Cars and engines go to pieces and throw shrapnel in all directions, and fire is a possibility. I had supercharger restraints on my car in 1978 to keep the blower on, just because it made common sense. Oil pan blanket, Common sense,'' said Head, one of the competitors at the IHRA Holley Spring Nationals at Rockingham Dragway this weekend. Head was one of the first drag racers to buy the HANS device, hoping it will save his neck in a crash. I would not get in the car without it.'' At that point, Head, a civil engineer whose business is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, launched into a monologue about physics, anatomy and life and death in race cars.
Safety belts stretch.
Head backs Simpson. The harnesses would physically break your body'' before they failed, Head said. Other than volunteering to drive a 320-mph vehicle, Head's not taking any unnecessary chances with his life. His restraints are fastened to brackets that are twice the thickness required. He's also going beyond what is mandated by surrounding the cockpit with titanium plates.