There are a surprising amount of people out there who think the invention of the HANS device and the SAFER barrier were a direct response to the death of Dale Earnhardt
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To the defense of NASCAR fans, implementation of these only occurred in NASCAR after the many deaths from 2000 to 2001 of which Earnhardt’s was by far the most widely known. HANS obviously first then gradually SAFER barrier implementation the subsequent few years.
I remember Downing really pushing the Hand device in the mid-80s. It didn't really take off until 94 after Senna's death, even though it was still optional. And even then, drivers like Earnhardt pushed back hard against its use.
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