Adding new bumper 'not realistic' for this year

By Mike Fish, CNNSI.com
August 29, 2001
5:30 PM EDT (2130 GMT)

A top NASCAR official all but ruled out Wednesday the possibility of the so-called "Humpy Bumper" or any other energy-absorbing bumper being installed in Winston Cup stock cars this season.

"That is just unrealistic, not realistic at all," said Jim Hunter, a NASCAR vice president.

The Humpy Bumper

The response came a day after developers of the energy-absorbing bumper staged a demonstration at Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte, and before meeting next week with NASCAR officials to discuss research and test results.

Developer Paul Lew and LMS president/general manager H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler had hoped to have the bumpers available and in cars this season. Lew said four earlier crash tests at a Las Vegas track had documented that the bumper can cut in half the energy drivers absorb in a frontal crash.

However, NASCAR officials warned last week that they wouldn't make any major safety changes until first certain that changes didn't create other safety issues.

NASCAR only received the data on the bumper Tuesday.

Lew (right) shows off the Humpy Bumper as Wheeler looks on.

"We'll study the science," Hunter said. "We just got the data, so we're going to pass that along to our experts and hear what they have to say."

The race cars have grown increasingly rigid through the years, with some thinking the stiff front fails to reduce enough energy away from a driver. Some drivers have complained about the loss of crush material between the front of the car and the motor.

Hunter said drivers couldn't address the situation on an individual basis. If NASCAR were to approve an energy-absorbing device, it would almost certainly have to be a requirement for all cars. "It is part of the car," Hunter said. "So, I think you'd have to have it on every car. It's a weight. It's an addition to the car."