Another NASCAR Featherlight SW Series driver hurt.

[Roselady3]

Winston Cup racing in March...... Where? In Las Vegas, of course! For a complete package, including tickets, click on The Orleans button.LAMOURE SUFFERS BROKEN NECK DURING PIR TEST SESSION

Source: RacingWest
Date: 01/23/2002


NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series driver, Darrell LaMoure, was injured today while testing at Phoenix International Raceway. According to his wife, Shelley, his throttle stuck wide open and LaMoure was unable to stop the car, hitting hard into the Turn One wall.

LaMoure has broken two vertebrae in his neck and is being fitted with a Halo. It is possible that he will be released from Good Samaritan Hospital this evening.

It has been less than a week since mechanical failure sent David Pook, another NFSWS competitor to the hospital. Pook also suffered a broken neck and was released wearing a Halo.

Pook was wearing a HANS device. When we reported that LaMoure was also wearing a HANS device Jamie Reynolds, Host Racing RoundUp-Arizonam emailed, "Darrell was NOT wearing a HANS device in his accident. Check your facts before you broadcast information."

[Roselady3]

All I can say is WOW!
2 in 2 weeks.
They are dropping like flies!

[Joe Fan]

I am starting to wonder if these injuries are a result of using the HANS device. This was one of my reservations about making them mandatory because they come with no claims from the manufacturer. I would still wear one but when people were critical about NASCAR's "strongly recommending" them, this is one of the reasons why supported their position. The neck is a very fragile area. Anything that involves the containing the neck is a serious issue.

[Roselady3]

Ya know that's a good point.
I stated that many times in the defense after the radical press craze after DE's death. They just can't jump to any conclusions. Sometimes the cure can be worse than the illness.

Whether or not this is the case is hard to tell. One driver had catastrophic steering failure- The other had a throttle stick & went straight into the wall. Were the injuries made worse or better by having a restraint on.

[Lars]

Well, better to be safe? Lot's of the drivers in Cup after accidents last season said they were glad they were wearing the hans or the hutchenes. Unless that was Nascar PR propaganda?

[Lars]

Originally posted by Joe Fan
This was one of my reservations about making them mandatory because they come with no claims from the manufacturer.

I'm guessing it said something like that there is no guarantee that this product will save your life in an accident if used improperly. More than likely its designed to withstand 10 times the limit it recommends that what it's fail point is. This is called a "covering your a$$" statement. With the lawsuit crazy country we have become, you see stuff like this on more & more products. Most of it in lawyer jibberish. Having worked in engineering since I graduated from tech school in '86, I've learned one thing...they pay just as much in lawyer fees as they do to design a new product to cover their a$$es in case of a frivolous lawsuit.

[Joe Fan]

Originally posted by Roselady3
Pook was wearing a HANS device. When we reported that LaMoure was also wearing a HANS device Jamie Reynolds, Host Racing RoundUp-Arizonam emailed, "Darrell was NOT wearing a HANS device in his accident. Check your facts before you broadcast information."

Opps! I didn't read the last line closely.

[Roselady3]

There were several articles that stated that he WAS wearing a device. I don't know if that comment was about the "HANS" device. Or any Head & Neck protective device.