A new, safer IndyCar chassis is being given out to drivers Thursday.
Race teams started picking up the new Dallara DW12 chassis at 10:00 am.
Dallara calls the new parts "the first step to bring the cars of the future to the present."
This marks the first time in decades race cars used in the Indy 500 are made in Indianapolis by dozens of suppliers.
Dan Wheldon, the two-time Indy 500 winner killed in a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, was involved in testing the new chassis for IndyCar.
IndyCar says the chassis "enhances safety components such as side intrusion panels and wheel tethers. The cockpit is longer and wider than the decommissioned monocoque, which allows for additional padding underneath and behind the driver." Also, a "floating headrest" works in conjunction with the mandatory FHR (Frontal Head Restraint) attached to the helmet. Driver positioning allows for better sightlines.
