re: Camera Covers.....
The pop-off cover can't be allowed to impact the shuttle. It should stay with the camera. I suspect the racecars have some sort of plastic cover that rotates in front of the camera lens then slides through brushes or something behind the camera and back in front of the lens to keep it clean throughout the race. You can see it sliding in front of the camera. The drivers have pull off plastic that they rip off when they come into the pits.