To All Team Members:
MKM Racing is adding a requirement to the proper harness mounting procedures, based on the analysis of Dale Earnhart's accident as well as a later incident with the belts on Jeremy Mayfield's car. This is to address what the article identifies as "dumping," caused by the labels on the belt being under the adjustor when tightened. The requirement will be to ensure that there are no labels under your adjustors when you are belted in the car with the harness fully tightened.
Please check your harnesses carefully for this condition, and if necessary, relocate or remove the labels carefully, so as not to damage the webbing of the belts. We will be checking all cars for this condition at Tech, so be prepared to buckle in.
While you're at it, make sure you (or your navigator/co-driver) can reach your fire extinguisher or fire system activator while you are fully strapped in, too!
Mike B
NASCAR Changes Seat Belt Rules Again
By JENNA FRYER
AP Sports Writer
Reacting to the discovery of a partially torn seat belt in Jeremy Mayfield's car, NASCAR on Thursday announced new rules regarding the placement of belts and manufacturer labels that the sanctioning body hopes will prevent a recurrence.
The changes were recommended by Dr. James Raddin and Dr. John Melvin, two experts NASCAR commissioned to investigate the death of Dale Earnhardt and conduct an additional study on occupant-restraint systems.
NASCAR sent them Mayfield's belt to examine after it was found to be partially torn following an accident in Dover, Del., on Sunday.
Effective immediately, manufacturer labels cannot be located under the adjusting mechanism when the driver is buckled in the seat and has tightened the seat belts and shoulder harness.
If the label is under the adjusting mechanism, the label must be removed or relocated ``in a manner that does not affect the integrity of the belt material.'' The date of manufacture must still remain visible on the belts at all times.
Earnhardt was killed in an accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18. An inspection of his car found a broken lap belt and investigators later attributed the break to the phenomenon known as ``dumping.''
Dumping occurs when the webbing is pulled or moved to one side of the adjustment device through which the belt webbing travels. When a dumped belt is under stress, it can separate and tear across the entire webbing.
Although Mayfield's partial tear is still under investigation, NASCAR believes the belt broke because of dumping.
By moving the manufacturer label out from under the adjuster, there is less material that could be affected or dumped.
``In talking with our people it became a common denominator that we wanted to address,'' said Winston Cup series director Gary Nelson. ``We decided to take that out of the equation--that there is no label that is being asked to be 'loaded' by the adjuster.''
Nelson said teams can remove the manufacture labels if they find them located in the adjuster areas, but need permission from a NASCAR official before removing a date off the manufacture label if it is also in an adjuster.
NASCAR requires the manufacture dates to be visible on belts at all time to assure the belts are not too old to be used.
The modifications, distributed to all teams as a technical bulletin before the Thursday test sessions at the new Kansas Speedway, are not seen as an answer to why the belts are tearing but as a preventive measure to hopefully stop it from happening again.
Mayfield's torn belt differed slightly from Earnhardt's, which was completely separated. Both belts were made by Simpson Performance Products.
