| Pit Crew Safety |
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As a former driver and a current member of the National Association of Pit Crew Members, I was deeply saddened watching the events unfold on pit road during Sunday's Pennzoil Freedom 400 in Homestead, Fl. I went to the track this weekend, as it is a mere 4 hour drive, with hopes of seeing some great racing and having as much fun as possible without being handcuffed.(Well, I should say, without getting arrested.) I can't begin to explain the horror and the feelings that went through me as I watched the incident on pit road. Even though I have not YET made it to the Winston Cup level, I felt as if I was a part of Ricky Rudd's team and couldn't believe what I just saw. Then, I realized, If I felt this sad, Ward Burton must be devastated.
First and foremost, THIS WAS NOT WARD"S FAULT. As a matter of fact, this was no one's fault. This was simply "One of those racing deals". Being around racing my whole life and working on the Nascar Featherlite Modified Tour, I have seen many pit road incidents that usually go unnoticed. Pit road is NOT a safe place. These cars are buzzing through at 45-55 MPH, depending on the track,(which is a point I will address in a minute). Next time you are feeling ambitious, go stand on the side of the highway, about a foot or so into the fast lane and tell me how secure you feel with the cars screaming by. And for the most part, they aren't fighting for position. So now the buzzword goes back to "SAFETY". Not for the drivers this time, but for the crews and officials. How do we overcome this? How do we stop these injuries? Bottomline: Take up Quilting. Racing is, always has been, and always will be a dangerous sport. People are going to get hurt, some will get killed but most will persevere. Everyone involved knows theses dangers and accepts them. As I have stated before, I am actively pursuing a crewman job on a Winston Cup Team. After seeing the crash on pit road, my first thought after the injured were taken away was that I wanted to step in and help the team. Could I get hurt out there? Yes. Do I still want to do it? Yes. Why? It's what I do, and it's what I love. However, just because the danger is inherent does not mean that we should accept it and not try to prevent it. Therefore, I offer up some suggestions for safer pit roads and less injuries. Pit Road Speed: Instituted after a terrible pit road accident in Atlanta in 1990, this has definitely made things safer. However, I have always questioned the "common sense" of why it is ok to have faster pit road speeds at bigger tracks. Ok, I understand that bigger tracks have wider pit roads and longer pit stalls, creating less congestion. I just feel that 40-45 MPH, Maximum, at any track regardless of size is a safer idea. Pit Road Lane restrictions: Right now, on most tracks, there are 2 "Lanes" of travel on pit road and then the "Service Area". The rules state that coming in to the pits you stay in the outer most lane until close to you pit stall, then move to the center, then enter your pit. Likewise, when exiting, you move out to the middle, and as soon as you are clear, move to the outer most lane. This works good on wider pits and when a lot of cars are down a lap or more. Remember, only lead lap cars can pit the first time by the pits under caution. This allows for less congestion and a safer pit cycle. This weekend there were too many cars on the lead lap and therefore the pits were overcrowded. My friend Jim and I were discussing this and we came up with this idea. First, at a track like Martinsville, the pit road is so tight, you can't just blast out of your stall. You almost have to pull out slowly and wait for it to be clear. So, on the wider pits how about a rule stating: When exiting your pit stall, pull out to the center lane, and merge to the outer most lane as soon as possible, HOWEVER, if this can not be accomplished within 2 stalls of your pit stall, you must stop and wait for an opening. You CAN NOT travel more than 3 stalls in the center lane or you will be held for a one lap penalty and fined. How about having a speed limit of 20 MPH in the center lane and then 45 MPH once you get to the outer lane? Helmets: I think this is a no brainer (No pun intended). I have fallen down, been knocked around and bruised up a lot. Helmets would drastically decrease the odds of a serious head injury and greatly improve the chances of surviving an accident. Now comes the big question. SHOULD NASCAR MANDATE THEM FOR CREWS AND OFFICIALS?? Yes. Not that I am a big advocate of Nascar having to mandate things, however, in this case I feel it is the right thing to do. Why? The main reason that these guys don't wear helmets is they feel it will impede their performance and cause slower pit stops. This is a performance based business and you need to be as quick and nimble as can be. So, if Nascar mandates them, everyone wears them and NO ONE has any advantage or disadvantage. The field is leveled and safety is increased. Crewmen already wear radio headsets. And if we don't mandate this until the start of next season, then it will give safety manufacturers time to develop a newer, lighter helmet, with improved peripheral vision. The helmets do not have to be capable of the same impacts that driver's helmets need to be. Also, the crew can have custom airbrush designs and individuality and it could be cool. I would even bet that Nascar would license mini crew helmets sold exclusively by Racing Champions on Nascar.com. My heart goes out to those involved and their family and friends. Ricky Rudd and Ward Burton: God Bless! I hope you guys understand that it was not your fault and that these things do happen. Let's all learn from this and improve our safety. I for one, have no problem wearing a helmet. I think the officials could start the ball rolling and wear them first. Hey Heather, the helmet would look good with those boots. There is a lot of hype going on right now over racing related deaths, as a study just came out and everyone is freaking out. I am not saying that these deaths are acceptable or warranted, but, it is the nature of the beast. I know the risks involved, yet I still do it. It's like a boxing match. Do you really think all those shots to the head and body aren't doing damage? Everyone knows the risks yet they still do it. Racers are a different breed who accept the risks and perform simply for the love of the game. Don't blame Nascar, Don't blame the tracks, Don't blame the drivers, the crews, or God. Just accept us for who we are and what we do. We know the risks involved, yet we still show up each race. |