Aeroscreen Engineers Honored With Louis Schwitzer Award

|Thoughts Racing (Wade Productions)|
The NTT IndyCar Series' Aeroscreen already has proven its worth, protecting several drivers during the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. (Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)
The NTT IndyCar Series’ Aeroscreen already has proven its worth, protecting several drivers during the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway. (Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)

By Susan Wade

Just five races into his NTT IndyCar Series career, 19-year-old Dutch rookie Rinus VeeKay got a rude awakening at Iowa Speedway.

Officials had waved off a restart late into the first event of a doubleheader, but because of miscommunication, Colton Herta continued to accelerate. As VeeKay checked up, Herta drove over his left rear tire, went airborne, spun above the guardwall, and slammed right-side-up back onto the racetrack.

The Aeroscreen was a godsend to both Colton Herta (airborne) and Rinus VeeKay (right) during their recent accident at Iowa Speedway. The team of engineers who designed and manufactured the driver-protection device have been honored with the prestigious Louis Schwitzer Award. (Photo by Chris Jones, Courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)
The Aeroscreen was a godsend to both Colton Herta (airborne) and Rinus VeeKay (right) during their recent accident at Iowa Speedway. The team of engineers who designed and manufactured the driver-protection device have been honored with the prestigious Louis Schwitzer Award. (Photo by Chris Jones, Courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)

“In that split-second,” as The Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Brown recounted it, “VeeKay missed watching the near-one-ton mass of carbon fiber, metal, wires, and rubber smack just inches from his head, tilt upward and soar over him to land dozens of feet in front of him.”

Miraculously, no one was injured in the frightening crash, and VeeKay, Herta, race winner Simon Pagenaud, and others credited the freshly introduced Aeroscreen that protects IndyCar drivers from flying shrapnel.

For that already justified addition to the Dallara race cars, eight automotive engineers Monday were named recipients of the 54th annual prestigious Louis Schwitzer Award.

Aerodine Composites boss Craig McCarthy, who was among Monday's Louis Schwitzer Award honorees, has a history of manufacturing driver-protection devices. He was key in producing both the NTT Indy Car Series' Aeroscreen and the cockpit canopy that many NHRA Top Fuel dragster teams use. (Photo courtesy of Craig McCarthy)
Aerodine Composites boss Craig McCarthy, who was among Monday’s Louis Schwitzer Award honorees, has a history of manufacturing driver-protection devices. He was key in producing both the NTT Indy Car Series’ Aeroscreen and the cockpit canopy that many NHRA Top Fuel dragster teams use. (Photo courtesy of Craig McCarthy)

Craig McCarthy, president of Indianapolis-based Aerodine Composites, who was instrumental in manufacturing the canopy that NHRA’s 11,000-horsepower, 334-mph Top Fuel dragsters use, was among the awardees.

“It’s quite an honor, for sure,” McCarthy said moments after the announcement from the NTT IndyCar Series, BorgWarner, and the Indiana Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International.

Tino Belli, director if Aerodynamic Development for the NTT IndyCar Series, was among the recipients of the Louis Schwitzer Award. This is Belli's fourth time to be part of an award-winning group for this distinction. (Photo courtesy of Tino Belli)
Tino Belli, director if Aerodynamic Development for the NTT IndyCar Series, was among the recipients of the Louis Schwitzer Award. This is Belli’s fourth time to be part of an award-winning group for this distinction. (Photo courtesy of Tino Belli)

IndyCar’s Tino Belli (Director of Aerodynamic Development) and Bill Pappas (Vice-President of Competition, Race Engineering) were among the honorees. The global effort also included Ed Collings, of the UK’s Red Bull Advanced Technologies, which originated the project in a search for head protection for Formula One drivers. Also on the award-winning team are Antonio Montanari, Dallara (Italy); Stefan Seidel, Pankl Racing Systems (Austria); Brent Wright, global director of aerospace transparencies for PPG (U.S., Pittsburgh-headquartered); and Marco Bertolini, product development manager, Isoclima (Italy).

The Aeroscreen, the result of this worldwide collaboration, owes its structural design to IndyCar and Red Bull Advanced Technologies and its aerodynamic design to Dallara. Pankl built the additive manufactured titanium top frame, Aerodine Composites the titanium-reinforced, carbon-fiber lower frame. PPG and Isoclima worked together to perfect the polycarbonate-laminated ballistic screen.

Bill Pappas played a key role in bringing the Aeroscreen to the NTT IndyCar Series. He's the Vice-President of Competition, Race Engineering, and he's one of the Louis Schwitzer Award honorees. (Photo by Kate Shoup, Courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)
Bill Pappas played a key role in bringing the Aeroscreen to the NTT IndyCar Series. He’s the Vice-President of Competition, Race Engineering, and he’s one of the Louis Schwitzer Award honorees. (Photo by Kate Shoup, Courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)

Collision Repair Mag.com reported that the “PPG windscreen includes an interior anti-reflective coating, an anti-fogging device using an integral heating element and up to eight exterior tear-offs that can be removed during pit stops if the screen gets dirty. Weighing 17.3 pounds (7.8 kilograms), the windscreen can withstand a two-pound object striking it at more than 220 miles per hour.” It said the entire Aeroscreen assembly can be fitted on or removed from the race car in less than 15 minutes.

The top frame prevents large objects from entering the cockpit. The lower frame stiffens the cockpit opening and provides attachment points for the top frame and screen. The screen deflects smaller debris away from the cockpit.

What helped protect VeeKay, Herta, and fellow driver Will Power, who had his own close call in that Iowa race, was the fact the Aeroscreen is designed to withstand up to 28,100 lbs. (125 kN) of vertical and lateral static loads and survive the impact of a 2.2-lb. (1 kg) projectile fired at 220 mph (354 kph).

The Aeroscreen has no optical distortion and does not interfere with the driver’s sightlines. It also facilitates “straight up” driver extraction in case of a back injury and is interchangeable with all Dallara DW12 chassis systems.

The Louis Schwitzer Award comes with a $10,000 prize that the engineering team chose to donate to SeriousFun Children’s Network. Founded by the late actor-racer Paul Newman, the charity, according to its website, is devoted to fostering independence, resilience, and personal growth, helping children to see beyond the limits of their medical conditions” so they can “experience all that life can offer” through its camps and initiatives.

The award recognizes engineers who invent fresh concepts to improve competitive potential, with a focus on new technology with applications in the engine, powertrain, profile, chassis, or safety, and that follow NTT IndyCar Series specifications. The focus is on advancements that increase performance, efficiency, or safety.

BorgWarner President and CEO Frédéric Lissalde said that during the Indianapolis 500 activities, “a lot of the emphasis is put on who will take home the coveted Borg-Warner Trophy, but we think it’s just as important to highlight the significant efforts of the engineers behind the scenes who continue to innovate impressive technologies for the NTT IndyCar Series. With safety being at the forefront of everything we do at BorgWarner, we’re pleased to see this group of award winners honored for bringing a creative and functional safety solution to the racing industry.”

The prize memorializes Louis Schwitzer, who won the first auto race at the IMS in 1909 and designed the “Marmon Yellow Jacket” engine that powered the Marmon “Wasp” to victory at the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. After founding Schwitzer Corporation in 1918, Schwitzer led the IMS technical committee and maintained a strong association with SAE throughout his career. BorgWarner acquired Schwitzer Corporation in 1999 to expand BorgWarner’s turbocharger, engine cooling systems, and other offerings.

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, BorgWarner’s heritage runs deep, centering on the famous Borg-Warner Trophy, which has been awarded to the winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” every year since 1936. BorgWarner also is the Official Turbocharger Partner of the series with its EFR™ (Engineered for Racing) turbochargers that boost the engine of every car participating in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Built for reliability, the turbochargers deliver an unprecedented combination of advanced technologies, including Gamma-Ti (titanium aluminide) turbine wheels, ceramic ball bearings, and stainless-steel turbine housings.

The BorgWarner Trophy is iconic in the sports world, but BorgWarner also likes to honor the engineering accomplishments behind the performance. The company is a sponsor of the Louis Schwitzer Award. (Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)
The BorgWarner Trophy is iconic in the sports world, but BorgWarner also likes to honor the engineering accomplishments behind the performance. The company is a sponsor of the Louis Schwitzer Award. (Photo courtesy of the NTT IndyCar Series)