Gotlieb Yorm was a top racing pilot on the professional circuit, who was known for his willingness to do anything to shave a few more seconds off his lap times. For a short while, before the Safety Commission stepped in, he would race naked, claiming clothes were an unnecessary weight. Another such innovation that was considerably more successful (and modest) was his insistence that the shields being used on his racer were too powerful. He really only needed to be able to fend off a few shots, because after that he would either have maneuvered his ship out of targeting range, or he would have lost the race anyway. Gutting apart an existing shield by hand, Yorm hacked together a lighter shield that would draw less power and only protect him just enough to escape. Soon, many other racers were trying to mimic his efforts, and when Yorm retired, he went on to successfully sell his modified shield design.