Sudden Impact Racing’s own Ben Winslow will be campaigning the Sudden Impact/Ground Pounder name, and for the Ground Pounder part, he’ll be driving and looking stylish thanks to Redcat Racing. Check out the driver’s suit below:

Along with that news comes an update from the SIR shop in Michigan, where Tim Bush, Chris “Panda” Ryan, Carl VanHorn, and Jon Zimmer have been hard at work preparing Excaliber and AMSOIL Shock Therapy for first quarter of 2010. Thanks go to Tim Bush for the photos:

^A look at both trucks.

^Zimmer preparing to work on both trucks.

^CVH and Zimmer hard at work.

^Panda cleaning up the axles where the third member will be.

^There are many late nights involved in getting the trucks ready for first quarter.

^Axles, four link bars, and various parts are ready to go into the trucks.

We thank Tim Bush for keeping us posted on the team’s progress!

Finally, Adam Connell was kind enough to share his experiences and provide a few photos and an article on SIR’s backup lights becoming a requirement for MTRA-certified trucks at this year’s awards banquet. The article is below. Thanks, Adam!

Light Em Up!

Making a Monster Truck Safer for Floor Personnel

by Adam Connell

Motorsports Announcer

M.T.R.A Technical Inspector

History of Sudden Impact Racing’s backup lights:

Last year the Sudden Impact Racing team installed one bright white oval LED cluster wired into the reverse alarm system on each of their four trucks. It was nothing more than a simple white LED cluster that you can pick up at any Wal-Mart, truck stop, or trailer supply store. The light was then mounted to the frame rails out of harm’s way using a simple bracket. This simple setup cost under $20, and any competent mechanic would be able to fabricate a similar setup in less than two hours.

The Checkered Flag Productions crew immediately noticed these lights the first time we saw them. This bright new idea (sorry, I had to make the pun!) really caught the eye of anyone in the area when it was activated. Most people familiar with the automotive industry know that when a bright white light illuminates on the rear of a vehicle, that vehicle is in reverse. At first, we all thought it was a great idea because this simple light did an excellent job of illuminating everything behind the truck, and it really seemed to improve driver visibility in low light situations.

However, as the season progressed, this backing aid actually turned out to be an excellent addition to the reverse warning system that all MTRA-certified trucks are required to have. We also noticed that this new light caught our attention much sooner than the back up alarm did, and in situations where two or more trucks are running at one time, the light proved to be an even more valuable addition to floor personnel safety.

Why a simple light is so effective:

I was with these trucks most of the year, and as the year progressed, I began to appreciate these new lights and recognize the multiple benefits they provided. I hate to say it, because it seems impossible, but after you are around these trucks and heavy equipment all day, you start to get used to the excessive noise. Another thing I began to notice is that the constant reverse warning alarms of the track building equipment wind up fading into the background noise as well. As it turns out, this is actually not me going deaf, but was my body naturally responding to the stress of the loud noise. When you constantly expose yourself to repetitive noise, your body attempts to adapt to the situation and subconsciously desensitizes you to the noise. This may alarm some people, but the desensitizing effect is actually the natural human response to dealing with stress. It follows the same principals taught in the old story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Basically, your body hears “wolf” so many times that it quits responding. This light winds up providing a completely different form of stimulation and is a much more effective way of warning bystanders. Commercial fire alarm systems employ a similar system that uses not only an auditory alarm, but a bright light as well. As it turns out, when you provide two forms of warning stimulation, you increase the effectiveness of that alarm system significantly.

How a good idea became a great rule:

As I was sitting in the meeting, I noticed Brandon Lagarde had not arrived yet, which triggered the thought that I should make a comment about how much the CFP crew liked the new lights. After I was done explaining the Sudden Impact Racing setup, Zane Rettew of Checkered Flag Productions and Colby Marshal of www.TheMonsterBlog.com both backed up my statements and explained how they both had been in situations where the reverse warning lights alerted them to potentially hazardous situations. Between our testimony and several other members’ similar set ups, the members of the MTRA voted to pass a new rule requiring either a blinking or solid reverse warning light. There were some concerns about the durability of this particular light setup at the MTRA meeting that I did not have answers for at the time. I decided to call up Brandon for more information. Brandon informed me that the same four lights had survived the abuse of his team for over a year now, and the lights showed no signs of fatigue. In my opinion, surviving a year’s worth of abuse on the Sudden Impact Racing team’s trucks is more than sufficient evidence that this setup is tough enough for any team.

It all happened quickly and before I knew it, the room voted, and the new rule was implemented. I was slightly stunned, because I had only wanted to mention the lights and how I thought they were a good idea, but in what seemed like the blink of an eye, a good idea became a new rule for 2010. I believe these new reverse warning lights will significantly add to the track crew and other floor personnel’s awareness and safety, as well as aiding the driver in low light situations. I would like to thank Brandon Lagarde, Tim Bush, and the Sudden Impact Racing team for implementing such a simple, yet effective idea that will significantly improve safety for all of us that work on the floor.

Be on the lookout for more updates soon!

Filed under: Team News by Brandon