NASCAR Bans Hutchens Device

#11

--
Humor, don't leave home without it!
www.Rappy.net

"Alan Jones" <me (AT) alanjones (DOT) us> wrote

Quote:

Yup, the article says Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, and others still
use the Hutchens.

Tony is gonna hate this...........
He liked the hutchins because it was less restrictive. He cared less
about the safety
than he did about feeling even more claustraphobic.

On this one, NASCAR is thinking ahead. Of course

Quote:

something tragic can still happen but at least the drivers are not
wearing a device that is not well suited for the upper levels of racing.

On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 00:58:35 GMT, Frank Dwyer <fdwyer (AT) XcitlinkX (DOT) net
wrote:

I'd like to know what caused the Hutchens to fail their test, but their
taking the initiative on this one is definitely a good thing.

#12

Yup, that also crossed my mind. Maybe he'll handle it better this
time since he's a Cup Champ an all that.

On Mon, 3 Jan 2005 20:53:09 -0500, "rappy" <rappy (AT) not (DOT) net> wrote:

Quote:

Tony is gonna hate this...........
He liked the hutchins because it was less restrictive. He cared less
about the safety
than he did about feeling even more claustraphobic.

#13

Frank Dwyer <fdwyer (AT) XcitlinkX (DOT) net> wrote in news:%SlCd.2233$Cf3.1312
@news01.roc.ny:

Quote:

Alan Jones wrote:

You're right. I should be more surprised that it was allowed in the
top levels to begin with. Maybe I should no longer be, but I guess
I'm still a little shocked when NASCAR does the right thing regarding
safety.

I'm a little shocked that NASCAR has done something about safety without
being motivated by a recent tragedy, as is all too often the case.
I'd like to know what caused the Hutchens to fail their test, but their
taking the initiative on this one is definitely a good thing.

A non-profit organization came up with standards for head restraints and
the Hutchens failed their tests.

--
Wheeler

#14

"Frank Dwyer" <fdwyer (AT) XcitlinkX (DOT) net> wrote

Quote:

SimRacer wrote:

"Alan Jones" <me (AT) alanjones (DOT) us> wrote in message
news:mhfjt0tmoqfr90bcducb2kg4mjtmsb3b9l (AT) 4ax (DOT) com...

I'm a little surprised to see NASCAR ban the Hutchens but I'm not
surprised it failed the safety testing. It has been apparent that the
Hutchens is not as effective, especially in side impacts.

Doesn't surprise me that much Alan. I've owned a Hutchens for a couple
months now,

Now THAT'S a dedicated sim racer. :-)

LOL! Nah, I got one to wear while I race my Baby Grand class car (2/3 scale
stock cars with Legends-type 1200/1300 engines in them) and also for track
days when I can take the hot rod out for a little spirited "road racing". I
am too old to be worried about getting hurt bad, so I deck out in a fire
retardent suit, the Hutchens, full faced helmet, the whole bit. Most of it
is mandatory in the various class rules anyway.

Now, my favorite garb for sim racing is jeans in the winter, shorts in the
summer, t-shirts either time of year, and 'socking feet'. I can't race sims
with shoes on unless they are my thin racing booties. So I just race in
socks at the house most of the time...

Quote:

and I wouldn't want to use it in any faster of a vehicle than my
own little race car (which on 'long' straights barely gets above
85-90mph,
plenty fast for a sub-1000lb car) Since using it some myself and seeing
how
light they really are constructed compared to a HANS, I am surprised
that
NASCAR ever ok'd it for use in such heavy cars that routinely run over
180mph. I know I wouldn't get into a Cup car today without a bonafide
HANS,
unless something just as good comes along first of course.

The Hutchens device's appeal was multi-fold. First, they aren't as
cumbersome/uncomfortable as a HANS, and second, they only cost about 1/3
of
what a HANS costs. Bobby Hutchens said he wanted a low priced product
(about
$400) for the weekend racers out there that didn't have $1200-$1300 to
put
into a HANS, plus the time it takes to get it perfectly fitted to you. I
am
not even sure that he wanted the Hutchens really pitched to NASCAR
drivers,
but the rule that came up opened the door for their use, until now I
guess.
His target audience was the local guys, on small bullrings, not going
that
fast, and that aren't going to hit anything "too" hard as a result. I
don't
think he ever intended it for full fledged, full-sized NASCAR use, but I
could be wrong.

Will NASCAR ban the Hutchens for their local series drivers as well, or
just the "big boys"?

IIRC, the annoucement said "top 3 NASCAR touring series". I assume that
means trucks up through Cup.

Quote:

I'm glad they passed the rule on it, it isn't really stout enough for
NASCAR
racing IMHO.

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 20:54:03 GMT, Good2go
Good2go (AT) good2go (DOT) nb.sympatico.ca> wrote:

http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/10556014.htm

#15

"Frank Dwyer" <fdwyer (AT) XcitlinkX (DOT) net> wrote

Quote:

Alan Jones wrote:

You're right. I should be more surprised that it was allowed in the
top levels to begin with. Maybe I should no longer be, but I guess
I'm still a little shocked when NASCAR does the right thing regarding
safety.

I'm a little shocked that NASCAR has done something about safety without
being motivated by a recent tragedy, as is all too often the case.
I'd like to know what caused the Hutchens to fail their test, but their
taking the initiative on this one is definitely a good thing.

It's all web-strapping Frank. And IMHO, it has to have too much stretch in
it by sheer design. Plus, the support it falls back on is part of the human
torso, which can also be squeezed and deflected in high g-load impacts,
which has to impact in its performance too.

The HANS is a composite of carbon fiber and kevlar. As I hear it, it is
super stiff (and is locked in under the shoulder harness belts, not the
torso) and at a certain tensile measurement, it begins to tear slowly,
giving just a little more room in really high force impacts. But all its
movement/tearing, is supposed to be limited to a safe amount of travel for
the wearer, without causing undo duress to the brain due to "stopping" too
fast in the skull at the same time. I'm not so sure that the forward head
travel in a Hutchens can be controlled as precisely, and the web strapping
doesn't have a backup plan like the eventual tearing of the HANS device
(which will stop at some point), and it just continues to stretch. I'm sure
it bottoms out somewhere, I am just not sure if that "somewhere" is short
enough to prevent a basiliar skull fracture or contact with the
close-mounted steering wheel. I may be WAY off base here, I've only ever
worn a Hutchens, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-)

#16

rappy wrote:

Quote:

"Alan Jones" <me (AT) alanjones (DOT) us> wrote in message
news:h8sjt0dkiiou4mb6s8hmvidvu1mol18ed6 (AT) 4ax (DOT) com...

Yup, the article says Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, and others still
use the Hutchens.

Tony is gonna hate this...........
He liked the hutchins because it was less restrictive. He cared
less about the safety
than he did about feeling even more claustraphobic.

I can understand that. When they show in-car pics of the drivers with all
their restraints on, I feel claustraphobic! I can't imagine being cooped up
in one of those cars for hours with all that stuff around me... I sure feel
for those who are now forced to wear the HANS!

#17

To acquire a monopoly = big money.

You do the math.
Lay down, nice little NASCAR, and assume the position.

#18

SimRacer wrote:

Quote:

"Frank Dwyer" <fdwyer (AT) XcitlinkX (DOT) net> wrote in message
news:%SlCd.2233$Cf3.1312 (AT) news01 (DOT) roc.ny...

Alan Jones wrote:

You're right. I should be more surprised that it was allowed in the
top levels to begin with. Maybe I should no longer be, but I guess
I'm still a little shocked when NASCAR does the right thing regarding
safety.

I'm a little shocked that NASCAR has done something about safety without
being motivated by a recent tragedy, as is all too often the case.
I'd like to know what caused the Hutchens to fail their test, but their
taking the initiative on this one is definitely a good thing.

It's all web-strapping Frank. And IMHO, it has to have too much stretch in
it by sheer design. Plus, the support it falls back on is part of the human
torso, which can also be squeezed and deflected in high g-load impacts,
which has to impact in its performance too.

Ah.. .I hadn't considered the fallibility of the human body, which the
HANS doesn't rely on nearly as much.
Thanks for the insight.

Quote:

The HANS is a composite of carbon fiber and kevlar. As I hear it, it is
super stiff (and is locked in under the shoulder harness belts, not the
torso) and at a certain tensile measurement, it begins to tear slowly,
giving just a little more room in really high force impacts. But all its
movement/tearing, is supposed to be limited to a safe amount of travel for
the wearer, without causing undo duress to the brain due to "stopping" too
fast in the skull at the same time. I'm not so sure that the forward head
travel in a Hutchens can be controlled as precisely, and the web strapping
doesn't have a backup plan like the eventual tearing of the HANS device
(which will stop at some point), and it just continues to stretch. I'm sure
it bottoms out somewhere, I am just not sure if that "somewhere" is short
enough to prevent a basiliar skull fracture or contact with the
close-mounted steering wheel. I may be WAY off base here, I've only ever
worn a Hutchens, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-)

Sounds like a reasonable story to me.

#19

Just ask Sterling Marlin how effective it is.

#20

"rappy" <rappy (AT) not (DOT) net> wrote

Quote:

--
Humor, don't leave home without it!
www.Rappy.net

"Alan Jones" <me (AT) alanjones (DOT) us> wrote in message
news:h8sjt0dkiiou4mb6s8hmvidvu1mol18ed6 (AT) 4ax (DOT) com...

Yup, the article says Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, and others still
use the Hutchens.

Tony is gonna hate this...........
He liked the hutchins because it was less restrictive. He cared less
about the safety
than he did about feeling even more claustraphobic.

I think that the first time he ran with it....under duress...he didn't even
have it adjusted tight enough to have any effect at all....if memory serves
me correctly.