I don't drive in WC but I do race Late Models in the NASCAR Weekly Racing
Series. Recently I hit a car that had spun and come to a complete stop in
the lower middle of the back straight where it's hard for the spotter to
see. I was going nearly 100mph and was an inch off the bumper of the car in
front of me - that's why I didn't see what had happened. As I ducked low to
make a pass I heard my spotter say over the radio "There's a caution out for
something but I don't know where". Then I saw the car sitting in the middle
of the track and clipped him with my LF wheel before I could swerve back.
It was a hard impact with virtually no time to react. Once I felt the
steering wheel turn ***ly in my hand I let go. Fortunately I didn't get
hurt, not even a bruise. Although my left wrist was sore for about a day.
I try to let go of the wheel once I realize there's nothing more I can do
but sometimes you just can't react quick enough.
As far as a head and neck restraint systems, I'm looking into the Hutchens
device. The HANS device seems too cumbersome if you need to get out
quickly, especially of you have to exit on the right side of the car.
Recently Michael Waltrip had to do this and removed his HANS device before
exiting on the right side.
Even on short tracks a driver lost his life due to a basal skull fracture.
You better believe it's on our minds but an open wheel car and a stock car
are very different when it comes to getting out of them quickly. Especially
if the left side of the car is pinned against the wall.
I'm glad NASCAR doesn't mandate a head and neck restraint system yet. I'd
like to see some more testing and development before it's mandated. So far
the Hutchens device looks to be the best to me and I'm sure I'll be using
something fairly soon. And just about all the WC drivers are using
something now.
> It's true, in openwheel racing the thing that drivers are taught is to
> let go of the wheel. I've seen numerous CART races where the driver, right
> before impact will just let go of the wheel because otherwise their wrists
> or thumbs will snap like twigs. I don't know though if NASCAR drivers do
the
> same, the angle of the in-car camera usually does not show the driver
> working the wheel before impact. Because the wheel is larger maybe it does
> not "whip" around as much as an Indy or F1 car's wheel does.
> In response to an earlier post though, Greg Moore, who was killed in a
> brutal crash in 1999 at California, was not wearing a HANS device because
it
> was not invented yet but it is doubtful that it would have helped him
> anyway. His fatality was due to his car sliding sideways over a transition
> from grass to concrete resulting in his car barrel-rolling into the
infield
> wall helmet first. Unfortunately there is not a safety device out there
that
> can prevent a fatality (or at best severe injury) in an accident like
that.
> Scott
> > > Let go of the wheel and you'll get a face worse injury than a broken
> > thumb.
> > > You whole arm can break from it being thrown around the inside of the
> car
> > > and hitting stuff like the dashboard, windows, etc. I think I'll keep
> my
> > > hands on the wheel and take my chances.
> > > CW
> > The idea is to pull the arms and hands away and hold them tight to your
> > chest.
> > They shouldn't flap around in the***pit, indeed they don't, when F1
> > drivers etc do the same.
> > If you hold on, you can kiss goodbye to the use of your thumbs as the
> other
> > poster said.
> > I know at least a couple of autograssers who broke their thumbs holding
> on.
> > They learned after that.
> > cheers
> > John
