Dan Siegel is just one of the many people who work in the NTT IndyCar Series in the technical inspection area. At the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach he shared with us the procedure of how they inspect the race cars, how they inspect safety equipment before and after a crash and also how they ensure a fair, competitive platform, so that the teams can have a level playing field going into the race competitions. A fascinating journey behind the scenes. Enjoy!
By Larry Mason
Copyright © 2023 Larry Mason
Dan Siegel is a friendly face in the NTT IndyCar Series technical inspection area and is dedicated to ensure a safe and competitive field of Indy cars.–Photo credit: INDYCAR Photo
A series of long tables contain the numerous templates and other tech inspection items needed to check the dimensions of a wide variety of Indy car parts. This sits parallel to the scales and set-up pad where other measurements are taken.
These two SWEMS (Suspension & Wheel Energy Management System) templates ensure that the cars comply with the rules. The actual SWEMS are inspected and are made of Zylon to reduce the likelihood of components flying off the car in a crash.
More templates (including a left hand mirror template) are ready to be put to use during the technical inspection process.
Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason (unless otherwise noted)