Pit lane injuries spark helmet debate
NASCAR officials have no comment to make on whether helmets will be mandated for pit crews after Sunday's incident on pit road at Miami-Homestead Speedway which injured four, leaving one in hospital with serious head injuries (for full story, click HERE)
Michael McSwain, Ricky Rudd's crew chief, spoke about the frightening turn of events: "Some cars got together on the end of pit road and slammed right into our car with my guys changing tyres. Of course helmets would have helped Bobby because he's got some head injuries, but it wouldn't have helped Johnny because he's got a broken leg."
Ward Burton's involvement in the crash left the Dodge driver in a downcast mood: "I feel bad about it. I thought I was clear and I was coming out [of the pits]. Somebody was coming down or made it three wide or something. My right front hit their car in the side and sent me into the side of the 28 [Rudd's car]. I feel horrible about it."
Rudd said the accident, in which he was an innocent bystander, ruined his race: "After the accident on pit road, our heart just wasn't in it."
The only team in NASCAR Winston Cup racing that requires its crew members to wear helmets on pit road is former Champ Car team PPI Motorsports. Helmets became mandatory in CART after two pit road incidents in 1999.
One crew member from Dale Jarrett's team and two crew members from Richard Childress Racing filled in for the injured pit members for the remainder of the race. Scott Naset (front tyre changer) and Kirk Almquist (front tyre carrier) were extra crewmen for Jeff Green, Shane Callis (jackman) works for Jarrett's team.
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