No HANS for Dale Jr: Earnhardt Jr. said that he’s not ready to try the HANS device, a head and neck support system that some contend might have saved his father’s life. Since Earnhardt’s fatal crash, the number of Cup drivers using the HANS has more than doubled. About 15 drivers are expected to wear it for Sunday’s race and another dozen are expected to wear a different type of a head-restraint system. “I’m not going to be too quick to start strapping on all kinds of gizmos,” said Earnhardt Jr., one of the few drivers in the series who wears an open-face helmet. “I’ve been running for several years and I’ve been using the equipment that I feel is necessary. I think it should be [driver] preference. Nothing should be mandatory aside from what we have until they really come up with a sure-fire invention that isn’t commercialized.”(Roanoke Times)(3-31-2001)
