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CHIAPPELLI: Short Track Safety
I sincerely hope this message reaches its intended audience before it is too late.
Jim Chiappelli  |  Posted June 16, 2010   Charlotte, NC
A HANS-less World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz regrets recent lapse in safety. (SPEED)
I sincerely hope this message reaches its intended audience before it is too late.

It is a call to action that should be embraced by anyone associated with racing at the grass-roots, short track level.

The motivation came after the realization that after decades of involvement, I had become somewhat desensitized to the inherent dangers of motorsports.

Each week on The SPEED Report, when the production staff assembles racing highlights, it scans hours of footage looking for action with the broadest appeal that is pertinent to interesting storylines. Invariably, the chosen content includes amazing flips, tumbles and bone-jarring crashes.

Thankfully, the accompanying script copy almost always includes lines such as “he walked away,” or “no one was hurt.”

One of the recent images that really got my attention took place last month when USAC driver Justin Grant cleared the turn one wall and landed on a Buick in the parking lot at The Action Track at Terre Haute during the “Tony Hulman Sprint Car Classic.”

Another occurred during the World of Outlaws event in Tulare, California in March, when Tim Shaffer and Jonathan Allard made contact at Thunderbowl Raceway, sending both sprinters flipping wildly down the front stretch, with Allard going over at least eight times in six seconds.

But the clincher for me happened at another Outlaws show, this one in mid-May at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Four-time defending Outlaws champion Donny Schatz was hit from behind and spun into the wall in front of the rest of the field at the end of the backstretch on the opening lap of the feature at the big half-mile track.

Despite spinning like a pinwheel and enduring severe impact, Schatz avoided serious injury.

Schatz, who occasionally uses a head and neck restraint, was not wearing one in that race.

It’s a move he regrets—but one which provides a lesson for others.

Safety is the goal and the message here is clear.

Drivers in all divisions must use an approved head and neck restraint.

No exceptions.

I applaud USAC for making the use of the devices mandatory in all of its divisions.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is on the right track by working to make the use of head and neck restraints compulsory in the coming months. In fact, the series will award bonus points to drivers who comply before the rule takes effect.

In most other short-track series, the use of head and neck restraints is addressed in rule books with words such as “strongly recommend,” “highly recommended” or “suggested.”

That’s not good enough.

While auto racing is inherently dangerous, advancements in making the sport safer have come too far to be ignored.

Driver safety is not just for NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula One or the NHRA.

Safety means the total package at all levels—from Street Stock to 410 Sprint Car. In addition to a head and neck restraint, it requires an approved seat, a six-point or seven-point belt system and driver net in addition to regulation helmet and fire-retardant apparel.

The process begins with a level of personal responsibility, but as we all know, short track racers are a stubborn group in need of motivation.

That’s why I’m appealing to drivers’ spouses, parents, siblings and “significant others” to do the persuading.

If you’re a car owner or sponsor, don’t let your driver hit the track with sub-standard safety gear.

If you’re a race promoter or track owner, don’t let drivers compete unless they are in compliance with the rigid safety standards you will enforce.

Naturally, excuses are bound to follow when it comes to head and neck restraints or other gear that is not required.

Can’t afford one? Stay at home. You’ll drop tens of thousands of dollars on an engine, hundreds on new tires, but won’t pony up less than a grand for a head and neck restraint system?

That investment is a bargain compared to the price you could pay for a ride in a medical helicopter for a lengthy hospital stay, or for months of rehabilitation to go along with years of pain and suffering.

You’ve raced for 20 years without one? Keep the car in the hauler. The phrase “that’s the way we’ve always done it” is lame justification for the status-quo.

It’s uncomfortable to wear? Consider the alternatives.

There are several companies that manufacture approved head and neck restraints to accommodate drivers of all shapes, sizes and preferences.

Do your homework. Educate yourself and purchase the safety equipment that fits your needs. Ask about which gear allows you to exit a car quickest in case of fire.

Prices may vary, and while expensive doesn’t always mean better, remember that cheap is often cheap. The best advice is to seek consultation with safety experts.

Racing involves a level of uncertainty. You never know when there will be a tire, engine or suspension failure.

You never know when some knucklehead will drive over his head and take you out.

You never know what will occur around the next turn.

Taking precautions can help you survive or lessen your injuries in a world of “you never know.”

An extreme example—as morbid as it sounds—is that proper safety equipment costs less than a funeral and is more comfortable than a wheelchair or coffin.

Jim Chiappelli is SPEED’s News Director. He has worked in broadcast journalism since 1986, producing or overseeing the production of more than 6,000 newscasts and sportscasts in a career that began at network affiliates in Johnstown and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania before shifting to the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, where he spent 11 years, leaving as Executive Producer in 2001.

Before graduating from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Jim briefly competed in the limited late model division in Western Pennsylvania for his family, which has been involved in racing for nearly 35 years and continues to campaign a 410 sprint car team.

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The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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