Originally Posted by The Article

NASCAR downplays cracks in HANS device

Nascar

Associated Press

5/4/2007 7:37:36 PM

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - NASCAR is downplaying the cracks found in Kyle Busch and Casey Mears' HANS devices after wrecks at Talladega Superspeedway.

Busch's head-and-neck restraint was cracked in a spectacular crash Saturday, and NASCAR officials inspected the HANS before sending it back to the manufacturer for a review.

Then came word Friday that Casey Mears' device also cracked when he hit the wall hard on Sunday. Initially unaware of that crack, NASCAR has since taken possession of the HANS and also is sending it back.

Mears said the crack in his HANS was in the centre and appeared as if the left strap had been tugged too hard.

''In a hit like that it probably should have (cracked),'' he said. ''It didn't crack hard enough where it wouldn't have done its job. It just cracked enough where you wouldn't feel good about using it again.''





Jeff Burton, one of the top safety advocates in the garage, said everyone should be concerned about the devices cracking.

''We need to depend on all of our safety devices,'' he said. ''If it was cracked, that's something the manufacturer has to look at and try to make better.''

But other drivers downplayed it, saying the cracks in the many layers of coating on the HANS are more common than anyone realizes. Jimmie Johnson said his HANS cracked in a hard hit at Indianapolis several years ago.

''It's actually something that happens more often than you hear about,'' said four-time champion Jeff Gordon. ''We analyze those things everytime we go through a wreck, and they have cracked while doing their job. Until one cracks and breaks and doesn't do their job, I don't think any of us are concerned.''

ALL MADE UP: There were no hard feelings between close friends Mears and Johnson following the accident last week that knocked Mears out of the race at Talladega.

Mears was racing in front of Johnson when he headed to the pits. But Johnson never saw his hand signal or received the information from his crew, and bumped into the back of Mears to send him crashing into the wall.

''As soon as I hit, I was probably as mad as I've ever been,'' said Mears, who slammed the hood of his car in frustration.

But he chalked it up as an accident, and was part of Johnson's group Wednesday at the Wachovia Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, N.C.

Mears can't afford another bad run. He heads into Saturday night's race at Richmond in 35th-place in the points. But he said he won't think about that once the race begins.

''When I get in the car I forget about it,'' he said. ''At night you think about it, and you think about what's the best thing you can do to stay out of trouble, but really the bottom line is all you can do is race, and that's all I've done for a lot of years.

''I haven't had a string of bad luck like this, so we've just got to continue to race, and eventually we'll have a good few races and get out of that spot.''

TESTY DJ: Dale Jarrett came to Richmond with a new crew chief, and wasn't in the mood to discuss all the changes he's had over the past five years. The 1999 champion has had at least 10 different crew chief changes.

''If it takes 42 (crew chiefs) from now until whenever, I don't really care what the number is,'' he said. ''It's about getting all the people in position. I'm not that hard to get along with, I can assure you.

''I am demanding, because you'll work your tail off because I work my tail off.''

Michael Waltrip Racing removed Matt Borland from Jarrett's car earlier this week. Borland was initially supposed to move into a technical director role, but decided on Wednesday he wasn't interested.

So Jarrett will now be teamed with Jason Burdette, who worked with Jarrett at Robert Yates Racing.

Because he's used all his provisionals, Jarrett had to qualify on speed and failed to make Saturday night's race. It's the first time Jarrett has missed a Cup race since North Wilkesboro in 1994.

SUMMER OF MARK: A little rest goes a long way with Mark Martin, who skipped last week's race at Talladega but returned to Richmond rested and ready to go.

This partial schedule - Martin has missed three of the past six races - had Martin rather effusive and referring to himself as ''Mr. Happy-Bubbly.''

''This is going to be the greatest summer of our lives,'' he said he promised his wife.

HEY, LOOK AT ME: Kurt Busch is putting together a decent a start to the season, and his third-place finish last week moved him up to 10th in the points.

But few have noticed the 2004 Cup champion this season, and Busch thinks he knows why.

''Most of the time in my career, when things are going good, it doesn't get the publicity (I) want,'' he said. ''The bad stuff gets the publicity around my name.''

Originally Posted by srf506

I agree, the HANS probably cracked absorbing all the energy it could stand and saving the driver's "neck" (literally). Safety gear isn't necessarily reusable. Suits that have been exposed to heat, helmets that have a nasty impact mark, and seat belts that have been through a very severe wreck are usually trashed, or at a minimum, returned to the manufacturer for inspection. It sounds like it did what its built to do.

Originally Posted by chrisp

I would think that a head and neck restraint is something you want to hold a position and not give. You're looking for the HANS to hold a given amount of energy, not slow the absorption (like a helmet or roll bar padding).

Originally Posted by chrisp

gbaker is probably the best to reflect on the implications of what happened to the HANS units.

Originally Posted by Veloce Raptor

HANS specifically says that, if the device is put to the test, it should be replaced. Just like a helmet.