General Motors neck restraint device-Was Kyle Petty's Life saved by this?

Don't know exact date?
At Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR racecar driver Kyle Petty was racing the #42 Mello Yello sponsored Pontiac racecar. During the race Kyle hit the un-safe outer wall and was knocked out (unconscious) and the #42 engine compartment was on fire!
NASCAR racecar driver Geoff Bodine, who was out of the race and was watching the rest the race behind the pit wall.
Geoff Bodine, a Volunteer NY fireman, grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out Kyle's engine fire just as the emergency crewman was helping Kyle out of the racecar.
At this time, Kyle Petty was testing an neck restraint device for General Motors? It worked like hans device preventing the forward snapping action of the race driver's head ...except it used cables system strapped on the helmet,instead of hans strapped system on the helmet.
I believe Kyle Petty's Life was saved by this General Motors neck restraint device.

If Kyle Petty or anyone else could give anyfurtherinformation on this!, please do.

Thank you very much for any information given.

Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

updated by @dennis-garrett: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

This was 1992 spring race at Marty.

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/1992_Hanes_500/W

Pretty sure I have a pic at home from Winston Cup Scene or Southern MotoRacing of Bodine rushing to Kyle's car with a fire extinguisher. Will have to look for it and scan it if I can find it.

As for an early version of a HANS, hmm. Never heard that before. But I remember KP being an early adopter of a full-face helmet and a fire-resistant head "sock". So it wouldn't surprise me if he also was willing to demo another type of safety device.

Wonder if he'd shed any light on the question on Twitter. Not sure he would. This season, he seems to have adopted the M.O. of smacking down folks who crack on him. Long gone seem the days when he'll answer a legit question.

--
Schaefer: It's not just for racing anymore.