(continued from page 3)  I think at that time most folks, including myself, were shocked to find out serious and fatal type head and neck injuries can occur at lower speeds than the other types of violent crashes we have seen our favorite race car drivers like Dale get out and walk away from.

  When I first started preparing my Trans-Am for racing, Matt Adams (son of the legendary Pontiac man Herb Adams) told me the deaths he knew about were most often caused from a side head snap-he told me to be sure to wear a neck support and I always have.  Coincidentally we CMCers were given a demonstration of a Hutchen's device (http://www.hutchensdevice.com) this weekend. The Hutchen's device is a head-neck safety device that is a lower budget version of the more
cumbersome HANS device. I am getting the Hutchen's device. Safety is number one! 

  I have found the best way to deal with tragedy is to get something positive out of it. What can a
Firebird enthusiast that does not race, or just does a drag race or two annually get out of this? First, it is a harsh reminder that when driving on any surface, public road or race track, you stand the best chance of being safe if you STAY ON THE ROAD. Once you go off the road, you are now vulnerable to whatever lies off it.  So, a big part of safety, after having a safe car, is safe and controlled driving.  Second, if you are a weekend warrior that goes drag racing or any other type of racing, you probably have accepted that there is a certain element of risk. If not this is something you should consider.  If you accept the risk and want to take your street car in these situations, then maximize your safety by wearing a helmet and neck support even if it is not required.  The weight of your head with a helmet on with no neck support, as I found out at my crash at Sacramento Raceway a few years back, is at minimum a significant stress to your neck in an impact.  I took a lot of Ibuprofen for my sore neck!  Helmets with top safety ratings (Snell SA95, M95, K98, SA2000, M2000) are available for around $200 and neck supports are $50 or less. Safety for your brain-bucket is number one!