Dorel Juvenile Group Recognized For Advancing Innovation In The Juvenile Products Industry With Two JPMA Innovation Awards

By PR Newswire 10/15/12 - 08:54 AM EDT LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (DJG), a division of Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) and the nation's largest juvenile products manufacturer, today unveiled a comprehensive line-up of the latest in child safety and innovation at the ABC Kids Expo ( October 14-17, 2012) in Louisville, KY. A juvenile industry leader, Dorel Juvenile Group, was recognized by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association with two 2012 JPMA Innovation Awards for the Maxi-Cosi Prezi and the Safety 1 st® BOOSTAPAK. Internationally recognized, the JPMA Innovation Awards highlight the most exciting and innovative new products in the juvenile marketplace today. Entries are evaluated by a selection committee of trade media representatives and industry retail buyers, and judged on their innovation, marketability, trend-setting potential, appeal and usefulness. Investing Solutions "We are honored that the JPMA has recognized our products for their trusted and industry leading innovation in the parenting space," said Dave Taylor, President and CEO of Dorel Juvenile Group. "Dorel continues to strive to develop quality products to address the everyday needs of parents and to ensure the safety of children." Continuing its pursuit of advancing the category, Dorel Juvenile Group had products across multiple categories honored as winners and finalists for the awards. 2012 JPMA Innovation Award winning products included: Maxi-Cosi Prezi: Combining industry-leading safety features without sacrificing style or convenience, the Maxi-Cosi Prezi "only does everything". Innovative technologies, like G-Cell HX™, a patented rebounding foam technology developed in conjunction with Bald Spot Sports (a leader in safety innovation for Indy Racing), and Air Protect ® have raised the bar industry wide on car seat safety. A five-point, Easy-Out Harness with center front adjuster makes it easier to properly secure your infant. Safety 1 st® BOOSTAPAK: The Safety 1 st BOOSTAPAK easily converts from a belt-positioning-booster to backpack with spacious capacity to provide on-the-go convenience and safety. The BOOSTAPAK fits children 40-80lbs and 43"-57" with an easy to wipe clean cover. For more information Dorel Juvenile Groups products, visit booth #100 and #300 at the ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, KY or go to www.djgusa.com. About Dorel Juvenile GroupDorel Juvenile Group is a division of Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A,) a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Now in its 50th year, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company's lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and Bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products. Dorel's powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bebe Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, IronHorse and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure. Dorel's Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of both domestically produced and imported furniture products, principally within North America. Dorel has annual sales of US$2.4 billion and employs 5,000 people in facilities located in twenty-two countries worldwide.

Maxi-Cosi’s New Prezi Infant Car Seat Offers Sleek European Design & Advanced Safety Features by Nadia Carriere on September 4, 2012

Dorel announced the launch of their new Maxi-Cosi Prezi Infant Car Seat today. The Prezi offers the most innovative technology available in car seats today with advanced safety features, style and safety. What’s so special about this car seat you ask? Well, the Prezi was actually developed with advanced side impact protection featuring revolutionary G-Cell HX™ and Air Protect® technologies. G-Cell HX™ is an advanced, patented, rebounding foam technology with hexagonal shapes that mitigates first impact energy while Air Protect® dispels remaining crash forces. These technologies were developed in conjunction with Bald Spot Sports (BSS) a leading company in the world of professional car racing technologies. In addition, the car seat has several convenience features like a stay-in-car five-position adjustable base with built in rebound control, Easy-Out 5 point harness and headrest can be easily and quickly adjusted for a proper fit. The seat is compatible with Quinny and Maxi-Cosi strollers and accommodates infants 4-30 pounds and up to 29 inches. The Prezi is available in 6 bright and beautiful colors, available through retailers nationwide for $289.00.

A Super Safe Car Seat Designed By Racecar Engineers

A Super Safe Car Seat Designed By Racecar Engineers - That's Us!!! By Barry Mahal, as told to Stephanie Schomer | June 18, 2012 What happens when racecar engineers help create a car seat? Barry Mahal, EVP of car-seat design for Dorel Juvenile Group, recalls how the Maxi-Cosi Prezi came to be. "Our industry is full of similar products with the same goal: safety. So to truly innovate, we felt we needed to speak to people who think more broadly about danger. We partnered with one of the largest providers of seats for racecars, which protect drivers in 200-mile-per-hour crashes. They introduced us to a variety of foam compositions, and explained that proximity is key--no matter how good a material is, it's no benefit if it's too far from the driver's body. From there, we created a foam with hexagonal cells, which force the energy created in a crash to collapse in on itself, keeping it and the associated impacts away from the child. And the foam, from head to toe, is as close to the child as possible without reducing comfort." ($289, maxi-cosi.com/us)

A version of this article appears in the July/August 2012 issue of Fast Company.

Bald Spot Sports Takes Front Row at Indianapolis 500

Bald Spot Sports Takes Front Row at Indianapolis 500 Announces Qualifiers Racing in BSS Custom Race Seats Brownsburg, Indiana – May 2012 – Bald Spot Sports, LLC, [BSS] announced that all 33 drivers who qualified for the 96th Indianapolis 500 will be driving in BSS custom foam bead race seats when they start their engines Sunday. BSS manufactures two different custom seat products to absorb impact forces before they act on the body of a racecar driver during a collision. Seats are manufactured using technology exclusive to BSS and molded from two new specialty foams, Creafoam and ARPRO. CreafoamTM seats, which offer greater proven force deadening properties than a standard generic expanded polystyrene seat offered by many of the competitors, are designed to absorb the forces acting on the driver during a single impact. ARPRO foam seats, which have greater elasticity, absorb impact and return to the initial shape with greater integrity. Areas can be carved out of the neck and back areas of the elastic seat to create room for foam stability plugs to be inserted. The Creafoam plugs, when inserted, are designed to offer maximum stability and force deadening during a single impact. These seats can offer greater support for the driver during secondary impacts continuing to act on the car after the primary collision. The entire front row of the 96th Indianapolis 500 owns ARPRO multi-impact race seats. About Bald Spot Sports Bald Spot Sports [BSS] is headquartered in the suburbs of the racing capital of Indianapolis, Indiana. BSS is actively engaged in the production of technologically superior racing seats, head surrounds and helmet liners for professional auto racers and private enthusiasts and continually works with independent labs to test innovative foam products.

Simpson Tackles NFL Safety

Simpson Tackles NFL Safety InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report Motor sports safety equipment pioneer Bill Simpson says his helmet designed for the National Football League is continuing to gain acceptance by players. He is partnering with IndyCar team owner Chip Ganassi on a company that he says could generate around 250 employees, if it secures just 10 percent of the market. Simpson discusses the venture with Gerry Dick on this weekend's special edition of Inside INdiana Business from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Simpson says he got the idea after becoming friends with Tom Moore, when he was a coach with the Colts. The safety expert adds his first NFL style helmet tested 50 percent better than football headgear at the time when it came to impact. Simpson and Ganassi's company, HGH Components, is certified with the NFL and NCAA. The two are also hoping to reach into high schools and are working on a helmet for lacrosse players. Source: Inside INdiana Business Report

NEW PRODUCT REVIEW: KartingParts.biz (SME Motorsports) Develops Seat Inserts and Steering Column Padding

KartingParts.biz, a division of SME Motorsports in Brownsburg, Ind., has created two new products to improve karting safety. The new SME Steering Wheel Bumper reduces the risk of injury from a hard frontal impact and the new SME Seat Inserts are designed to reduce injuries suffered in an accident and over a long karting career. “Not too long ago, my daughter had an accident in her kid kart that inspired me to create the steering column bumpers,” stated SME President Steve Eppard. “My goal was to slow the body and/or head down and distribute the G-forces out and away from the body to significantly reduce the risk of injury to a driver, in this case, my daughter.” SME Steering Wheel Bumpers allow for a series of force reducing impacts before the body’s inertia would cause it to make contact with a stationary steering column. The Bald Spot Sports foam plug in the core helps reduce the severity of injury by transferring the forces of impact to create less of a recoil effect back into the seat. The steering column bumper currently attaches to any 3-hole steering wheel/hub connection and will soon be available for the 6-hole wheel/hub configurations. All bumpers come covered in fabric with a felt backing. Standard color is black, custom colors and embroidery are available at an extra cost. For the maximum possible safety for young karters’ chest and internal organ’s safety, combine the Steering Column Karting Bumper with an SFI 20.1/1 or 20.1/2 karting chest protector SME Seat Inserts are made with the same BaldSpotSports foam and come in a variety of kit options designed to upgrade all popular karting seats. These foam inserts support the tailbone and spine, hips, and ribs against the various hits a kart driver may experience.. Like the steering column bumper, the Seat Inserts distribute and absorb the forces of impact in an accident, thus lessening the chances of injury to each of the areas of the seat/body where they’re installed. These inserts can also help a kart racer avoid long-term “compression style” injuries to the lower lumbar of the spine that result from the repetitive ‘bumps’ a back can take going over curbs or when bottoming out. Standard SME Seat Insert pads are all 3/8” thick and covered in black fabric with a felt backing. Custom thicknesses are available and can increase lower lumbar support. Custom fabric colors and embroidery are also available. Add Velcro™ to the back of the inserts and position in kart seat to maximize comfort and protection. Some drivers choose to use a seat one-size larger than they would need without inserts and add 1/2" to 3/4” thick inserts to maximize comfort and protection. Mike Burrell, 20-year karting veteran and former NKN writer said, “I visited a chiropractor for lower back pains. The Doctor said my L5 vertebra was compressed and a bit askew, and I had broken my tailbone at some point. He asked what I possibly could have done to cause that and it was determined karting was probably the cause. Steve built me a seat back insert and it’s significantly reduced my pain on days after I race.” The Bald Spot Sports material used in both the steering column bumper and seat inserts is SFI 45.2 certified impact padding approved for use in all professional racing (for more information visit http://www.sfifoundation.com). This is the same material used to make the seats and custom padding in Indycar™, NHRA and NASCAR™ seats. However, most karts don’t allow for the foam to be used in a format as thick as “the pros” seats. After impacting this material 15 times at 70 G’s of force, Indycar™ committed to using this material for the interior parts in the new DW12 because the material consistently maintains its strength and integrity! For more information on SME Motorsports karting products visit www.kartingparts.biz or call 317-709-0770.

Celebrate Pi Day!

Celebrate Pi Day - March 14th

Mmmm. Pi Day! The nerdy holiday celebrated by math geeks worldwide. This is the day we gather around to celebrate that amazing little (long) number, pi.

Pi, approximately 3.14159, is the mysterious mathematical constant (number) that represents the ratio of any circle's circumference to its diameter.

Pi has its day, appropriately, on March 14 (3/14). Often a Pi Day celebration will have an extra special event set for pi minute (at 1:59pm). In the UK, Pi Approximation Day is often celebrated on July 22 (22/7) as 22 divided by 7 is an approximation for pi.

This day brings more fun to math classes around the world then anything else (second only to Math League). I wish you a very Happy Pi Day 2012!

Happy Leap Day!

Once every four years Leap Year comes…but why? It turns out ancient Egyptians discovered it takes the Earth a little longer than a year to travel around the Sun—365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to be exact.

So, what will you do with the extra day?

Bald Spot Sports Busy with New Dallara IndyCar

Updated: Dec 14, 2011 10:59 PM EST
By Richard Essex - bio

New Indy car means local jobs

INDIANAPOLIS - Travis Cobb is one of the owners of Bald Spot Sports. He also helps load trucks, works the assembly line, operates most of the machinery and does design work.

"Some last minute modifications to some designs," Cobb said. "It will be a late night, so it will be fun and exciting. That is why we are in the business."

Cobb is busy building seats for race cars, Indianapolis-made cars for the IndyCar series with design changes said to be safer for drivers. Cobb's business is one of 70 vendors building parts for the new Dallara cars, a project which is also creating jobs for central Indiana

"We've probably doubled our sales 2 to 3 times," said Cobb.

Race car parts are a staple for the company. The company is also making impact liners for football helmets, several of which are already being used by NFL players. Recently, the company has been asked to help develop a new line of child safety seats.

Bald Spot Sports will Donate a new toy with every Creafoam Seat Kit order!

We're donating a toy with every seat kit order!
In the spirit of giving this holiday season, we’ll be donating a toy to Toys for Tots for every seat kit order placed now through Dec 22nd. Place your order today!

Bald Spot Sports brings IndyCar technology coming to child safety seats

Updated: Nov 24, 2011 8:37 AM EST

By Richard Essex - bio

COLUMBUS -

The safety of an IndyCar could be coming to passenger vehicles.

Eyewitness News was recently granted exclusive access to high speed crash tests. Those tests are leading to some incredible innovations that will keep your children safer.

Tests involving child car seats show what can happen in a crash. The Dorel Juvenile Group, the largest manufacturer of child safety seats in United States, is in Columbus, and they're interested in making sure their youngest customers have the greatest chance of survival in the event of a wreck.

IndyCar fans have no doubt seen crashes where the driver smashes into a wall but gets out virtually unharmed. Dorel is working to bring the safety features that protect the driver to their child car seats.

Dorel found a partner in Bald Spot Sports, the company that supplied most of the drivers' seats in last Indianapolis 500. The secret is the foam along with some proprietary designs.

'We have had race car drivers absolutely go crazy already. They know this is coming and they are saying, 'Hey, you know, I want this for my kid now. I know what it takes to protect me. Get this out for me now,'" said Barry Mahal, Dorel.

That is exactly what is happening - a car seat as safe as an IndyCar driver's seat.

"It is very evident that if we can start to design out seats around some of the most violent crashes in the world then we will have a pretty good ability to keep your child safe," Mahal said.

In a car crash, there is likely to be more than one impact. Most car seats today are tested and designed to hold your child in place for that "one impact." But in reality the car seats need to protect a child against three or four devastating impacts while keeping the spine aligned and their head protected.

"With intrusion you have objects from other vehicles or another vehicle coming in on the occupant so this is all designed to keep that incoming part of the car or automobile away from the child," Mahal explained.

The seats have not gone into production yet. Dorel is anticipating a few "race car safe" child safety seats to be available in spring of 2012. A few prototypes maybe available sooner and there are already race car drivers lining up for those.

We'll keep you posted on the progress and tell you when the new seats are available in stores.

Miller: IndyCar Has 'Dodged Bullets'

updated: 10/24/2011 7:53:25 AM
Miller: IndyCar Has 'Dodged Bullets'

InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

IndyCar officials and series drivers are slated to meet today in Indianapolis to discuss safety. The session will follow a weekend of services to honor Dan Wheldon, who died after a crash during the season-ending IndyCar event in Las Vegas. Longtime Motorsports Journalist Robin Miller says Indy-style racing has "dodged bullets for 15 years" on high-banked ovals like the venue in Vegas. He believes the series should return to ovals, which are better suited for open-wheel racing. Miller shared his thoughts on Wheldon and where IndyCar goes from here during a conversation with Inside INdiana Sports Contributor Bill Benner.

Today's drivers' meeting is not mandatory. Some will not be able to attend after taking part in the Gold Coast 600 over the weekend in Australia. Sebastien Bourdais won the Dan Wheldon Memorial Trophy as the top international driver in the event.

Wheldon's death is not the only tragedy marring global motorsports this month.

Motorcycle driver Marco Simoncelli died this weekend from injuries suffered in lap two of the Malaysian Grand Prix. SpeedTV.com reports officials ended up canceling the race.

Simoncelli had success at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway winning the 250cc race in 2009. He finished 12th in this year's MotoGP and seventh in the 2010 event.

Source: Inside INdiana Business, SpeedTV.com

October 24, 2011

News Release

A statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Belskus on the death of MotoGP competitor Marco Simoncelli from injuries suffered in the Grand Prix of Malaysia on Sunday, Oct. 23:

�We are deeply saddened at the passing of Marco Simoncelli. He was one of the most charismatic figures in the World Championship and had a fantastic future ahead of him in MotoGP. Marco was one of the most popular riders at the MotoGP event at Indianapolis, as his talent on the motorcycle and his ability to connect with fans both were very special. We extend our sincere sympathies to his family, team and fans.�

Simoncelli, 24, from Italy, competed twice in the MotoGP class at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing seventh in 2010 and 12th in 2011. He won the 250cc race in 2009 at IMS. Simoncelli was the 2008 250cc World Champion.

Source: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Another chance for Cunningham to shine

VOXY.co.nx Thursday, 13 October, 2011 - 11:17

This weekend's 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series final at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the United States will provide Kiwi driver Wade Cunningham with another chance to shine.

The 27-year-old former Firestone Indy Lights series champion finished seventh in only his second complete IndyCar race at the penultimate round of this year's IndyCar series in Kentucky a fortnight ago and heads to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a clear idea of what he would like to do in the final.

"The goals are still pretty simple," he said this week. "The first is to avoid trouble and the second is to finish the race. If we do those two things we know we have the potential for a top five finish because my team, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, has been competitive all year on these types of tracks.

"In terms of myself and the guys running the #17 car we need to improve our pit stops, because to be competitive with Ganassi (who Cunningham's compatriot and former series champion Scott Dixon drives for) and Penske we can't afford to leave anything on the table. But Kentucky was my first weekend working with the car's engineer so we are expecting to build from that and we believe we have all the ingredients to improve on our Kentucky result."

This weekend Cunningham will be flying the flag for sponsors Play Again, Air Ride Pallet, Creatherm, Bald Spot Sports and ALC, the group of backers who have enabled him to make his three round debut in this year's IZOD IndyCar Series.

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a 2.4km (1.5 mile) D-shaped oval similar in layout to the Kentucky Motor Speedway but with progressive banking up to a maximum of 20 degrees which is considerably more than Kentucky. Cunningham says he is also expecting the track surface to be smoother which he believes will produce more 'pack' racing than was seen at Kentucky.

As befits a season finale the grandly named World Championship presented by Honda meeting has attracted a bumper 34-car field made up of drivers representing 12 different countries.

The usual 20+ strong field has been supplemented this weekend by entries from the likes of former series regulars Tomas Scheckter from South Africa, and both Alex Tagliani and Paul Tracey from Canada

Andretti Autosport hooks up with Chevrolet

By indycar.com staff

Chevrolet will provide Andretti Autosport entries with its new IndyCar V-6 racing engine for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.

The Andretti and Chevrolet brands were synonymous for many years in Indy car racing with Michael and Mario collectively scoring the most wins (20) for Chevrolet from 1987 to 1991. Michael recorded the most Chevrolet wins in a season when he scored eight victories on the way to winning the 1991 CART/PPG IndyCar World Series championship. Mario earned Chevrolet’s first Indy car victory at Long Beach in 1987.

“I am so excited to work with Chevy once again,” said Andretti, the third-winningest driver in Indy car history. “We won 15 races and a championship with Chevy in just three years. The 1991 season was magical. Now, Andretti Autosport and our sponsors have the opportunity to win again with Chevrolet. This will prove to be a tremendous association. Chevrolet is committed to motorsports and they are proven winners.”

Andretti Autosport has recorded 39 victories, including two Indianapolis 500 wins, and three driver championships since entering the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2003. Chevrolet has totaled 104 Indy car wins, including six series crowns and seven Indy 500 championships.

The 2012 Chevrolet IndyCar 2.2 liter, V-6 will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, direct injection and twin-turbochargers.

“We are very proud to announce that Andretti Autosport is now part of the Chevrolet family and that they will compete with Chevy’s new twin-turbo V-6 beginning in 2012,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Michael and his family have won many races for Chevrolet and we intend to continue winning with our new partnership.

"We are anxious to have Andretti Autosport begin testing the 2012 engine in the near future.”

Engine manufacturers will commence on-track testing in earnest in early October. Teams are scheduled to take delivery of their first chassis in mid-December, and team testing will begin after the first of the year.

Bald Spot Sports Helps Racing Safety Legend Take On NFL Concussions

Bald Spot Sports is proud to be working with racing safety legend Bill Simpson as he takes on concussions in the NFL.


http://www.theindychannel.com/video/28955738/index.html

New car upgrades driver protection

By Dave Lewandowski

During its annual preseason meeting two years ago, INDYCAR safety consultant Dr. Terry Trammel singled out Justin Wilson as a driver susceptible to high vertical G force loads upon impact because of his height and the design of the IZOD IndyCar Series car that came online in 2003.

“Unfortunately, he proved us right in a field study,” Trammel said of the 6-3 Wilson, who suffered a compression fracture of the T5 vertebra in a single-car incident at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this month.

Fortunately, upgrades incorporated into the 2012 IndyCar, based on recommendations by INDYCAR through its ongoing testing program, will increase the protection of drivers.

The cockpit is longer and wider than the current Dallara Automobili monocoque, which allows for additional padding to protect the driver upon impact. There is 3 inches of Expanded Polypropylene foam behind the driver’s seat and 1.5 inches under the seat. Also, a “floating headrest” works in conjunction with the mandatory HANS device attached to the helmet.

“What that means is that before the driver ever pours his custom fit seat they will already have an inch and a half of material that will protect them in a vertical load situation, which is what Justin Wilson went through at Mid-Ohio,” INDYCAR director of engineering Jeff Horton said. “Because of his height and the design of that car, he actually has nothing underneath him. He basically sits right on the floor so all the load that the chassis saw was transmitted to straight up his spine.

“With the foam in the new car, it potentially should prevent most of those types of injuries. In addition, we designed in 3 inches off EPP on the back of the car. Again, before a driver ever pours his custom fit seat he’s got 3 inches of protection, which our data shows will prevent most injuries.”

The wider chassis, updated to the FIA cockpit opening (21.6 inches) provides for extra foam along the sides of the driver that will protect them in a lateral impact. The additions complement the Zylon panels, which were extended, that are attached to the sides of the chassis that help prevent punctures.

“The car also has been made a little bit longer in that area so that a tall driver can be incorporated and not give up safety systems,” Horton noted. “On the current car, our tall drivers have to compromise something at the rear to fit in the car and get the pedals adjusted comfortably – they actually move them all the way forward. In this current car, the driver should be in a normal seating position.

“The headrest has been redesigned on our recommendations as well, with the addition of a thicker cross-section where the helmet will hit in a rearward accident. The current car (designed a decade ago) came about before the HANS was mandatory so to get the HANS to fit correctly we had to take some material out of the current headrest; that’s been put back into this car.”

According to Horton, Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) is the preferred material for the seat bottom/back and headrest over Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) because of its higher compressive strength. EPP is formed by individual plastic beads being injected into a steam chest mold, where the beads are fused under steam heat and pressure to form a semi-rigid and lightweight molded product.

“The nice part of the EPP foam is that it doesn’t have any glue in it,” he said, “so it’s considered a multi-hit foam. EPS deforms permanently because of the glue in it. You have to think of things like crew members and drivers climbing in and out of the cockpit and they put their foot on it. The EPS could be deformed and not perform properly in an accident.”

Trammel and Horton have advocated driver seats to be constructed solely of EPP, which would further increase protection. EPS seats are formed by mixing beads and glue, put it in a plastic bag and have the driver sit on it for a mold. After it dries, it’s covered with a fire-retardant material.

“It’s up to our standards, but the thing is it’s a one-hit seat,” Horton said. “The glue in the beads will deform permanently when impacted hard.”

Creating an EPP seat takes a few more steps – an EPS seat if formed, scanned and then machined out of an EPP block. Combined with the added EPP foam in the bottom, back and headrest, protection has been significantly increased.

“If a driver happens to take multiple hits in a single accident, like Simona (de Silvestro) at Milwaukee, the 3 inches of material will protect them much better than the current car,” Horton said.

INDYCAR, using sled testing with its crash test dummy THOR, will focus next on improvements in frontal impact safety.

“We’ve been very lucky in this series that our tubs and chassis have been very safe,” Horton added. “We’ve been able to nitpick at stuff like the headrest design, and this new car incorporates what we learned in seating. In IndyCar, some of our big injuries have been in frontal. We’ve done one round of sled testing and learned a great deal. Once we learn and validate more that can be of benefit, it will be incorporated in this car.”

NY TIMES Article Regarding our work with Child Safety Seats

Wheels - The Nuts and Bolts of Whatever Moves You

June 3, 2011, 11:31 am
Child Safety Seats With a Racing Pedigree
By ROY FURCHGOTT

A prototype of the Dorel safety seat, which employs foam technology commonly found in IndyCar racecar seats.Dorel Juvenile GroupA prototype of the Dorel safety seat, which employs foam technology commonly found in IndyCar racecar seats.

You have to wonder why nobody thought of this before.

Watching IndyCar drivers walk away from 200 m.p.h. crashes, executives at Dorel, the child car seat manufacturer, asked whether the technologies that protected racecar drivers in crashes could be applied to child safety seats.

A collaboration with an IndyCar supplier is bearing out answers. Dorel is developing seats that use a proprietary foam used in IndyCar seats called expanded polypropylene, or E.P.P., which is proven to be more resilient and shock absorbent than other foams.

E.P.P. is one of only two foams approved for use in IndyCar seats, and it is the one that is preferred, said Jeff Horton, director of engineering for the Indy Racing League, the body responsible for safety research. “We promote the E.P.P. 100 percent,” he said in a telephone interview. “It’s the best crash absorption we have.”

The foam’s function in crashes is twofold. Many foams compress only in the spot where pressure is applied, while others spread the impact but crush down and cannot spring back. E.P.P., developed for seat applications by Bald Spot Sports, the sole manufacturer and supplier of E.P.P. seats to IndyCar, spreads impact throughout the foam, so pressure in a single spot is absorbed in the neighboring foam as well.

Secondly, the foam springs back, ready for additional impact. “It’s great for multihit situations,” Mr. Horton said.

“We tested probably 30 types of material, and when we got down to the type of material, we tested different density,” said Travis Cobb, a partner in Bald Spot Sports. “We crashed a lot of cars.”

The E.P.P. also provides a bonus for fatigued parents. Because E.P.P. does not require a resin glue to lock the foam molecules in place, the foam weighs less than other varieties, said Mr. Horton, who has been privy to the development of the Dorel prototypes. “I’ve seen the baby seats, and they are very light,” he said.

Dorel was in the news more recently for a recall of 800,000 child seats for a condition where the harnesses may loosen. No injuries have been attributed to the harness issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which prompted the recall, said at the time, “Dorel doesn’t have a disproportionate number of recalls.”

The E.P.P. seats are still in development and will become available in 2012, said Barry Mahal, the executive vice president of child restraint systems for the Dorel Juvenile Group.

Latest Video Live Car-Seat Crash Test Jun 2, 2011 - 3:26 - FBN's Jeff Flock on new technology and testing to build better children's car seats.

Companies work with racing technology to improve child safety seats

By MICHELLE KOUEITER on 5/27/2011

The same technology that saved IndyCar driver Simona De Silvestro from serious injury in a recent crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway might soon be helping protect children in car seats.

Dorel Juvenile Group, a car-seat manufacturer, is partnering with racing-product developers at Bald Spot Sports to use cockpit material that insulates racers from crashes in child-safety technology. Dorel makes child-safety items under brand names such as Safety 1st and Cosco. Bald Spot Sports has produced materials for IndyCar and NASCAR use.

Dorel and Bald Spot are looking to improve child safety seats by using the same materials that cocooned Silvestro in the cockpit and protected other racers in 200-mph crashes.

About 80 percent of IndyCar drivers and those on other professional circuits such as NASCAR are using the foam technology the companies want to adopt.

According to Dorel, preliminary tests show the molding process and absorption of the material--combined with the geometrical shape it assumes when applied in child seats--allows side impact to be directed away from the child in unprecedented ways. It is a different type of foam technology than what is currently used in safety seats, with more flexible and complex properties.

"For years, we have been helping professional racers manage the risk that comes with the speed and adrenaline rush of their profession," said Travis Cobb, partner with Bald Spot Sports. "We are excited to explore how we can bring this technology to protecting kids every day."

The product is still in development and it is not clear when it will be available. Research for the project is under way at Dorel's car-seat manufacturing campus in Columbus, Ind. Bald Spot is headquartered nearby, in Indianapolis.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110527/CARNEWS/110529841#ixzz1NsPYhLRt

Bald Spot Sports Takes Front Row at Indianapolis 500 Announces Qualifiers Racing in BSS Custom Race Seats

Brownsburg, Indiana – May 2011 – Bald Spot Sports, LLC, [BSS] announced that 26 out of the 33 drivers who qualified for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 will be driving in BSS custom foam bead race seats when they start their engines Sunday.

BSS manufactures two different custom seat products to absorb impact forces before they act on the body of a racecar driver during a collision. Seats are manufactured using technology exclusive to BSS and molded from two new specialty foams, Creafoam^TM and ARPRO^TM.

Creafoam^TM seats, which offer greater proven force deadening properties than a standard generic expanded polystyrene seat offered by many of the competitors, are designed to absorb the forces acting on the driver during a single impact.

ARPRO^TM foam seats, which have greater elasticity, absorb impact and return to the initial shape with greater integrity. Areas can be carved out of the neck and back areas of the elastic seat to create room for foam stability plugs to be inserted. The Creafoam^TM plugs, when inserted, are designed to offer maximum stability and force deadening during a single impact. These seats can offer greater support for the driver during secondary impacts continuing to act on the car after the primary collision. The entire front row of the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 owns ARPRO^TM multi-impact race seats.

About Bald Spot Sports

Bald Spot Sports [BSS] is headquartered in the suburbs of the racing capital of Indianapolis, Indiana.

BSS is actively engaged in the production of technologically superior racing seats, head surrounds and helmet liners for professional auto racers and private enthusiasts and continually works with independent labs to test innovative foam products.

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