Most NASCAR fans might not know the name Dr. John Melvin, but in the NASCAR community his work was paramount in the field of driver safety. A former University of Michigan professor and senior research engineer with General Motors, Dr. Melvin became a paid safety consultant for NASCAR, serving as the Technical Consultant to NASCAR for Racecar Safety. In this role, Dr. Melvin worked on safety innovations such as the head-and-neck restraints, seat construction, seat belts and SAFER barriers. Dr. Melvin was also the first to develop a black box for racecars in 1991 as part of the GM Racing Safety Program. ‘NASCAR and the entire motorsports industry lost a giant on Thursday with the passing of Dr. John Melvin. Dr. Melvin was a pioneer in the field of driver safety, particularly in the area of driver restraint systems,’ NASCAR president Mike Helton said in a statement. ‘His many contributions as a safety consultant to NASCAR for more than 13 years forever changed the sport. We lost a colleague, and a friend. NASCAR extends its condolences to Dr. Melvin’s family and friends. He will be greatly missed by the entire racing community.’(FoxSports)(7-18-2014)
