After accident, pit crew helmets may be mandated
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
November 12, 2001
4:13 PM EST (2113 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. - Robert Yates Racing crewman Bobby Burrell remains in serious condition at the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami with head injuries, but is conscious and communicating verbally with family members, the team said Monday afternoon.
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Ricky Rudd's No. 28 pit crew in action.
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Burrell, 30, was injured in a pit road accident Sunday during the Pennzoil 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Burrell, the front tire changer for Ricky Rudd’s Ford, was struck by Ward Burton’s Dodge after Burton collided with Casey Atwood exiting his pit stall.
Burrell was airlifted directly to Jackson Memorial Hospital/Ryder Trauma Center in downtown Miami by helicopter.
Two other crewmen were injured in the same accident. Jackman John Bryan, 31, of Memphis, Tenn., was transported by ambulance to Baptist Hospital in nearby Kendall. He was treated for a sprained knee and was diagnosed with a mild concussion, but was released later Sunday evening. Front tire carrier Kevin Hall, 31, of Gloucester, Va., was treated for contusions and released from the infield care center.
In the wake of Burrell’s misfortune, NASCAR plans to urge teams to utilize helmets on pit road.
“Helmets are optional now, but we’re taking a hard look at either mandating them or strongly recommending them,” said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president for corporate communications.
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After Ward Burton hit Casey Atwood, he veered sharply into Rudd's pit stall...
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Some teams are planning to move forward in that direction regardless of NASCAR’s decision, including Michael Waltrip’s NAPA Chevrolet crew. Waltrip's team has already budgeted crewmember helmets for 2002, according to a team spokeswoman.
One team, Cal Wells’ No. 32 Ford group, has long been required to wear helmets when going over the wall. Wells brought the idea of helmets for crew members with him from CART, where such devices are mandated.
“What happened yesterday is exactly the reason why they wear them,” said Nick Harvey, PPI Motorsports’ team manager. “They’re in peril out there. It’s kind of like going out and playing with traffic on the freeway if you think about it. You need all the protection you can get out there.”
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...sending Burton into a scary collision with members of the No. 28 crew and a NASCAR official.
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Some teams have reservations about using helmets, afraid they will hamper the team’s performance on pit stops. However, that’s not necessarily the case - the No. 32 team ripped off a sub-14-second stop last weekend at Homestead.
“Our guys they were a little resistant to them at first, especially in the summer months and the heat, but now they’re absolutely sold on them,” Harvey said. “We’re really confident the helmets aren’t hurting our performance, which is one of the big concerns for other teams. They’re really worried it will slow them down.
“Our front tire carrier got picked up by the 15 car and thrown about 20 feet earlier in the year and jumped right up unscathed. Our rear tire changer had the gun kick up and hit him in the face and lightly cut his chin underneath the base of the helmet. If he hadn’t been wearing the helmet if probably would’ve broken his jaw.”
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