You need HANS.

Apologies for the gratitous Bygraves....

How we all doing?

Sweats gone?

Carpet worn out from pacing the floor?

Still not long now... So who's ready? Who isn't? The cold turkey time is almost over folks, it's almost racing time. But for those who can't wait, a small matter of a little race round some piffling little track with no heritage in a hicksville area of the world's arsehole is taking place.

So if you in Daytona, like half the frigging drivers in the formula - the oval fix doesn't get much bigger than that really. The dodgy internet feed on Ftooz was patchy so I put on Top Gear instead and watched something I am akin too - a combine harvester being driven to the point of destruction! From the feed I could make out that there were a lot of lead changes, akin to those of that Warton final many years ago. Congratulations to rookie #21 Trevor Bayne, a lot of nerve to be held with those yellows at the end. Also, the nice touch of the 3 fingered salute to Dale Earndhardt (Snr) #3 who died at the race some 10 years ago was a really nice touch. Serious points were brought up in the build up to it, and when a tragedy strikes, its important lessons are learnt. This article on the NASCAR.com website, shows the importance of the HANS device, a device which is becoming more prevalent within the stock car community. They believe it could have saved Earndhardt, Senna and numerous others over the years.

The forces in a race car are sufficient to say that a considerable amount of force can hit the body at anyone time, and when they come under the stresses of an accident. Add into the mix the UK version of stock cars, unlike our American cousins (and we all know what NASCAR fans do their cousins), we like to shove people out of the way, delibrately and often into a fence, at speed. The extra force and added momentum, means that a standard accident, with just a degree or two out of line can turn a crash into an accident with serious consequences. We all know its a risk we all take when we cross onto the race track, but surely there are more and more things as a racing community we can do to try and limit the personal cost.

Now I know what you are all going to say the cost a fortune. They have been coming rapidly down in price over the past few years and now a reasonable HANS device are under £400. You only get one spine, and its a sure as hell cheaper than being wheelchair bound. Having seen a few of my racing mates get some really bad back injuries, which were potentially touch and go - it is extremely important to understand that the neck and head take immense strain. If it can prevent a broken neck then it must be good, right?

This is one area that I do think Brisca and the ORCi should look to look to make mandatory over a phased period of time, perhaps buying a job lot and part subsidising them for the budget racers. I understand that this might be the final straw for many budget racers, but what price safety. I do think this, in this incredibly litagous and health and safety bound world we live in, it will become apparent that this kind of device will become mandatory, more to save governing bodies and to keep safety paramount.


The final chilling words goes to the inventor of the device, Jim Downing.

"The challenge for us is to get the Saturday night circle track drivers to understand that if you stop fast enough at 30 miles an hour, you can die"

Something to think about lads and lasses....