) A story of tragedy and triumph, “CRASH! From Senna to Earnhardt – How the HANS Helped Save Motor Racing,” by Jonathan Ingram, examines how the modern era of motor racing safety was influenced by the sport’s first head restraint. The story found in this illuminating compilation of the history of racing safety and the role of the HANS Device continues to be a must-have volume for racing book lovers as well as professionals in the sport of auto racing.
It may be purchased at www.jingrambooks.com with same-day shipping available in time for the holidays.
The safety revolution included significant updates to car construction and cockpits, including the HANS Device, that continue to enable racers in Formula 1, IndyCar and NASCAR to pursue speed and more speed.
One of the most significant chapters of HANS history occurred in 2008 when four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon became the first established champion to be saved by a HANS Device as well as by the Car of Tomorrow and its special carbon fiber seat.
Gordon hit a concrete wall at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a high-speed, head-on collision during a Cup Series race. The front radiator of Gordon’s car ended up several hundred yards down the track and his impact registered more than 80G. An early supporter of racing’s first head restraint following the death of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, Gordon would later shake the hand of HANS inventor Dr. Robert Hubbard and thank him for saving his life.
Retiring from full-time racing in 2015, Gordon was recently named vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, making him the second-ranking team official to chairman and majority owner Rick Hendrick.
When he hit a wall head-on in 2008 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway that was unprotected by a SAFER barrier, Jeff Gordon said the HANS on display at Nation of Speed saved his life during a crash that registered more than 80 Gs. (Jim Goodroe image)
The HANS worn by Gordon in his 2008 crash is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. It is currently on display in the Nation of Speed exhibit at the National Aeronautics and Space Museum in Washington. https://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/nation-speed
Jerry Lambert, instrumental in the development of the HANS as the chief fabricator for HANS Performance Products (HPP), donated the device to the Smithsonian. Gordon’s device became part of the HPP archive after NASCAR confiscated it for testing and examination by HPP following the crash in Las Vegas.
It was a five-time IMSA champion, Jim Downing, who first suggested to his brother-in-law Hubbard, a professor of biomechanical engineering at Michigan State, that something needed to be done about head injuries. Since its introduction to NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula 1 two decades ago, the HANS has saved the lives of hundreds of drivers by preventing basal skull fractures.
“When we began, Bob Hubbard and I were persuaded that his device would save lives after his extensive development and testing,” said Downing. “That’s proven to be the case in what we called HANS-type crashes, whether it was a champion like Jeff Gordon or a weekend warrior.”
When NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula 1 finally mandated that drivers wear a HANS Device after 20 years of work by Hubbard and Downing, it became a crucial element in the safety revolution.
The fatal crashes of three-time Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna, killed by an errant suspension piece in 1994, IndyCar driver Greg Moore, who died after a top-first meeting with a wall in 1999, and Earnhardt, killed by a basal skull fracture in 2001, generated new attitudes toward safety in sanctioning bodies due to these drivers’ success and popularity in an age when racing had become a big business. The book delves into the dramatic aftermath following the crashes of these three great drivers and how their deaths influenced racing safety, including mandates for the HANS.
While Gordon became the first established champion to be saved by the HANS, other drivers were saved by stronger cars, cockpits and the HANS early in their careers, such as future two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso, Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice and future two-time NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Busch.
The U.S. distributor for “CRASH!” is RJP Books. It is available at www.jingrambooks.com, Amazon and other online booksellers. Inquiries about a review copy of “CRASH!” should be directed to Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; [email protected]. Copies are available for purchase, to be delivered in time for the holidays.
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