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View Full Version : "Earnhardt wouldn't have been burned if he had worn Nomex underwear and a balaclava."



rabbit
07-20-04, 11:59 AM
So says Jeff Hammond: (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2587206)

For the lazy clickers...

Over 80 percent of Cup drivers aren't fully prepared for fire
Jeff Hammond / FOX Sports

I understand and appreciate a driver's desire to drive different types of race cars. In my limited driving experience, I understand the exhilaration and fun of knowing that I've driven sprint cars, late-model stock cars, and I've been in a Busch car as well as a Winston Cup car. Only drivers truly can understand the thrill of running other series so I can support their love and passion for racing.

I do take issue with drivers who are lacksadaisical about safety. Sometimes they have to look at the car they are driving and ask, "Is it safe, and am I doing everything I can do to protect myself?" Dale Earnhardt Jr. would not have been burned if he had been wearing Nomex underwear underneath his firesuit or if he had been wearing a balaclava underneath his helmet. Safety equipment is made available to drivers for a reason. Sometimes we have a tendency to get too comfortable and not realize how quickly something can go wrong, and I think that's what happened to Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Sunday.

In the neighborhood of 80 to 85 percent of Nextel Cup drivers do not wear enough to protect themselves from fire in the cockpit. I only know one driver who has worn a balaclava for years, and that's Kyle Petty. A lot of drivers wear a lot of the underwear, but they won't wear the helmet sock which was made to protect them in the event of fire. If you go back and look at a lot of guys who have been burned inside of a stock car, they burn their necks and faces because those areas are still exposed. If a driver has ever been burned, he understands the need for protection because getting burned is very painful.

The drivers haven't learned and they won't. Now that NASCAR has a fire extinguisher in the trunk, they think that everything is where it needs to be, and they are going to be OK. But it only takes one time for any number of things to go wrong.

We learned it the hard way on pit road until we burned enough guys gassing cars and changing tires that we finally wrapped those guys in protective gear, especially the gas men and the overflow guys. But it's borderline whether the rest of the guys are totally protected.

What's it going to take? It'll take someone getting burned either on pit road or inside of a race car before NASCAR says, "You know what, guys? We really need to do this." We've got to get hit square between the eyes with an unfortunate situation before we realize that we need to make a change.

And I'm not talking about wearing safety equipment only in Nextel Cup either. Racers should protect themselves from the time they are driving go-karts to the time they are running in Formula One. Get all of the safety equipment you can get because you're only taking care of yourself. If you're not worth a plug nickel, then that's all you need to invest in safety equipment. But if you think you're worth more than that, then you need to take the time and effort to cover your butt. Great column. :thumbup:

Mr. Vengeance
07-20-04, 12:09 PM
I remember watching a NASCAR race earlier this year that had an in-car shot of Dale Jr.... He wasn't wearing gloves.

Stupid...

You wouldn't think that NASCAR would have to mandate what should be essential safety gear... Maybe they do.

RichK
07-20-04, 12:27 PM
Amazing that these drivers spend sometimes 4 or 5 days a week in a racecar, and can't be bothered to wear the right equipment that may one day save their lives, or at least keep their career going with less injuries.

Plus, a balaclava helps prevent the helmet from damaging your hair follicles and making you lose hair!

Wasn't it Dave Marcis that wore wingtip shoes? He only retired a couple years ago, too.

chop456
07-20-04, 12:28 PM
You wouldn't think that NASCAR would have to mandate what should be essential safety gear... Maybe they do.

But they won't. It's their escape clause when bad things happen like we saw with St. Dale.

Chitowncartfreak
07-20-04, 12:45 PM
I never noticed that using a balaclava was so rare in NASCAR. It seems that practically every Champ Car and F1 driver uses one.

I seem to remember that Robby Gordon was not wearing the fire-retardant underwear when he was burned at Indy in 1997. I believe he ended up missing Cup races because of his burns.

SAdair
07-20-04, 01:36 PM
Does not suprise me.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can smoke a cigarette on pit road at NASCAR races. Talk about a safety hazard.

B Real
07-20-04, 01:53 PM
But they won't. It's their escape clause when bad things happen like we saw with St. Dale.

Obviously ALMS does not require it either or Dale would have been wearing both items. I agree though, a driver shouldn't need the sanctioning body to force them. Common sense should though!

Wabbit
07-20-04, 02:03 PM
Does not suprise me.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can smoke a cigarette on pit road at NASCAR races.

Only if it was a Winston.

theunions
07-20-04, 02:04 PM
Most NASCAR drivers pride themselves on wearing T-shirts underneath their uniforms. Ken Schrader comes immediately to mind, as does Harvick (remember the Kenseth shirt flap following Pocono?). :shakehead

Easy
07-20-04, 03:30 PM
Does not suprise me.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can smoke a cigarette on pit road at NASCAR races. Talk about a safety hazard.

I was standing in the pit lane at Sears Point a couple years ago during the Cup weekend and guys were walking around with lit cigarettes. I asked a fireman who was standing there if that was against the rules. He just pointed out the big Winston Cup billboard.

Madmaxfan2
07-20-04, 04:31 PM
Not to hijack this post to off the subject, but if NASCAR thinks it's safe with a fire truck and an extinguisher, they are wrong. That is why I have a problem with poeple proposing that Champ Cars change to gasoline from methanol. Methonal can be doused with simple water. You can have plenty of buckets of water placed every where around the pits and corners, the costs are cheap, and it's effective. I wonder the methanol was the fuel the results of Junior's fire would have been less traumatic. Still, he should have been wearing a balacalva and nomex underware.

Car-B-Q
07-20-04, 05:30 PM
Not to hijack this post to off the subject, but if NASCAR thinks it's safe with a fire truck and an extinguisher, they are wrong. That is why I have a problem with poeple proposing that Champ Cars change to gasoline from methanol. Methonal can be doused with simple water. You can have plenty of buckets of water placed every where around the pits and corners, the costs are cheap, and it's effective. I wonder the methanol was the fuel the results of Junior's fire would have been less traumatic. Still, he should have been wearing a balacalva and nomex underware.Of course, had it been a methanol fire, it wouldn't have made for the pictures since it is an invisible fire.

Rogue Leader
07-20-04, 07:27 PM
One of the NASCAR guys on NASCAR 360 was in his boxers under his driving suit one time. I noticed a LOT of em dont wear gloves (man I get monster blisters WITH gloves on I can only imagine what happens to them early on), and I dont think I've ever seen a balaclava on any of em.

Heck I run a 4 cylinder formula dodge and theres no chance I wouldnt be in it without all my stuff on... And Im not out on the track with 40 other maniacs trying to get their 5 minutes of fame on Speed News...

Fio1
07-21-04, 01:47 AM
At the end of the day, a driver can basically wear what ever he wants. But, the rules do ask you to wear the minimum, which I thought was a full set of underwear and a balaclava in AMLS. Even SCCA club racing asks for Nomex underwear and balaclava.....

On another note, I remember a story of Nelson Piquet in pre-season testing in Brazil in the 80's wearing shorts and a t-shirt....oh, he did have his helmet on, and maybe a pair of gloves. :rolleyes:

Lizzerd
07-21-04, 02:23 AM
I'm suddenly reminded of an old show I saw on SPEED. "Something Champions, Something..." or whatever. As I recall, it was Francois Cervet who the show was interviewing as he donned two layers of the Nomex undies in his hotel room (could be wrong about that). Sadly, Cervet burned to his demise at Watkins Glen.

theunions
07-21-04, 02:27 AM
I'm suddenly reminded of an old show I saw on SPEED. "Something Champions, Something..." or whatever. As I recall, it was Francois Cervet who the show was interviewing as he donned two layers of the Nomex undies in his hotel room (could be wrong about that). Sadly, Cervet burned to his demise at Watkins Glen.

1. "Champions Forever" aka "The Quick & the Dead"
2. Cevert's fatal accident did not involve fire.

Lizzerd
07-21-04, 02:32 AM
Well, I was close. :)

Thank you, it's been a while since I've seen it... :)

AdrianInFlorida
07-21-04, 07:55 AM
Heck, the NASCAR guys finally all switched to closed face helmets from open face. Gonna take a while for them to realize that balaclavas and gloves are a good idea.

RaceGrrl
07-21-04, 08:00 AM
True, and they'll only "realize" that when it's financially advantageous to do so.

AdrianInFlorida
07-21-04, 08:11 AM
True, and they'll only "realize" that when it's financially advantageous to do so.
"Hey, y'all, we can get more of them sponsor stickers on a full face helmet than one of them open ones"

theunions
07-21-04, 12:49 PM
Heck, the NASCAR guys finally all switched to closed face helmets from open face.

No, "Jimmy Spencer never forgets"...to wear an open face helmet. :gomer:

From his own most recent visit to Sonoma:

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/nascar-wcs/2003/sp/nascarwcs-2003-sp-em-0239.jpg

AdrianInFlorida
07-21-04, 03:45 PM
Maybe that's more a case of natural selection....

JoeBob
07-21-04, 04:02 PM
Do they make a closed face helmet big enough for his giant head?

Sean O'Gorman
07-21-04, 04:06 PM
Looks like he ate the full face helmet before the race.