IndyCar Series tightens belt and seat regulations

The IndyCar Series will start confiscating the custom-molded driver’s seats and seat belts in the event of crashes that exceed 65 Gs.

The stricter enforcement of removing the seat and restraint devices is the latest driver-minded rule implemented by now-former IndyCar president Jay Frye.

Although it’s somewhat common for seatbelts, which stretch in a heavy crash, to be taken by a racing series, studied, and kept to ensure they aren’t used again in competition, the call to add poured/foam seats to the confiscation and removal-from-competition list, and the possible removal of the machined/beat seats in a 65G-or-higher impact is a new standard.

IndyCar will also take and inspect the cockpit headrests which surround the helmet and act as a cushion and crushable device to slow a driver’s head in a side or rear impact, and based on their findings, the headrest could be returned or kept and replaced by a new unit.