PROGRESS
But even with a SAFER barrier, high-g crashes can hap-
pen. IndyCar driver Sebastien Bourdais’ 2017 crash during
Indianapolis 500 qualifying was 118 g. James Hinchcliffe’s
crash at Indy in 2015 measured 126 g.
Although it isn’t directly related to g-force levels, the
HANS device has saved at least as many lives as the SAFER
barrier. The most widely known crash resulted in the death
of Earnhardt at the 2001 Daytona 500, where an entirely
survivable-looking crash into the Turn 4 wall resulted in a
basal skull fracture that killed the sport’s biggest star.
In the 10 years leading up to Earnhardt’s death, 15 drivers
were killed across NASCAR, F1, IndyCar, and CART. Of those,
at least eight died from basal skull fractures: NASCAR’s
J.D. McDuffie (1991), CART’s Jovy Marcello and NASCAR’s
Clifford Allison (1992), F1’s Roland Ratzenberger (1994),
IndyCar’s Scott Brayton (1996), CART’s Gonzalo Rodriguez
(1999), and NASCAR’s Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin (2000).
The skull fracture itself might not be fatal, but what
typically kills drivers is uncontrolled bleeding due to the
rupture of blood vessels located near where the brain stem
leads into the spinal cord.
The HANS and similar approved devices tether the hel-
met to prevent the head from snapping too far forward in a
crash. The HANS was invented by racer Jim Downing and
his brother-in-law, Robert Hubbard, and Downing start-
ed racing with one in 1984. But acceptance was painfully
slow. In 2000, Downing made the rounds at a ChevroletSAFER
BarrierRacer RJ
Valentine’s
(opposite
top) soft-
wall system
(opposite
middle) is a
welcome sight
on the tracks
that employ it.
So too is the
SAFER barrier
(opposite
bottom, left,
and right);
along with
the HANS
device and
better helmets
(below), it has
significantly
reduced
injuries.HANS Device