I can’t speak for anyone else, but the current uproar over the Winston Cup Series returning to Daytona International Speedway without any changes being made to the cars in the area of driver safety, is wearing rather thin on me. Anyone who is making this claim has obviously not even been watching the FOX presentations on Sunday afternoons, let alone spending any time reading anything other than the misinformation that is being presented as facts on so many of the Nascar “fan sites” that have become so popular on the Internet over the last few years.

The first thing that a lot of the current, newer fans fail to, and for that matter refuse to, accept is the simple fact that automobile racing is a dangerous sport. People do in fact get killed and injured. This is not to imply that every measure to insure safety should not be taken, only a reminder to those fans who feel the elimination of the danger factor is possible. I only wish that were indeed the truth.

Now, for all of the fans and writers who are saying that no changes in the interest of safety have been made:
Since we lost Dale last February, nearly 75% of the drivers in the series are making use of the HANS or other head restraint device. I am rather surprised that Dale Jr., is not one of these, but that is a choice that he makes. This falls into the same category as the open faced helmets and the use of other types of personal safety gear. The ultimate responsibility is the driver’s and his alone. (I am not going to get into the issue of liability involved when we start to tell other folks what they must and mustn’t do, but this is a very large factor here.) This usage has led to the recent restrictions placed on the size of the window opening on the driver’s side of the cars.

If all the critics would only open their eyes when the drivers are being interviewed along pit road before the start of a race, they would have noticed that more drivers each week seem to be using the restraining nets on both sides of their seats. It is also apparent that more drivers are using seats with headrest extensions, at least on the right side. These nets and extensions are designed to prevent the hyperextension of the neck that has been proving to be the cause of death in the recent accidents.

Without too much time spent in researching the subject, the fact that both GM and Ford have been crash testing the current chassis design comes to light. Teams are also re-evaluating the design of their chassis and making changes where they feel changes are in order.

There has also been considerable mention made of the fact that seats are being redesigned, new restraint systems are being investigated, and perhaps more importantly, the teams have been made more aware of the importance of proper mounting of both the seats and the restraints.

Here again, I have seen mention made of sled tests being conducted on these systems. Work is ongoing on the development and testing of the so-called “Humpy Bumper”, actually the design of a Las Vegas engineering firm. And contrary to what is being reported on the fan websites, Nascar officials and the teams are very interested in the results of these tests.

I wish that I could feel as positive about the subject of softwalls as some folks seem to. The simple truth of the matter is that at the current time, there is no softwall system available that will work with a 3400lb stock car, traveling at speeds over 125-150mph. Please don’t bring up the Jim Johnson crash at Watkins Glen. That car traveled across a grass runoff area, through a dirt catch area, then hit the foam blocks that were placed in front of a steel guardrail, not a cement wall. I have to wonder if the result would have been the same if he had hit at a retaining post instead of between them. I seriously doubt it.

Even the material that was supposed to be the answer that F1 was going to use this year has been shown to not be as effective as first tests led that body to believe and its use has been delayed until further development is completed. Some tracks are using this material on the inside walls, but its use is limited to them for the time being.

All of this does not mean that nothing is being done; indeed, work is ongoing all the time on these and other issues. When things that work are found, they will be implemented. Whether or not they will be mandated will depend on the nature of the developments and the best way to bring them into common use. Most will probably come into use without any press conferences, press releases, or the media hoopla that the fans seem to feel is so necessary to keep them informed. Real simple facts here folks, the fans have no need to know about these things; most do not have the mechanical knowledge or expertise to understand why they are implemented or why and how they work; maybe a case of too much information only clouding an issue? It could be.

As I stated above, while the sanctioning body does indeed have a responsibility to its members and competitors, in the final analysis, the ultimate responsibility lies with the driver. No one else. If he feels that something is unsafe, it is up to him to decide whether or not to climb in and buckle up.

What ever did happen to Blackie Wangerin?

Questions, comments, and hate mail to: R.L.”boB” Manley topaz@cyberportal.net