We have been running halo bars since 2 weeks after Josh's accident in 2013 on every car we have owned. I would never let my son run without one but I do agree that it probably would not have saved BC. The force of that impact was way beyond the limits of one single bar over the drivers head.

Unfortunately, our cars have been upside down about 3 times in the past 3 seasons and I have inspected the halo bars every time a flip has occurred and EVERY SINGLE TIME the halo bar has impacted either the track or the wall and is really scratched up. As a parent and car owner, I can tell you from experience I am very pleased that the drivers helmet has never been hit or scratched with anything during a flip. However, I know this is not enough to protect a driver at a very high speed of impact. Also, I have seen no evidence that these halo bars make it harder to get out of the car. And if the driver is gonna have to be put on a back board the track should be prepared to make 3 cuts and remove the halo bar. I would think it could be cut off within 1 minute with a good battery powered sawzall......I will take that trade-off.

I have watched the dummy crash test video, seen both the crash videos from Josh and BC accidents and I do believe the only/best answer is more Research and Development is needed in the cockpit area of non-wing open wheel cars (Sprints, Midgets, Silver Crown). NHRA and Tractor Pullers understand that a huge cage is needed to protect their drivers, but somehow, circle track racers are very resistant to mandatory safety changes. The protection of the drivers is way more important than the looks of the car, or the newest, coolest looking fiberglass body which encloses the cockpit.

I see people posting on this thread with quotes like "We shouldn't change anything" or "No safety improvements should be mandatory" and I have to ask these questions to them: For drivers - "Is your 5-point harness tight??" and/or "Did you strap your full face helmet on?" or "Why do you wear a HANS device (or similar item)??"....There was a time back in the day when none of these safety improvements were mandatory or even available, and I am sure there were people back then against those changes as well..

I am 100% in favor for making safety improvements in conjunction with people who are educated on this subject,,,,NHRA, Tractor Pullers, Car Builders, Crash Test Folks, etc...what ever it takes to make the right changes that will help the driver the next time. I know the risk cannot be eliminated from racing in any form, but let's be honest, the chance of a horrific crash is quite a bit higher in open wheel cars, especially the non-wing version..anyone who don't see that needs to pull their head out of the sand.

Perhaps one organization that should be contacted for help with this subject by somebody in the know is John Force Racing...They were in charge of the "Eric Medlen Project", the following quote is directly from their website discussing Eric Medlen and his crash back in 2007.

[I]"Teammates loved him; rivals, too, which is why, when he succumbed to injuries following a testing accident in March, 2007, it left those in the sport collectively gasping for breath. The initial outpouring of grief quickly was followed by a universal show of support that resulted in the creation of The Eric Medlen Project, the thrust of which was the design of a safer race car and creation of a safer environment in which to compete.

Toward that end, project manager John Medlen has worked with Ford Motor Company, the NHRA, SFI, chassis builder Murf McKinney and a host of others in an unprecedented display of bi-partisan cooperation.

The program paid its first dividend in 2007 when initial changes were credited with saving the life of team owner John Force when he crashed at Ennis, Texas. Although he broke bones in his hands and feet, he had no serious head or neck injuries.

The improvements that made his survival possible included a wider roll cage, extra padding within it, the switch from five-point to seven-point harnesses and a head-and-neck restraint system that limits side-to-side movement as well as front-to back. It’s a legacy with which the younger Medlen would have been pleased".


These folks took the steps necessary to make things a little safer for drag racers back in 2007 after losing a high profile driver, it is now time for sprint car drivers/owners/builders to do something similar...I am sure I will have some bashers on here, but I bet almost everyone who bashes me won't be strapping their own kid in a sprint car this weekend either...I understand the risk but that doesn't mean I have to like it...in today's world, there is technology out there that can help our drivers be safer than in the past.