Safety Concerns ‘Priority One’

Two weeks after the death of Dale Earnhardt on the last turn of the last lap in the Daytona 500, normalcy is slowly returning to the Winston Cup garage area, tempered by an increased interest in safety.

There was as much talk in Las Vegas this weekend about different head and neck support systems, five-point or six-point seat belts and how one could possibly break, as Earnhardt’s is said to have, as there was about today’s UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Winston Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

More than 115,000 fans are expected for the race, third on the Winston Cup schedule.

Dale Jarrett will start on the pole in a Ford, the make that has won every Cup race held at the 1 1/2-mile oval since it opened four years ago; Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip will start on the second row in a Chevrolet; Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte will start seventh in a Pontiac; but one of the first questions posed to them has not been about speed or their chance of winning, but, “Are you wearing the HANS device? Or something similar?”

Jarrett, who wore one at Daytona, was one of the earliest advocates of the HANS device--designed to stabilize the head and neck at the time of impact.

“I started testing it over the winter, and Daytona was the first time I used it,” said Jarrett, whose 172.106-mph lap was the fastest during Friday qualifying. “As I’ve said, I fear more getting in my car every day and driving to the office than I do getting in my race car.

“We have to work together in the safety area, but that’s an ongoing thing and if everybody works together--the drivers, the teams, the safety people, NASCAR--if we all work together we’ll make this a very safe sport.”

Jarrett also wears a six-point harness, which consists of two lap belts, two shoulder harnesses and two leg straps.

Waltrip, wearing a HANS device for the first time this week, has become a staunch supporter of the protective concept.

“I wore one for the first time during our Atlanta test [after the Daytona 500] and I had no problem with it at all,” said Waltrip, at 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds one of the largest drivers on the circuit. “It makes me feel much more comfortable and the way it works with my belts, when I cinch them up it seems to give me a better feeling of security than before I wore one.”

Labonte is wearing a slightly different device, designed by Bobby Hutchens.

“It works similar to a HANS device, just in a different fashion,” Labonte said. “It just fastens around you, fastens to your helmet and goes down to your submarine belt between your legs. They’ve tested it in sled tests, so I feel pretty confident with it. So far, I give it a thumbs up.

“Safety is at the forefront of Winston Cup and all of racing, stock car racing in particular. It’s obvious that it’s the most important thing. This is priority one.”

NASCAR has said it recommends that drivers wear a device but leaves the decision up to each driver.

Only seven of the 43 drivers wore one at Daytona, but most of today’s field is expected to be fitted with one.

Rusty Wallace is lobbying for larger window openings, where the drivers climb in and out of their cars.

“The door openings in all these cars are way too tight now,” he said. “They need to make them bigger so it’s easier to get in and out of the car in case of fire.”

Several drivers, including Jeff Burton and Todd Bodine, have suggested forming a committee to carry driver’s safety suggestions to NASCAR.

Mike Helton, NASCAR president, says that’s unnecessary because his door is always open to any ideas that drivers may have.

“Safety for our drivers and spectators is a daily work in progress,” he said. “It doesn’t take a committee to get our attention. We listen with interest to anyone from the garage area.”

Waltrip, who has been in Winston Cup racing for 16 years, agreed.

“All I know is that any time I’ve gone up to that NASCAR trailer with any idea, I’ve been received with open arms,” he said. “They want to hear what we have to say. They know we’re the ones out there racing and that we’re going to know more about it than they do. They want to hear our input. I have a lot of faith in Mike Helton.”

Notes

Todd Bodine won his second Busch Grand National race in a row Saturday when his Chevrolet beat rookie Greg Biffle’s Ford to the checkered flag in the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bodine, who won last week in Rockingham, N.C., dominated the 300-mile race by leading 103 of the 200 laps.

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Today’s Races

WINSTON CUP

UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

* When: Today, (Channel 11, 11 a.m.).

* Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

* Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps).

* Defending champion: Jeff Burton.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Florida Dodge Dealers 400

* When: Today, (ESPN, 9 a.m.).

* Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway.

* Race distance: 250.5 miles (167 laps).

* Defending champion: Andy Houston.