Skinner and the HANS UPDATE: many folks have emailed me and wondered what Mike Skinner thought about the HANS device and the situation where there was quite a bit of fire. On ESPN2’s RPM 2Night Skinner said he may had taken him a little longer to get out with the HANS device, but he was happy with it’s performance and he will continue to wear the device. He said the length of time to get out of the car had more to do with him shaking off the effects of the crash and trying to get the steering wheel and unstrapping the belts and the HANS device(3-20-2001) UPDATE: Mike Skinner credits the HANS device with helping him avoid serious injuries in a crash late in Sunday’s race at Darlington. “I’ve taken a lot less severe hits than this and hurt a lot worse,” Skinner said. “I give a big thumbs-up to the HANS device. It kept me from hurting a lot worse than I did.” Car owner Richard Childress said the HANS device did not prevent his driver from exiting quickly. Skinner told Childress that he didn’t drop the left net, which is between the driver’s head and the window net, at first and that held him up. Skinner said that he slid forward in the seat in the wreck and got his belt stuck against the steering wheel, further slowing him(Roanoke Times)(3-21-2001) (3-20-2001)
