Marne, Mich. (WZZM) - After a frightening race night Saturday at Berlin Raceway, one driver is explaining how a simple restraint may have saved Johnny Benson Junior's life.
The Grand Rapids native had a wheel-to-wheel collision with #92, Larry Lehnert, sending him into the wall.
His car then burst into flames.
But Benson's family is crediting a head and neck restraint for his relatively minor injuries.
Judging by the video, this crash could have been much worse for Johnny Benson.
As of Monday evening he is still at Spectrum Butterworth recovering from a punctured lung, bruised ribs and a broken wrist.
But a "Hans" device, designed by a Michigan State University professor after Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash, has proven to be well worth a driver's investment.
Benson came to his hometown with a smile, signing autographs and taking pictures.
"It's just fun to come home and race at a track that I spent many, many years working on my Dad's car and then of course racing here myself," said the NASCAR driver before the race.
However, he left on a stretcher waving to fans.
While showing off his safety restraint, Billy Eppink notes he has been racing for eleven years.
When driving he wears a restraint similar to the device Benson was wearing.
"We go around Berlin around 100 per hour," says Eppink. "If you hit the wall, the car will stop, but with g-force your body still comes forward. This head and neck restraint will hold you back, that way you don't sever the spine in the back of your head."
Eppink has always been cautious, but now praises safety restraints after his wreck in 2006.
"(I) flipped the car, did a 360, another 180 in the air, came down on it's roof," he says.
His crash was covered by a racing magazine, showing a photo sequence of the accident.
"All I saw was big tires, little tires and blue, which was the sky, then I knew I was in trouble."
That trouble was greatly reduced though because of a simple strap.
"Your head can only go as far as this tether," Eppink says showing the connection between the harness and the helmet. "You can only go about three inches."
Sunday Berlin's owner, Mike Blackmer, said head and neck restraints aren't required, but added, "That's something that we're going to be looking at next year for all divisions."
As for Eppink, much of his safety savvy has been passed down. But some of it came from Benson himself.
"Johnny said, 'When you sit in your car, every bar that you can touch with your hand when you're sitting in there is as much as your body can actually stretch in a race car'."
Track officials say Benson was awake and alert after the crash.
The fire started because a fuel line was cut during the crash.
But according to Johnny Benson Sr., his son had "barely any burns", and credits the quick actions of the safety crew.
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