NASCAR Fans Criticise ‘Alternative’ HANS Device the Likes of Kyle Larson & Ricky Stenhouse Jr Use for Not Being Effective

Published 02/22/2022, 4:03 PM EST

During the 2022 Daytona 500, there was a late wreck involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. As it turned out, he got a small love tap from Brad Keselowski and lost control of his car. Inside the cockpit though, there was an even bigger story. When Stenhouse Jr hit the wall, his head pretty much snapped forward and hit the steering wheel.

Normally, the HANS device would be able to prevent such a thing from occurring. The device was introduced in NASCAR especially in the wake of Dale Earnhardt Sr’s tragic death. However, some have observed that the current devices are not as effective as they should be.

Whatever you call this "alternative" HANS that Stenhouse, Larson, and some others use, certainly isn't as effective. Same one that let Larson's head hit the wheel at Talladega in 2019 pic.twitter.com/DgnnyxYllJ
— Mike Fallon (@Twisted_Toe) February 21, 2022

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Some even cast their minds back to the 2019 season when a similar incident happened to Kyle Larson. According to reports, Ricky Stenhouse wore an SFI-certified Simpson Racing Hybrid Pro Lite HANS Device. This is significant because NASCAR uses SFI specifications for its rulebook and approved the restraint in 2017.

What did the fans say about the Ricky Stenhouse Jr accident?

The general consensus was that the accident did not look safe at all. On the outside, the impact did not look too bad, a light tap at the most. However, the cockpit view of the crash showed a completely different story, one which was far worse. In all honesty, it is actually pretty scary to see a driver’s head flopping around almost rag doll-like.

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My damn neck hurts just looking at this. If NASCAR genuinely approves of this "alternative" head/neck restraint after seeing this then I'll be absolutely dumbfounded. No reason we should have drivers heads bouncing off steering wheels in 2022 https://t.co/qSUPE3QR3n
— HurricaneLane22 (@lanemayo) February 21, 2022

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One thing was for sure, many fans called on NASCAR to investigate the accident from a pure safety perspective. Fortunately, Stenhouse Jr was able to walk away largely unscathed. However, he did pin a lot of blame on Brad Keselowski for punting him out in the first place. Keselowski himself managed to finish in 9th place but found himself under fire for being the instigator of many incidents. Now, the paddock can do nothing more than just move on to the next race of the season.

Brad Keselowski on the Receiving End of His NASCAR Peers’ Stinging Criticism After Erratic Daytona 500 Display

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Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.