PPG has announced that its ballistic, canopy-like windscreen, a key component of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Aeroscreen, will make its official motorsports debut this week.
Business Wire
PPG provides Aeroscreen for NTT INDYCAR Series
AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 11: A detail view of the Aeroscreen on the car of Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the #10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, during NTT IndyCar Series testing at Circuit of The Americas on February 11, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies and tested multiple times since its first on-track assessment in October 2019, the Aeroscreen will appear on all cars competing in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida, US, on 15 March.
Aeroscreen is INDYCAR’s latest safety innovation to reduce the risk of driver injury from flying debris or other objects striking the cockpit area.
Speaking to Business Wire, INDYCAR President Jay Frye said: “I don’t think any stone has been left unturned, but we will continue to fine tune it. The Aeroscreen is an industry-changing, total driver safety solution.”
The Aeroscreen consists of PPG’s polycarbonate-laminated ballistic windscreen attached to a titanium frame produced by Austria-based lightweight engine and drivetrains systems manufacturer Pankl. The entire Aeroscreen assembly can be fitted on or removed in less than 15 minutes.
The PPG windscreen includes an interior anti-reflective coating, an anti-fogging device, and up to eight exterior tear-offs that can be removed during pit stops. Weighing just under 8kg, the windscreen can withstand objects striking at more than 350km per hour.
PPG Global Director of Aerospace Transparencies Brent Wright added: “As an innovative industry leader in aerospace transparencies, PPG is proud to play an important role in ensuring cockpit protection for drivers.”
INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series known as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.