Safety Device Is Mandated

NASCAR changed its position on head and neck restraints for its drivers Wednesday from a recommendation to a mandate.

Starting with this weekend’s Winston Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR will require all drivers in its three top series--Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck--to wear either a HANS or a Hutchens device.

The stock car sanctioning organization has been under pressure to install such a measure since the death of seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt in the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. Earnhardt’s death, from a skull fracture, followed closely on the deaths of Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin from similar injuries.

Blaise Alexander, an ARCA driver who also drove in NASCAR events, was killed earlier this month in an accident at Concord, N.C., in which he was not wearing a restraint. Safety experts have expressed concern that cockpit restraints may have helped prevent the fatalities.

Forty-two of 43 drivers in the most recent superspeedway race voluntarily wore restraints. Only Tony Stewart, a three-time winner this season, had refused to wear one.

“I think a head and neck restraint is a good idea, but I haven’t found anything yet that I’m comfortable with,” said Stewart, who was testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “It’s not that I don’t want to wear it, and I’m not being bull-headed about this, but there is nothing right now that I’m comfortable wearing inside the race car.

“If I have a helmet device that doesn’t fit properly or isn’t comfortable, then how comfortable am I going to be six inches from guys who are on all four corners of my race car? I’m still committed to finding an appropriate head restraint system that suits my safety needs, while at the same time allowing me peace of mind inside the race car.”

Three-time series champion Jeff Gordon, in a conference call, said he favored the decision to make wearing one mandatory. He has been wearing a HANS device in recent races.

“I understand how it feels not to be comfortable with one--it took me time to adjust to the feeling and understand how it worked--but now I am a true believer in them,” said Gordon.

Mike Wallace, one of the Penske team drivers, said it was something that should have been done sooner.

“If you’re not smart enough to have gotten a head and neck restraint system by now, then you’ve pretty much forced the sanctioning body into doing it for you,” he said. “I’m glad. We have too many drivers dying. We needed to do something about it and by mandating these, NASCAR is trying to solve the problem.”

Joe Nemechek, who has tried both devices since suffering head injuries in an accident in June in which he was without a device, said, “Nobody knows if it would have helped Blaise in Charlotte but for me, in my wreck, I know that if I had one on, it would have helped me. I feel both the HANS and Hutchens devices are good. The main reason I wear the HANS is just because I feel more comfortable in it. But both work really well.”

George Pyne, NASCAR senior vice president, said the decision came after working closely with safety experts, drivers and manufacturers.

“We knew some drivers felt that these devices might make them less safe,” said Pyne, “but NASCAR’s decision to make drivers’ side windows wider has created greater comfort with using these devices.”

The two restraints accepted by NASCAR are the HANS device manufactured by Hubbard/Downing Inc. and the Hutchens device from Mattec Corp.

Bobby Hutchens--general manager for Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt’s team, and the man for whom one device is named--warned that more must be done for the safety of drivers.

“I feel it’s a step in the right direction to help with the overall safety program, but I think everybody needs to remember that it’s going to take more than just a head and neck restraint system to solve the overall safety issue,” Hutchens said. “It’s going to take a stronger seat, stronger headrests, better padding, a better belt system and better helmets.

“Everything in the cockpit around the drivers has to be improved so we can feel our guys are safe when they leave pit road.”

Restraints are mandatory in the Indy Racing League and for oval races in CART.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

RECENT DEATHS

A list of recent deaths associated with NASCAR, with site and cause:

DALE EARNHARDT, Daytona Beach

* Racing legend dies of skull fracture on final turn of Daytona 500, Feb. 18, 2001

TONY ROPER, Fort Worth

* Craftsman truck driver dies of a severe neck injury in a crash Oct. 13, 2000

KENNY IRWIN, Loudon, N.H.

* Rising star dies of skull fracture during practice July 7, 2000

ADAM PETTY, Loudon, N.H.

* 19-year-old grandson of Richard dies of skull fracture in practice May 12, 2000