Lewis Motorsports Implements New Safety Feature on Its Cars

CONCORD, N.C. (July 19) -- NASCAR driver Ashton Lewis Jr. is relatively new to the Busch Series, but he is familiar with the safety advances that have been made through the years. Lewis is hoping that a new safety feature on all of his Lewis Motorsports Monte Carlos will help current and future drivers from repeating history.

There have been many stories that have led to advances in safety, and one story in particular led partly to the development of Lewis’ idea.

Tim Richmond was having a great day behind the wheel in the early eighties at Charlotte Motor Speedway (now Lowe’s Motor Speedway) when his lap times began to decrease. Crew chief Harry Hyde told his driver to pick up his speed because some of the other drivers were starting to gain on him. Richmond told Hyde that every time he went into the corners he had to use the kill switch to slow the car.

A spring had broken on Richmond’s gas peddle linkage, and to slow the car in the corners, he loosened his seat belts, reached up to the dashboard, turned off the master switch to the car’s ignition and turned it on again in the middle of the corner.

Today, there are few if any drivers that would try something like that. NASCAR and the teams are constantly working to improve the safety of the cars.

Lewis Motorsports has installed a new feature on all of its cars that will be very helpful in case of a malfunction on the track. Each of the cars will have a toggle switch located on the steering wheel. The switch will enable Lewis to turn off the power to his No. 46 Monte Carlo in an instant without searching to find the main switch.

Traditionally, the main power switch has been located on the dashboard of the car or to the right of the driver mounted on a roll bar. In both of those cases, it is inconvenient for the driver to reach the power switch without loosening his seat belts or taking his eyes off the track.

In Lewis’ case, he will only have to move his thumb a few inches.

“Dad (Ashton Lewis Sr.) came up with the idea of placing the kill switch on the steering wheel,” Lewis said. “You never know what might happen, and the switch gives me the chance to cut the power to the car while still being able to pay attention to what’s going on around me.”

As long as teams continue to race and drivers get behind the wheel, all those involved with NASCAR will strive to make cars safer. The Lewises feel that this is just one solution to the never-ending quest to make America’s favorite sport safer for all involved.