The American Renault that changed motorsport forever

[@Dean11link]

Hello! I am Robert Hubbard’s grandson and Jim Downing’s great-nephew and I wanna thank you for creating such an absolutely amazing video. It was extremely moving for me hearing the history I grew up around being retold amongst its historical context. I really appreciate you for spending the time and effort into honoring my family and the impact of HANS on the world of Motorsport. I am going to send this to the whole family! Seeing this video appear in my feed filled me with so much joy! Again, thank you so much for your efforts and talent. PS: The car with the HANS livery is a race car created by Jim is called the Kudzu. It featured a four rotor wankel producing 650 HP!

[@CreMoi]

Damn, you mean he created a revolutionary safety device AND built a four rotor race car? That's one rad man

[@stijnpaspont]

The single most meaningful comment ive ever gotten seeing as its from someone directly related to the main subject. thanks! i appreciate it.

[@nicholasmarshall3191]

I saw Jim Downing race a number of times to include in the Kudzu. I loved how he thought outside the box with his racing.

[@richardlong6097]

The hans has saved more drivers in the last generation than any invention since the multi point seat belt harness.

[@buriedintime]

I spoke to Jim Downing a couple times over the years. Once at Daytona and once in Miami. At the miami Grand Prix when mazda was debuting their 4 rotor GTP car (silver and blue livery) and Jim had the Kudzu. I mentioned the Mazda 4 rotor and he said "yeah, well, we know how to make ours work" with a sly smile. The mazda GTP didn't make it thru the race and hard to remember now but may not have even started. they had the engine out of it before the race. Jim is a Rotary engine legend and legendary driver too. Super nice guy and I was glad I got a chance to chat with him in the paddock area on those days long ago.

[@bryancohn9406]

I've been an amateur racer since 1986 when I was 20 and raced Formula Ford for quite a long time. A fellow competitor brought his new HANS to me to try on at the June Sprints at Road America, June 2000. In a case of dear old mom looking out for her sons best interest, after seeing how it worked offered to buy one for me on the spot. We placed the order the following Monday, it took until late August to arrive due to the backlog of orders and I wore it for the first time during a test day at the SCCA Runoffs in September. 23 years on I'm on my fourth HANS (different race cars require different angle devices as we all know) and I never get into the seat without my HANS. Its as integral part of my driving kit as shoes or gloves. I also had the fortune to sit with Dr Hubbard and Mr Downing at an SCCA convention in 2005, what an honor to have the opportunity to chat with two people who did so much good for the sport. PS: I'd argue the GTU LeCar is one of the coolest IMSA race cars of all time!

[@GTFan8899]

I never knew of the backstory of the HANS device. Thanks for telling us the story.

[@stijnpaspont]

And thank you for listening to it

[@Mercman1010]

Almost everyone knows why the Hans device is used now. God I remember that day. No one (myself included) knows why/where it was created. Thank you.

[@Toonami24]

@@stijnpaspont should do a pagani lemans race cars origin story there along of the Chrysler lmp cars too

[@codyC423]

@@Mercman1010 it was created after Dale Earnhardt died of a basilar skull fracture in 2001

[@SpeedHero]

The window net shown on the IMSA renault has a similar story and origin, as Canadian racing driver Billy Foster hit the wall in Riverside California, and his head exited window and caught the wall, causing his death. The window net was created and popularized world wide because of that one death.

[@DDS029]

Joe Wheatherly had a similar fatal accident in turn five. Pretty sure it was 1967. I remember seeing a centerfold spread of Dan Gurney's 1968 Torino with a black metal screen that look like a refrigerator shelf on his car. The first practical one was after Richard Petty's barrel-roll on the frontstretch at Darlington in 1970. "He "only" suffered an arm/shoulder injury, but people were horrified when they saw the clear images of him half hanging out of the window, with his shoulder belts still fastened. That's when NASCAR took that seriously.

[@gregvandy34]

Great video. The HANS is one of the most important inventions in the history of motorsport. I can't imagine a world without the device. I just wish more people had listened and adopted the device sooner. It took losing Dale Earnhardt to bring about changes that were long overdue.

[@JoeEngineer]

This took me way back to college, when I wrote a technical paper on the history of safety equipment in motorsports. I remember very clearly picking that topic after witnessing Dale Sr.'s crash and it being the catalyst for adoption of the HANS device. Thank you for this fantastic video.

[@diede2308]

Every motorsport enthousiast should watch this!! Excelent job man!!

[@ducedevlstear2471]

I used to hate the hans back then but I was still a teenager so I had no idea. I thought of it as a stupid thing forced on the drivers by corruption. I remember that the drivers complained about it trapping their nerves and being uncomfortable in places. And despite since then I learned its purpose and changed my opinion, you explained it a lot better to me. Also it evolved since too.

[@DDS029]

Gotta start somewhere . . .

[@jesss5711]

I was expecting a video about the racing history of the renault 5, but what I got from this video was way better

[@effisjens1776]

I can't help but compare the complaints some of the drivers originally had with the Hans-device are similar to what happened with the halo when it was in development for F1. Though, this story shows also a big problem : safety innovation always comes too late. Everything is response of a previous incident.

[@stijnpaspont]

Exactly. And none of it is helped by the "it wont happen to me" mindset some drivers have/had.

[@medic53067]

You’re absolutely correct that safety innovations occur almost always after someone dies, or several incidents occur that test the understanding of current safety regulations. This was never more evident than in the late 1950’s and the early 60’s. Cars became dramatically quicker and many drivers weren’t even wearing seatbelts. Safety had taken a back seat, pardon the pun, to competition and profit. Drivers were becoming more aware of the dangers they were facing at every level of motorsport. No one could initially foresee the effects of these immensely higher speeds would have on the human body, especially the head and neck. Helmets had become mainstream, and safety belts were mandated but the HANS Device was still a long ways away. In much the same way as war advanced Traumatic medical treatments, racing crashes have forced the governing bodies of racing series to advance safety. That’s an unfortunate comparison but it’s the best I’ve got.

[@DDS029]

@@medic53067 After the helmets and belts, everything was attributed to blunt force trauma, as a general term. It took awhile for that to show a pattern.

Clearly a story that remind the arrival of the Halo in Formula 1, everyone was thinking that this was ugly and stupid, but it has save many live since, and could have save the life Jules Bianchi at the time.

[@OptomusPrime666]

HANS is so simple but such an important improvement in Motorsportssafety

[@outlawtaylor3]

The HANS device works. It saved my life in a bad late model dirt race.

[@jaybraxton5625]

I know Jim and Dr. Bob (now passed) very well as I was employed by them starting in 2003. I was well aware that Patricks crash and subsequent fatality was the catalyst for the design and development of the HANS and you did a great job putting the historical timeline together. Great video Stijn.

[@hugovilag]

Always wondered why no one had ever done a video on the Renault 5 Turbo IMSA on this regard, so many drivers owe their lifes to Jacquemart death. Personal favourite video 🍞 Also is worth noting the crazy Renault 5 Maxi Turbo, a 1.6 liter 350hp beast with "some" reliability issues

[@razorback20]

I didn't know the Renault 5 had any racing history in the USA, let alone that its legacy was actually so great. 👍

[@Math4real.Schramm]

I'd say the Hans device, the monocoque and carbon fiber are by far the three biggest life savers after the seatbelt itself to be invented

[@Triggernlfrl]

Only in the motorsport world....

[@danverss6176]

They said it looked stupid but now PR photos with only race suit and helmet feel so wrong so weird looking at the naked neck

[@christopherc7075]

Also, this sorta reminds me of how Limerock park came to be. One of its main designers, John Fitch, experienced the 1955 Le Mans disaster first hand, and wanted to incorporate as much safety features for drivers and spectators as possible

[@2639263926392639]

Concise. Poignant. Well articulated, reasoned then delivered. And I shall look at 5's a little differently now.

[@asicdathens]

In the 80's the R5T was the most iconic WRC car in Greece. I had a poster with it.

[@tomaslongoria2449]

The worst accidents sometimes lead to safety measures that save countless lives today. Like the 1955 Le Mans disaster, alot of fans died that day sadly but now we have alot of safety regulations that came from it.

[@rdspam]

Glad to see Downing get some recognition. I was racing in those days, and know about him, but NASCAR and F1 seem to always take credit for it themselves.

[@stealthhedgehog4324]

Nice and short informative video. Great to know where the HANS device got it start.

[@NewbombTurk.]

My father had a Renault Encore in 1984, I can remember the Renault Encore and Alliance GTU cars running back then. Renault even had a Alliance GTU model sold to the public a few years later.

[@richardlong6097]

IndyCar (at the time 2 split series) had a rash of fatal crashes w several basilar skull fractures in the 90s and the 4 NASCAR deaths in 8 months had the American motorsports fan base tired of seeing bodies pulled out of race cars on live tv. While crashes like Moore's, Rena's, and Nemechek's would have been fatal regardless (Rena was wearing the Hans). As a young motorsports fan I "came up with" and diagramed a device similar to the hans after the 2 New Hampshire crashes. It was anchored to the seat w 2 tethers and attached to the helmet w quick release shackles. It's crazy a kid can understand the problem and design a solution but the million dollar sanctioning bodies, teams, and drivers refused to wear a device (albeit not optimised) that could stop this.

[@Bill-yy3ck]

You weren't the only one to design another method to try and stop the BSF. My educated guess that the reason that it didn't get accepted by the sanctioning bodies is that they require a single point of release for the restraints. Sounds like your design required the driver to have a second point to release them from the seat. I've watched the HANS device evolve from the late 80s and my company has sold thousands to the racing community. The number of emails we've gotten thanking us for having the HANS devices in stock and able to ship the same day is countless. So I have to say that the HANS device is the best thing to come along to help save lives in the racing community.

[@offintheesses]

Add this to the list of videos that all racing fans (not just sportscar racing fans) should watch! Great stuff as always!

[@stijnpaspont]

Thanks man! And likewise, you make some stuff that all WEC fans should watch as its the perfect introduction/guide into the world of IMSA.

[@EssexCountyPhoto]

Hilarious to see that F1 had onboard cameras before onboard driver safety devices.

[@MainMite06]

Technically speaking: Glass goggles, leather helmets, full helmets, nomex fire suits, and seatbelts were already there when an onboard camera wasnt a heavy device..

[@_djcraig_]

As a owner of a phase 2 GT turbo I found this very enjoyable. I never knew they were raced in the US.

[@Mrsk8park]

C Type Jag and Stirling Moss developed the disc brake that would revolutionize modern safety in all cars as well

[@whirlybirdrc]

This video had me glued to my screen. Thank you! Very interesting to learn about this.

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

2:50 The European rally version eventually produced 385hp.

[@Romain_69420]

Some track versions even went up to 400

[@orionexplorer]

I've read MANY of the comments and you don't get it, who would have watched this if it was about the HANS device? I'm 62 years old and can remember drivers dying all the time in motorsports back in the 60's and 70's. I saw a driver die when he flipped over the fence at Manzanita Speedway. I have seen several drivers die on TV, J.D. McDuffie at Watkins Glen, Art Pollard at Indy, Swede Savage also at Indy the same year, 1973. I am very glad to see driver safety improved over the years, and the number of deaths decreased.

[@JeffFine]

I was a crew chief for a Champion Spark Plug Challenge car at the time of Jacquemart's accident. I had seen him racing a regular R5 in the same class, and he was amazing; a very competent driver competing bravely in a woefully underpowered car. It was nice to see him recognized for his talent when the R5 Turbo did so well in the GTU class. His accident was very minor, and didn't even damage the car. So that was what made people take notice that something needed to be done. Safety as a significant aspect of racing took a long time to really progress. I think it was the mindset that all effort needed to be directed to going faster, and safety equipment just slowed the cars down. Sir Jackie Stewart was really one of the most influential people in changing this mindset. Making safety devices mandatory was the only way to get them implemented so that all teams had the same weight penalties, and the safety devices affected all teams equally. I do like where motorsport is now and all the safety equipment and apparel is just considered part of the deal now. I also like how driver's deaths are a very rare occurrence instead of something that happened 3 or 4 times per season.

[@Xsiondu]

I remember when B.A. Barakus turned one of the Le Cars into a light armored vehicle in under an hour; helping get the watermelons to the market on time and saving the farm from bankruptcy. Such a great car.

[@danielclark4624]

not up to debate. dale would have lived if he has his head-neck supported.

[@onedayiwillmakesomecontent]

Love the 1991 Bathurst R32 Nissan GTR at the opening 😊

[@kevinn570]

Wow very interesting story I already loved the Turbo 5 just another reason too.

[@isatwospirit]

When I saw that R5 Turbo I just had to watch it... Yes, I still miss my good old R5 GT Turbo.

[@GoredonTheDestroyer]

Oh hey, the Ace Combat Zero OST.

[@adrielquiroga7901]

AC5 hangar music in the intro? Have a like, based sir.

[@hartsockthomson3334]

I ve only played ac2 on play station. Yet i was sure that was AC music when i heard the bass slaps!

[@TylerCMilligan]

The Ace Combat tunes are a nice touch

[@christopherc7075]

I never knew why Hans had its own logo, even though it was a required part and thus I didn't think it needed advertising, but TIL!

[@dingusmann3003]

i would argue that dale earnhardt's fatal wreck in the 2001 daytona 500 was equally important if not moreso to motorsport safety. Due to dale's death, not only did we see the HANS device become mandatory, it also spawned the safer construction of cars (especially stock cars, just look at the COT) with things such as energy absorbing foam in the doors. It also spawned the invention of the SAFER barrier, which is now in place at many tracks and has undoubtedly made many wrecks better and may have even saved a couple driver's lives.

[@spectre1209]

Love the Ace Combat music in the background.

[@logantaylor8354]

As always, fantastic.

[@MOSSFEEN]

1990 Renault 5 Campus was one one of first cars It was a little flyer

[@alex12bh]

Lawrence of Arabia and Hugh Cairns has a similar story about the creation and use of motorcycle helmets.

[@zonta71]

You highlight something overlooked. Thank you.

[@RENO_K]

I've said it before and i'll say it again It's Fucking sad that in motorsport how a safety item gets implemented and for it to become the standard is that someone has to die first The more influential the death is the more people adopt the new safety feature It's like, idk to me that's just fucking sad that the price for the safety of others is the death of (hopefully only) one driver and or marshal

[@domjohnson8723]

It's called R&D, also known as Research & Development. You have to do the Research in order to Develop the product.

[@johnnyo3fan]

I have now doubt that Dale would have survived had he been wearing a HANS device. In May of 1990, Adam Petty, son of Kyle petty and grandson of Richard Petty, died from the same injury. It was not until Earnhardt's death and the work of former driver Jeff Burton, that the HANS device was made mandatory in NASCAR>

[@DDS029]

Kyle Petty tested a REEEAL early version at Watkins Glen in the early years of NASCAR Cup racing there. I believe it was a Hubbard/Downing design. It could have been someone else inspired by them. I was a hard collar, held down by the shoulder belts like the present one, but had four small shock absorbers that attached to the helmet that controlled speed of the head movement. Besides the size, the major downfall of it was it also limited the speed at which the driver could turn his head to look around. I think somewhere in my collection of 'recorded off TV' VHS tapes there may be one of that race weekend with a segment about it. It could have been the year after JD McDuffie's accident at the Glen. The Bustop (now named the LeMans Chicane) was added to slow down the entry speed at turn five.

[@pariodeusex]

WOW I never knew the Renault 5 crossed the pond, must have been a matchbox to the yanks!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

They're not really that much smaller than Pinto or a Gremlin, narrower and lighter, but not that much smaller overall. Yanks know them as Le Car.

[@nathanielcruz6675]

The birth of the HANS device. It saves lives, although some refuse to wear it because it's uncomfortable, and it breaks their collarbones. Great video.

[@ShitHappensRLY]

Well, collar bones are curable, broken skull base is not so much. It's like with seatbelts. Maybe, back in a day, you could break the glass with your head and be thrown out with just some minor injures, modern windshields don't break at all, and it's like smashing your head against the wall.

[@glensgraphix]

Great video again. Being Australian I'm enjoying the clips of the Aussie stuff you use. :D

[@amsterdamG2G]

.....and i always assumed it was designed by a guy named 'Hans'😅 Good video👍

[@stijnpaspont]

Completely honest here. I did too for a while

[@michaellavery4899]

This should have been obvious to race engineers who are constantly looking for innovations to make a car faster, but no, it seems driver safety wasn't even an afterthought until very recently. Thank's for this very informative video.

[@icetraydemartini3963]

I'm just getting into Motorsports. I love learning about the history of sports. Great work even a new fan can understand.

[@jubu3136]

You produce great content with original subject matter. Only one complaint..... I wish the videos were longer haha. Thanks for your work

[@powertothesheeple5422]

It's such a shame that nearly every safety feature in almost any form of racing took multiple fatalities of some of the best drivers in the world before it was either implemented or widely accepted.

[@williamsuharja6687]

Well mainly because "it look stupid"

[@xiaofengxiaofengxiaofengxi4651]

F1 first ran it when Massa and Heidfeld used it at the 2002 Italian GP. Remember it well

[@helmuttdvm]

The Renault 5 Turbo was a great car (& even in a Bond movie). The HANS device is wonderful and racers should always remember Jim Downing‘s contribution to their safety.

[@deepinthewoods8078]

Gonzalo Rodriguez, J.D. Mc Duffie, Jovy Marcelo, Roland Ratzenberger all probably could have been saved by the HANS device... surely one of the most significant safety features in racing history...

[@theuser698]

For MC duffie if your browser and looks real speed he crash that so brutal bro no human Will life

[@deepinthewoods8078]

@@theuser698 The crash of McDuffie was indeed extremely violent and the angle was also very awkward. However, part of the impact was being absorbed by the armco which moved back a lot, and in the end his only fatal injury was a skull base fracture. This being said, even with current technology and the HANS system, maybe McDuffie still wouldn't have survived...

[@locksleylennoxvfx]

Idk why this video made cry a little. Thanks for share the important part of car history.

[@joppy232]

I race locally in New Jersey. I am so grateful for the hans device

[@brentcowan8077]

had an aluminum body R5 turbo Alpina. absolute rocket ship 260hp 0-60 in 5 seconds

[@1unsung971]

Very good. Thank you very much. You make a really good point here.

[@spacemoai]

Who knew the briefing music was perfect for video essays.

[@neilbt478]

The 1969 Pininfarina Sigma Formula 1 Concept had a head & neck support system (I think using an inertia reel safety belt) so this problem was known & had been thought about before.

[@thierrymilan2039]

Thought before but not applied after, so no benefit to the users.

[@ESmyth-nu7ug]

Excellent video essay... you made a compelling argument, and tied everything together really nicely! Bravo!

[@driver46]

Very nice video , I learned something new today .

[@bits2646]

Very interesting turn of events... Never even though about how hans came to be... Interesting!!

[@lol911000]

Can you make a video on the Maserati MC12 GT1?

[@MrBoost96]

Thanks for making this extremely informative, fascinating and interesting video. It's sad to know that people must see death and near fatal accidents to understand that things must change, it happened recently after the death of Bianchi and then with the introduction of the halo

[@TheRiot46]

Renault 5 turbo II is my favorite car ever. When I said this people laugh.

[@rheacerdave]

First time I met Jim was at Daytona SunBank 24. He got out of his car and had a prototype similar to the one PLN is wearing in the video. Super guy.

[@davedavidson9996]

That is Massa stuffing it into the back of the hairpin at Montreal after his brakes failed. They said he would not have been able to survive the crash without the assistance of the HANS device. He just jumps up and gets out of the car.

[@versedi]

had no idea it comes out from old renault 5

[@johnbarker5009]

I had an R5/le Car for a while. It rode extremely well and was pretty spacious for such a small car, but its 4 speed transmission was a miserable experience on a road trip on America's Interstate highways.

[@andyrbush]

Brilliantly presented thank you.

[@Eduardo_Espinoza]

The car was cool alone:) nice to see it has other uncommon influences going for it! :D

[@anuardelcastillo2627]

Marvelous to find your video and channel!! Its hard to find quality on KZbin this days!! Cheers Happy to suscribe

[@TheBlaert]

Superb video. You got a new subscriber

[@RR-db1xg]

Thanks 🙏 Your video is History Every Motorsport fan should know I didn’t. Thank you!!!

[@samghost13]

Good thing HANS is standard now

[@stianby]

I feel the correct race car for this category has to be a car that pushes the envelope of performance at such a degree that the solutions implemented have to be banned due to speed and cost. Nissan Skyline and the Williams FW15 come to mind

[@LeeePowers]

Can see Jim Downing's mug in the thumbnail. His LMP2 win in his own Kudzu chassis doesn't get enough mention outside of hard core Le Mans fans. I think that Kudzu's paint job reduced drag on the straights.

[@DC322]

Before Earnhardt's passing. Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Tony Roper had similar deaths due to basilar skull fractures. Blaise Alexander also died later after Earnhardt's passing despite wearing a neck collar at Charlotte.

[@YogoSoh1]

Nice BRIEFING Zong And also great video, greetings!

[@1337Superfly]

What a great story, a nice twist and I must completely agree with you.

[@kellyb.mcdonald1863]

Thank You!!! Making the Halo and/or the Collar mandatory for all driver's, really was only option open to protect all the race car driver's during races. You can't fault "The Driver's Men or Women" for being competitive. The driver's have incredible passion for winning their respective races that often culminates and/or escalates all the way up to and including a terrible tragic fatal crash, the driver's desire fuels their desire to win, and who can fault them for that!!! As long as there was a advantage to not wearing the Halo, and/or Collar, they would be the risk taker's for the sake of competition itself. THE RACE CAR DRIVER'S SHOULD SAY:" I HAVE THE RIGHT TO PERFORM LIGHT"

[@kevinrafisugiharto5380]

Thanks for the video, great explanation about how Hans device could be invented

[@RBarnett421]

Renault would have dominated in American market if they had brought the 5 with the le car at same time. Legendary rides

[@0GTXR]

Very interesting video, thanks.

[@dermetzger]

1:53 - Just a line of yeets

[@danvandal4127]

didn't know all of this

[@elijahrobinson2362]

The car wasn’t the impetus behind the HANS device. It was the death of a driver who happened to be IN a Renault. Could have been ANY type of car, because the drivers knew that type of fracture was a killer. It was only because Hubbard was a contemporary of the deceased Renault driver that the 5 Turbo played a role in the story of HANS development. You could just as easily say the NASCAR vehicle Earnhardt senior was driving was the most important since it made HANS mandatory.

[@BatMan-oe2gh]

Hans device was not made mandatory till 2003, 2 years after Dale's crash. It was made mandatory after Mikka's crash as stated in the video.

[@etherealaim]

@@BatMan-oe2gh both of you are incorrect.

[@elijahrobinson2362]

@@BatMan-oe2gh could have happened in any car. It wasn’t the car, it was a fatal crash that caused a specific type of neck injury.

[@BatMan-oe2gh]

@@elijahrobinson2362 It was speed and hitting head on that caused the driver to have his head propelled forward and snap the neck in that area that causes death. If it was on an angle, he probably would have walked away.

[@TurboAfterlifeRacing]

first question: BMW M3 GTR 2001 and 2003. Big impact on ALMS and big impact on GT class and N24 opponents and competition to level their chances against it

[@davidb6576]

A very good presentation of a important invention. Thanks!

[@DrewBlankMusic]

Excellent job, thanks for sharing.

[@tibomoltini2851]

this car R5 turbo 1 killed a lot of people but was mesmerizing . best pocket rocket ever! R5 turbo 2 was safer

[@_hanz73]

Ahh yes classic "it looks stupid and ugly" until some cocky Nascar driver died because he also hates it, and now everyone is starting to use it

[@fourutubez7294]

Same thing with the F1 Halo .

[@AnttiBrax]

All it took to get things done was an important enough driver to die. Pretty sad stuff again.