Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Drivers rethinking use of HANS device

Friday, Feb. 23, 2001 | 11:41 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Dale Earnhardt's contributions to NASCAR Winston Cup racing during his 22-year career were obvious.

Sadly, his most significant contribution to the sport may come as a direct result of his tragic death Sunday on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

One week ago today, the use of the HANS (Head and Neck Support) device was a hot topic around Daytona International Speedway. Only five drivers wore the device during the Daytona 500; most others either questioned its effectiveness or complained that it would hamper their ability to escape the car quickly following a crash.

But within five days of Earnhardt's death from the very injuries the HANS device is said to drastically reduce, at least 35 Winston Cup drivers have either ordered or taken delivery of the device, according to published reports.

Among those drivers is Rusty Wallace, who in this space last Friday said that the way he braces himself for a crash has helped him walk away from numerous wrecks and was not "comfortable" with the HANS device.

This week, Wallace changed his tune.

"We have the HANS (device) right now," Wallace said. "We got it early this week and we plan on using the thing beginning this weekend at Rockingham."

Robby Gordon also ordered a HANS device and, like Wallace, said he plans to start wearing it this weekend.

"As a direct result of what happened in the (Daytona) 500, I have ordered the support system and hope to wear it during the race in Rockingham," Gordon said.

Gordon, who came to NASCAR via Championship Auto Racing Teams, said he has brought some of the open-wheel series' safety measures with him.

"I use an Indy car seat in my Winston Cup car (because) the seat is stronger," he said. "It holds a driver in place more. It also has an insert that molds to a person's body and makes the body and seat one. This adds more cushion to absorb impact and it keeps the body movement to a minimum. Bars are longer around the sides of the head, which reduces side-to-side movement. The insert has an added pad for protection behind the neck and back of head area.

"Adding the HANS device to features already in place will keep head movement to the front from happening. I am not saying these features will protect everyone in every situation, but I think this seat is safer than most. All of us need to rally together to figure out ways to make these cars safer."

"This is as tragic as anything I've ever had to deal with," Waltrip said. "No one wants to look to the future when such a big part of the past has been taken away. But there's a race to be won this weekend and if Dale was still with us, he'd be out there going after that checkered flag.

"Dale tragically died on Sunday, but racing did not." ...

The Coca Cola Wall of Speed, a state-of-the-art NASCAR driving simulator, opens today at Sam's Town. The exhibit will be open through March 3.

Vasser gave the 2.1-mile, 12-turn road course the thumbs up after his demonstration laps.

"The drivers are going to have a lot of fun here," Vasser said. "They have done a fantastic job with the circuit; it is very smooth and very wide.

"The circuit is very interesting in its design and it is going to be very technical and very challenging. It has a lot of non-traditional corners, a wide variety of turns and there are some potentially good passing zones."

Vasser is in his first season with Patrick Racing after spending the past six seasons with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, with whom he won the 1996 FedEx Championship Series championship.

"I am delighted that Sam Schmidt has decided to return to motor racing," said Williams, who remains paralyzed from the waist down following an automobile accident in the 1980s. "In these new circumstances, Sam will be able to channel his love for motor racing in a new direction which, most importantly, will consume and tax his mind and at all times give him a great deal to think about.

"Given his obvious determination, I am sure that success will come his way and provide him with an appropriate reward for his efforts." ...

A dozen IRL drivers are in Southern Florida today and tomorrow to take part in a test at Homestead-Miami Speedway in preparation for the April 8 Grand Prix of Miami.

"We have four weeks before our next race in Gainesville," Johnson said. "Between now and then we're going to be testing this Grand Am so much that by the time we get to Florida, it'll have bandages on it."

Held in San Felipe along the Sea of Cortez on the east side of the Baja California peninsula, the popular race had 227 starters last year and was won by Las Vegas' Tim and Ed Herbst .