IndyCar will implement a brand new, stronger piece of {hardware} designed to maintain rear wheels connected to the automotive throughout a wreck after a tire flew off Kyle Kirkwood’s automotive and narrowly missed a packed grandstand throughout the Indianapolis 500.

The sequence stated Wednesday that chassis producer Dallara had designed a retaining nut that’s greater than 60% stronger than the earlier design. The up to date retaining nut will likely be obligatory starting with this weekend’s races at Iowa Speedway.

“Their thorough assessment means of the incident between the No. 6 and No. 27 (vehicles) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway started instantly and included an intensive recreation at their headquarters in Italy,” IndyCar President Jay Frye stated. “IndyCar takes security very significantly. This replace is a crucial step in ensuring an incident like this doesn’t occur once more.”

IndyCars are designed to return aside upon impression, which helps to dissipate the vitality and defend the driving force. However in addition they have tethers which might be supposed to maintain wheels connected within the occasion of a wreck, a response to a number of incidents through the years through which wheels had come off vehicles and injured – and even killed – spectators on the opposite facet of the catch fence.

Through the Indy 500 in Could, Kirkwood was trailing Felix Rosenqvist when the latter hit the wall in Turns 1 and a couple of within the closing laps of the race. Kirkwood’s automotive launched off the rear of Rosenquist’s automotive and into the fencing, and his rear wheel went flying over the fence and the nook of the grandstand earlier than touchdown on a fan’s automotive within the parking zone.

Roger Penske, who owns each the sequence and the speedway, promised afterward an intensive assessment of the wreck.

“It’s Dallara’s mission, together with IndyCar and the entire racing sequence we work with, to keep up and constantly enhance security primarily based upon the best requirements,” Dallara chief government Stefano dePonti stated. “After finishing an in depth evaluation of the accident throughout this yr’s Indy 500, along with IndyCar we’ve got reached the conclusion the end result was the consequence of an uncommon and never-experienced set of circumstances.

“However,” dePonti stated, “we’ve got developed and produced new parts that can improve the energy of the nook in case the unlikely sequence of occasions repeats itself.”