Aftermarket Firm Tries To Capitalize on Vegas Fatality (3 Viewers)

[Jon Asher]

Our industry hit a new all-time low on Wednesday evening at 6:07 EDT when
Hans Performance Products disseminated a press release that is a masterpiece of fear-mongering and poor taste.

Invoking the name of deceased Super Gas racer Derek Sanchez, who died as a result of injuries suffered during the Las Vegas national event, the release rhetorically asks if head restraints are needed for all sportsman racers. Comp racer Scott Hedlund is extensively quoted in the release. Interestingly, the release does not appear on the Hans web site. To my knowledge it has been rejected by every motorsports web site as being inappropriate at the very least. If anyone’s published it, I can’t find it

Without reproducing the entire release, here are the relevant portions:

Head Restraints Needed for Sportsman Drag Racers?
Atlanta, Georgia, Apr. 17, 2013 – As the NHRA prepares to conduct the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, a major safety question looms. Should Head and Neck Restraints be used in all the Sportsman classes of drag racing?

A dramatic answer to that question emerged from the SummitRacing.com Nationals two weekends ago in Las Vegas. Scott Hedlund, a Comp Eliminator driver, walked away from a 160 mph crash that nearly destroyed his Chevy Cobalt. He was wearing a HANS Device.

In a sad contrast, Derek Sanchez hit the wall at the same Las Vegas Motor Speedway track in his ’33 Ford and suffered a head injury. The 47-year-old Yuma, Ariz. driver died in a Las Vegas area hospital several days later after never regaining consciousness. A family member said the Super Gas driver had suffered a basal skull fracture – the kind of injury a SFI Certified Head and Neck Restraint is designed to prevent. Sanchez was not wearing one.

While I am certainly not a lawyer, nor am I physician, there is absolutely no proof whatsoever that the results of the crash would have been any different had Mr. Sanchez been using a Hans device.

The release quotes a safety paper that claims as many as 10 deaths “could have been prevented” by the use of a Hans or similar device. There’s one glaring problem with this paper: It was written by the president of Hans Performance Products, which brings its credibility and veracity into serious question.

In my 50 years of covering drag racing I have never seen an aftermarket firm make such a blatant and tasteless attempt at increasing product sales through fear and, almost, intimidation of sorts.

Without meaning to offend anyone, and only included as a way of demonstrating how off the mark this release is, this is akin to a firesuit manufacturer putting out a release that states “If So-and-So were wearing our firesuit he wouldn’t have been injured,” or a chassis builder putting out one that reads “Our hearts go out to the family of So-and-So, but if he’d’ve been driving one of our chassis this wouldn’t have happened.”

The Hans device is a marvelous invention that has undoubtedly done yeoman service in every form of motorsports. While there may never be incontrovertible proof that it’s saved lives, the overwhelming anecdotal evidence demonstrates that they probably have.

But in this instance Hans Performance Products has made an incredible error of judgment. The release – and its implications – are reprehensible.

Jon Asher
Senior Editor
CompetitionPlus.com

 

[Bobby Bennett]

Thanks Jon, this is absolutely disgusting.

 

[Mike]

Cant imagine why a racer wouldnt want to wear one.

 

[Demon]

Sounds like Hans is trying to become a mandated piece of equipment.VERY poor for them to do what they did irregardless,and also to use the incedent at Vegas as a platform to do so.

 

[Jim]

I doubt they'll be paying any residuals to Derek's family. Under the circumstances, they OUGHT to. I mean, did they forget the photos?

Tasteless.

 

[Crew Chief Pro]

I just bought one just because of his wreck, didn't see the press release.

I think short Super Gas and bracket cars are the issue. They don't have any crush zone like a passenger car does. Without this crush area the forces of the impact are absorbed by the driver. We make the chassis stiff for competition, but we need to design in some crush zones in the front.

Dragsters fold up, so I hope this will not be necessary.

In the end it is our choice, rules are not going to save all of us. I feel safer in my race car than in my motorhome.

 

[James]

"Reportedly, Sanchez was not wearing a head and neck restraint. The Agent can only hope that this tragic accident serves to remind ALL racers to wear a HANS device. It’s a relatively small investment that could make a lot difference."

The above from a so called Dragzine also pushing the HANS device immediately after the accident. Maybe a site advertiser? If the NHRA were to make the HANS device mandatory watch what happens to the price. I predict it won't be cheaper due to larger volume. Maybe it would be better for the NHRA to fix one of the root causes, 9.90 cars running 170 mph.

God speed Mr. Sanchez, sounds like you passed doing something you loved.
Condolences to his family and loved ones.

 

[sdwarf36]

If the NHRA were to make the HANS device mandatory watch what happens to the price. I predict it won't be cheaper due to larger volume.

I predict---nothing. Drag racing may be big in someone's world, but its a drop in the bucket compared to all the other racing series out there. And all the road racing-circle track -off road-series have had them required for years.
From what I saw shopping 2 years ago when i bought one (a Rage Hybrid) all the brands prices are the same. The Sportsman series go for $550-$600 --$1000-$1100 carbon fiber. (Very little difference from vendor to vendor.)
Hans is a name brand, but is also has become the generatic term for head restraints. There are multiple approved brands + styles.

I find it absolutely appaling that an organization founded on safety is years behind virtually every other type of racing out there in requiring them.

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

"Maybe it would be better for the NHRA to fix one of the root causes, 9.90 cars running 170 mph.QUOTE]

I'll second THAT.

 

[rocketman]

I understand what you are saying however...

Around the time when Eric Medlen died, Jeff Burk at DRO was pleading with racers to get their Hans Device at a time when they were not required. Being a very low buck racer I had to be convinced to buy one as a grand is a lot of money to me. The combination of Jeff's editorials and Eric's tragic event convinced me to buy one from Dennis Taylor and stop procrastinating. On just the second pass after receiving it and wearing it I hit the wall almost directly at over 140 MPH in Seattle. The car was a total loss and all i had from the accident was a sore tailbone.

The point is I don't think this press release was done for financial gain. The guys at Hans are concerned for every racer's well being. Had it not been for Hans I may have been in a wheelchair as I write this or possibly worse!

 

[sdwarf36]

If this thread is the kick in the butt that gets someone thats been close to getting a head+ neck restraint, let me offer some suggestions. The Rage (straps to you) can be put on before you get in the car-then hooked to your helmet-might be a better option depending on your cage. If you can slide a Hans on, my suggestion would be a Necksgen. One thing I feel the Hans is lacking is straps preventing side to side head movement. The Necksgen + Rage (now Simpson owned) have them. Might not be that importiant if you have a dragster cage, but anything else I'd want some security in case an accident isn't straight head on.

 

[Toby]

Fatalities are obviously a rarity in our sport fortunately. I really don't think the Hans release was out of taste. They offer a product that could have prevented the death of the racer....maybe... we will never know for sure. If the ad causes one racer to buy the damn thing and use it, then have a wreck similar to the S/G crash and saves his life, it was well worth it.

Sherman hit it, right on the spot. NHRA was founded on safe racing yet sometimes it only appears that only is for the TF teams.

 

[Crew Chief Pro]

There is nothing wrong with a super gas car going 170 or higher. Derek's car wasn't even close to those numbers. The problem is absorbing energy. I have seen super gas cars go 205 mph down to 125, that is what makes the class fun. Safety is in the design, speed is nearly irrelevent since racers have died at 80 mph.

I agree that some head and neck device should be mandatory over a certain speed, not sure what speed that would be.

If you leave it up to racers we would still be wearing t-shirts and shorts, so it is time for the organizations to require changes.

 

[Mike]

Maybe it would be better for the NHRA to fix one of the root causes, 9.90 cars running 170 mph.



Are you saying a car running 8.50's at 170 is safer?

 

[James]

Maybe it would be better for the NHRA to fix one of the root causes, 9.90 cars running 170 mph.



Are you saying a car running 8.50's at 170 is safer?

What I'm saying is most of NHRA's safety rules seem to be ET based. Requiring all Super Gas racers to get a Hans device because some are running the high speeds seems unfair. Trying to have a special rule based on MPH would be a logistical nightmare. In the end I believe we all need to determine what is acceptable risk, and live and or die with those decisions. Not a popular opinion in todays Nanny culture.

 

[Paul]

I agree fully with Jon on this one, the press release was out of bounds across the board. It was so off base that they should issue an apology.

 

[Mike]

What I'm saying is most of NHRA's safety rules seem to be ET based. Requiring all Super Gas racers to get a Hans device because some are running the high speeds seems unfair. Trying to have a special rule based on MPH would be a logistical nightmare. In the end I believe we all need to determine what is acceptable risk, and live and or die with those decisions. Not a popular opinion in todays Nanny culture.

Safety rules are the same for cars over 135mph but I do agree that a super stock that runs in the 9's should have the same safety equipment as a super gas car.

 

[Treeshaker]

Our industry hit a new all-time low on Wednesday evening at 6:07 EDT when
Hans Performance Products disseminated a press release that is a masterpiece of fear-mongering and poor taste.

Invoking the name of deceased Super Gas racer Derek Sanchez, who died as a result of injuries suffered during the Las Vegas national event, the release rhetorically asks if head restraints are needed for all sportsman racers. Comp racer Scott Hedlund is extensively quoted in the release. Interestingly, the release does not appear on the Hans web site. To my knowledge it has been rejected by every motorsports web site as being inappropriate at the very least. If anyone’s published it, I can’t find it

Without reproducing the entire release, here are the relevant portions:

Head Restraints Needed for Sportsman Drag Racers?
Atlanta, Georgia, Apr. 17, 2013 – As the NHRA prepares to conduct the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, a major safety question looms. Should Head and Neck Restraints be used in all the Sportsman classes of drag racing?

A dramatic answer to that question emerged from the SummitRacing.com Nationals two weekends ago in Las Vegas. Scott Hedlund, a Comp Eliminator driver, walked away from a 160 mph crash that nearly destroyed his Chevy Cobalt. He was wearing a HANS Device.

In a sad contrast, Derek Sanchez hit the wall at the same Las Vegas Motor Speedway track in his ’33 Ford and suffered a head injury. The 47-year-old Yuma, Ariz. driver died in a Las Vegas area hospital several days later after never regaining consciousness. A family member said the Super Gas driver had suffered a basal skull fracture – the kind of injury a SFI Certified Head and Neck Restraint is designed to prevent. Sanchez was not wearing one.

While I am certainly not a lawyer, nor am I physician, there is absolutely no proof whatsoever that the results of the crash would have been any different had Mr. Sanchez been using a Hans device.

The release quotes a safety paper that claims as many as 10 deaths “could have been prevented” by the use of a Hans or similar device. There’s one glaring problem with this paper: It was written by the president of Hans Performance Products, which brings its credibility and veracity into serious question.

In my 50 years of covering drag racing I have never seen an aftermarket firm make such a blatant and tasteless attempt at increasing product sales through fear and, almost, intimidation of sorts.

Without meaning to offend anyone, and only included as a way of demonstrating how off the mark this release is, this is akin to a firesuit manufacturer putting out a release that states “If So-and-So were wearing our firesuit he wouldn’t have been injured,” or a chassis builder putting out one that reads “Our hearts go out to the family of So-and-So, but if he’d’ve been driving one of our chassis this wouldn’t have happened.”

The Hans device is a marvelous invention that has undoubtedly done yeoman service in every form of motorsports. While there may never be incontrovertible proof that it’s saved lives, the overwhelming anecdotal evidence demonstrates that they probably have.

But in this instance Hans Performance Products has made an incredible error of judgment. The release – and its implications – are reprehensible.

Jon Asher
Senior Editor
CompetitionPlus.com

I look at the press release and I see a company that compared two similar accidents and their results. Pointing out how the outcomes for the drivers differed and the difference in their safety equipment. They also pointed out the injury that created the bad results and that their product was designed to prevent that injury. To me that is informational to all drivers and with those facts any good journalist should have been touting the use of this type product to help save drivers that have future accidents. And I don't think there should be a speed limit for their use and their use should be mandated by the DRIVERS themselves today.

The facts show that this type product helps in the protection of drivers during mishaps. Don't wait for someone else to make it mandatory, do it yourself and if you are unfortunate enough to be in an accident you will be thanking yourself that you had one on.

And they weren't comparing their product to another brand, they were comparing using their product over the use of no product. Just like Bill Simpson catching himself on fire in one of his suits to demonstrate the protective abilities over the use of no suit.

Virgil Hartman
Senior in life only
Wishing all drivers, in all classes, would use all the safety equipment available today all the time, and help develop more before accidents, not after.

 

[FEDowner]

I agree with Virgil 100%. In the Nostalgia World a Head and Neck Restraint Meeting SFI xxx is required at 7.60 E.T. and there are many brands and styles to chose from.

 

[clwill]

What I'm saying is most of NHRA's safety rules seem to be ET based. Requiring all Super Gas racers to get a Hans device because some are running the high speeds seems unfair. Trying to have a special rule based on MPH would be a logistical nightmare.

There are a number of rules that are mph based. Parachutes required over 150. Dual chutes over 200. Wings required over 200. And so on. Not a problem.

As for the original post... The only thing I have a problem with is the timing. Maybe give it a month or two, and some clarification of the circumstances, before you make this release.

Finally, anyone who is racing today over 150mph who is not wearing a head/neck device is simply nuts. You're spending tens of thousands to go that fast, the few hundred to stay alive doing it is a no-brainer.