HANS DEVICE MADE BY HUBBARD/DOWNING IN ATLANTA, 2001-02-18 (photo)

In the wake of the death of racing legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr. at the Daytona 500 February 18, 2001, professional drivers are taking a closer look at a head-restraint system designed to prevent the type of head injury that killed the legendary driver in Nascar's premier race. The patented head and neck support, or hans, helmet, is fitted with a collar and yoke worn on the shoulder and attached to a frame in the car's roll cage. In a collision, the helmet reduces the violent movement of a driver's head. Professional driver Jim Downing, co-founder of Atlanta-based Hubbard/Downing Inc., which began selling the helmet in 1991, said only six drivers in the 43-car field wore the device during the Daytona 500, although half the teams had one available for their drivers. TLC