A Hybrid Physical-Dynamic Tire/Road Friction Model

We present a hybrid physical-dynamic tire/road friction model for applications of vehicle motion simulation and control. We extend the LuGre dynamic friction model by considering the physical model-based adhesion/sliding partition of the tire/road contact patch. Comparison and model parameters relationship are presented between the physical and the LuGre dynamic friction models. We show that the LuGre dynamic friction model predicts the nonlinear and normal load-dependent rubber deformation and stress distributions on the contact patch. We also present the physical interpretation of the LuGre model parameters and their relationship with the physical model parameters. The analysis of the new hybrid model's properties resolves unrealistic nonzero bristle deformation and stress at the trailing edge of the contact patch that is predicted by the existing LuGre tire/road friction models. We further demonstrate the use of the hybrid model to simulate and study an aggressive pendulum-turn vehicle maneuver. The CARSIM simulation results by using the new hybrid friction model show high agreements with experiments that are performed by a professional racing car driver.

Physical characteristics of experienced and junior open-wheel car drivers

Despite the popularity of open-wheel car racing, scientific literature about the physical characteristics of competitive race car drivers is scarce. The purpose of this study was to compare selected fitness parameters of experienced and junior open-wheel race car drivers. The experienced drivers consisted of five Formula One, two GP2 and two Formula 3 drivers, and the nine junior drivers drove in the Formula Master, Koenig, BMW and Renault series. The following fitness parameters were tested: multiple reactions, multiple anticipation, postural stability, isometric upper body strength, isometric leg extension strength, isometric grip strength, cyclic foot speed and jump height. The group differences were calculated using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Because of the multiple testing strategy used, the statistical significance was Bonferroni corrected and set at P < 0.004. Significant differences between the experienced and junior drivers were found only for the jump height parameter (P = 0.002). The experienced drivers tended to perform better in leg strength (P = 0.009), cyclic foot speed (P = 0.024) and grip strength (P = 0.058). None of the other variables differed between the groups. The results suggested that the experienced drivers were significantly more powerful than the junior drivers: they tended to be quicker and stronger (18% to 25%) but without statistical significance. The experienced drivers demonstrated excellent strength and power compared with other high-performance athletes.

The effects of control-display gain on performance of race car drivers in an isometric braking task

To minimise lap times during car racing, it is important to build up brake forces rapidly and maintain precise control. We examined the effect of the amplification factor (gain) between brake pedal force and a visually represented output value on a driver's ability to track a target value. The test setup was a formula racing car cockpit fitted with an isometric brake pedal. Thirteen racing drivers performed tracking tasks with four control-display gains and two target functions: a step function (35 trials per gain) and a multisine function (15 trials per gain). The control-display gain had only minor effects on root mean-squared error between output value and target value, but it had large effects on build-up speed, overshoot, within-participants variability, and self-reported physical load. The results confirm the hypothesis that choosing an optimum gain involves balancing stability against physical effort.

Limiting conditions for flame spread in fire resistant fabrics

Fire resistant (FR) fabrics are used for astronauts, firefighter and racecar driver suits. However, their fire resistant characteristics depend on the environmental conditions and require study. Particularly important is the response of these fabrics to varied environments and radiant heat from a source such as an adjacent fire. In this work, experiments were conducted to study the effect of oxygen concentration, external radiant flux and oxidizer flow velocity on the concurrent flame spread over two FR fabrics: Nomex HT90-40 and a Nomex/Nylon/Cotton fabric blend. Results show that for a given fabric the minimum oxygen concentration for concurrent flame spread depends strongly on the magnitude of the external radiant flux. At increased oxygen concentrations the external radiant flux required for flame spread decreases. Oxidizer flow velocity influences the external radiant flux only when the convective heat flux from the flame has similar values to the external radiant flux. The results of this work provide further understanding of the flammability characteristics of fire resistant fabrics in environments similar to those of future spacecrafts.

Grief, commiseration, and consumption following the death of a celebrity

Celebrated individuals often take on a sacred status, producing intense feelings among their fans. Because celebrities are usually protected and distant, their fans turn to celebrity-related products, which themselves may become cherished and sacred. After a celebrity dies, relevant products become even more significant as remedies for feelings of loss. This research examined expressions of grief and consumption-related emotions posted on internet message boards in response to the death of race car driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr. The research finds that fans use two processes: introjection and incorporation to deal with the loss of the celebrity. These processes help fans cope with grief and serve as narratives in their post-death self-identity creation, and also contribute to the mythology of the celebrity after death.