Spencer plans to wear restraint UPDATE 2: Jimmy Spencer says family, drivers and crew members discussed safety and encouraged him to wear a head restraint. Spencer, one of the few NASCAR Winston Cup drivers not to wear a head restraint, says he’ll do so soon. Spencer and Tony Stewart were the only drivers among 43 last weekend not to wear such a device. “My concern is that if Dale Earnhardt … had devices in there to help him, would he be a vegetable?” Spencer once said for why he has not worn a HANS or a Hutchens device this season. “I don’t want to be a vegetable. I don’t want to be a burden to people.” Spencer says he looks at that issue differently now. “I think if you look at all the data they’ve collected the last few months … it looks to me like if you can keep your head constrained, you’ll lessen the possibilities of injuries.” Spencer has been fitted with a HANS device and might wear it in a test session at Talladega next week. He also says he has a Hutchens device and might wear it this weekend. Spencer says he’ll need time to adjust to the HANS device. “It’s very uncomfortable,” said Spencer. “It’s very awkward. I can’t get out of my race car with it on. So, I’m concerned about that with a fire.”(Racing Extra)(8-24-2001) UPDATE: Teams say Dale Earnhardt’s seat belt system was a relic. Some teams expressed surprise that he was still rolling his shoulder harness over the back of the seat, pointing out that system was used until sometime in the past 10 years. However, moving belts for comfort remains a common practice. “That was the way we did it for years and years and years,” former Earnhardt crew chief Andy Petree said. “There have been changes over the last 10 years where people moved them up just to shorten the run. To be honest with you, I didn’t realize that Earnhardt was still doing that. I don’t really know why. I don’t know that there was a specific reason he did that.” Jimmy Spencer says he was warned to change his belts and finally did so. He was begged to add a restraint system and is now doing that as well. Yesterday he practiced wearing the Hutchens device(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-25-2001) UPDATE 2: Jimmy Spencer tested with a HANS (head and neck support) system last week and with a Hutchens device (restraint system) this past weekend. He didn’t wear either in last night’s race at Bristol, but does plan to take both with him to a two-day test at Talladega starting tomorrow. Spencer said that younger guys competing in other series look to Winston Cup drivers for guidance. Therefore, he should seriously consider wearing a safety system. “A lot of [short-track drivers] say Jeff Gordon’s wearing it, Tony Stewart isn’t,” he said. “I think a lot of drivers are questioning why some of the other drivers aren’t doing it. I don’t know what Tony’s thinking. I’m sure he’s looking into something too. We’re the only two guys who aren’t doing it, and we probably should.”(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-26-2001) (8-25-2001)
