During our off time, from June 10 through July 8, the team was excited to do some testing with the Pro Fwd Chevy Cobalt.
The goal in all of our minds was to make changes in order to gain ET before the next event.
These plans were quickly changed after I received a telephone call from a good friend who told me he had lost a close friend in a drag-racing accident on the track.
At the same time, the whole devastating news of Eric Medlin's tragic accident was still setting in.
These situations freaked me out because I knew that there were some modifications that needed to be made to improve the safety of our racecar.
So, the team discussed our plan for the month off between races and decided to change our focus. "We brought the Cobalt to Vanishing Point Race Cars for some safety modifications, because this company not only builds incredible racecars -- they build the fastest and safest door cars." Plus, they came highly recommended from my good friend, Justin Humphries.
The biggest aspect that needed to be addressed was modifying the car so that it was quicker for me to get in and out of in the case of an emergency.
This was done with a number of driver-compartment modifications. First, the door hinges were changed so that they opened at a 90-degree angle. Second, we changed the location of the steering column, moving it over only about an inch and a half to the right, allowing me to get out the car more quickly. Third, we ensured that the window net was easy for me to release from inside the vehicle.
The last safety modification involved changing the seat and adding a seat insert. The reason that we did this is because in the case of an accident, a driver does not want to be able to slide at all while fastened into the car. A driver needs to stay stable and secure in the seat during the force of impact in order to have a better chance of avoiding injury.
For Gardella Racing, safety is always our top priority. We make all decisions on and off the racetrack based on team and driver safety. This is another example of how we strive to have one of the safest cars on the track.
