Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: All over-the-wall crewmen may need helmets

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001 | 10:37 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

NASCAR is considering the use of helmets by all over-the-wall crewmen in the wake of Sunday's incident that seriously injured one crewman during the Winston Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Bobby Burrell, the front tire changer for Ricky Rudd, was listed in serious but stable condition Monday in the neurosurgery intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Burrell was injured when Ward Burton's car made contact with Casey Atwood's car and veered into Rudd's pit, striking Burrell and sending him headfirst into the concrete pit wall.

Two other members of Rudd's crew and a NASCAR official suffered minor injuries in the incident.

NASCAR president Mike Helton said that the sanctioning body is considering having all over-the-wall crewmen wear helmets during pit stops.

"We are looking at maybe having everybody over the wall with helmets on," Helton told the St. Petersburg Times. "We want to see if there is a procedure or step we can take to minimize the chance of this happening again."

Only the Cal Wells-owned PPI Motorsports pit crew for driver Ricky Craven currently wears helmets during pit stops. Wells came to NASCAR from the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) open-wheel series, which has mandated the use of helmets by over-the-wall crewmen since 1999.

Helton said most Winston Cup crewmen have resisted using helmets because of limited visibility.

"The crew guys debate you on their mobility and visibility," he said. "But there is some interest from helmet manufacturers to make a helmet where the peripheral vision works better."

Gordon also can clinch the championship if he merely starts the final two races of the season (Atlanta and New Hampshire) -- regardless of where second-place Rudd finishes in those two races.

"I was leading the Baja when the electronic gremlins bit me," Gordon said. "It looked like the race was going to fall into my lap but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

Mears drove the Welliver-Jesel Motorsports entry in the Busch Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday and finished 28th.

"I can't wait to get started in the NASCAR Busch Series with the Phillips 66 Racing team," Mears said. "My decision to compete in the Busch Series was based upon the caliber of the Welliver-Jesel organization, the competitiveness of the Busch Series and its race schedule.

"For a young guy like me who just wants to race all I can, the 34-race schedule is very attractive and it will provide me with the opportunity to visit a lot of new tracks."

Mears, 23, competed in five CART races from 2000 through 2001, posting a fourth-place finish for Team Rahal in his series debut at California Speedway in 2000.

Pole-sitter Kyle Busch of Las Vegas finished 16th. Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller did not qualify for the 26-car main event.