SAFETY #5

Come on Jeff, if you knew the particulars of Shelly's accident you wouldn't be so quick to "think" a HANS device would have saved her. Nothing would/could have saved her from that horrific accident. Absolutely nothing, short of an automatic timer fuel shutoff valve.

As you know, racing anything is dangerous. Skateboards, airplanes, race cars, etc. You've been around a long time, you know this.

The fact of the matter is that people are willing to pay those exorbitant ticket prices because of what they "might" see...that is the chance gets to see a person/participant with very big balls meet his unlikely demise doing something very dangerous and something he or she loves. If it tragically happens, they feel bad, but they also were glad they were there to witness it. It's part of the mystique and it's part of the spectre (sic), nobody would pay money to see the "world's fastest reader."

No danger, no ticket sales. Or in other words, no real visible danger or unbelievable talent, (such as golf) then nobody would pay to witness the event. I don't mean to lump the demographics of golf with those of the NHRA fan base, it's an entirely different fan.

The drivers all know the risks they're taking.

Barry
San Diego, CA

BURK RESPONDS

Barry, by all accounts you are wrong. According to what I have read and been told, the problem was that Shelly was unconscious probably from hitting her head on the cage when the car came down after the wheelstand. Unconscious, her foot stayed on the pedal and the car drove itself. I think that any safety device that had any chance of preventing her being knocked out should be mandatory. So, I take it from your logic that you think it would be ok for drivers to still be racing wearing T-shirts, jeans, and a baseball hat, and no seat belt because after all they know the risk. And as for your idea that the only thing that sells tickets is the danger. . .if that is why you go then fine, but that is not what attracts the majority as far as I can tell. Thanks for reading and remember to "Buckle Up!" -- JB

SAFETY #6

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I think some of the comments in your recent article are completely out of bounds. While I too am saddened by losses in our sport due to crashes, it is complete and total speculation that either John Lingenfelter or Shelly Howard would have survived their crashes had they used the HANS device. Furthermore your act of blaming John Force for NHRA not requiring the use of the device is ridiculous. John Force has made more laps in an FC than anyone out there and in doing so he has earned the right to make his own decisions. When you have logged the laps he has with the success he has then maybe you will understand what a real driver needs to do his/her job. Force's decision not to use the device has not stopped anyone from using one, so next time you are feeling upset maybe you should remember that everyone who straps themselves in the seat of a racecar, be it a bracket car or a Top Fueler, knows the consequences of their actions.

Think before you write next time.

Brooke Brandenburg

SAFETY #7

Jeff, as much as I think the HANS may save a racers life do you really think it would have saved Shelly's? Colliding with another vehicle at over 200 MPH in a head on collision the G's must have been off the charts! Just my opinion.

Joe Sherwood

BURK RESPONDS

Joe, by all accounts Shelly's car drove back down the entire length of the racetrack under power after the blow over. That probably means that she was either unconscious or dead from the initial impact. However, if the crash didn't hurt the car badly enough to keep it from running back down the track then it would be reasonable to assume that a HANS device could have saved her. If she had been conscious she would have had a chance to stop the car. -- JB