UNIQUE SAFETY DEVICE GETS INDY 500 TEST RUN
A unique safety device, developed by a Michigan State University engineer, will be worn by an Indianapolis 500 driver this year -- the first time the device has been used in the Memorial Day race.
The device, known as HANS -- head and neck support -- is a combination helmet and yoke that supports a driver's head, helps reduce neck fatigue and avoid the accompanying injuries common among drivers. So far, about 250 of the devices have been sold to drivers.
"We've had pretty good results. We're finding them to be very useful," says Bob Hubbard, an MSU professor of materials science and mechanics. "They've helped to avoid some injuries and maybe even some deaths."
Wearing the HANS device this year is Fermin Velez, a native of Spain who is competing in his second Indianapolis 500.
Hubbard is no stranger to the racing world. His brother-in-law is driver Jim Downing and Hubbard has often served as a part of Downing's pit crew.
For information, contact Hubbard, (517) 353-5013, or Tom Oswald, MSU Media Communications, (517) 355-2281.
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