DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Long-awaited escape hatches NASCAR has developed to give drivers a

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Long-awaited escape hatches NASCAR has developed to give drivers a quicker exit from wrecked cars can be used in races by Winston Cup teams starting Sept. 28.
The roof hatch, which will allow drivers another route of escape in case fire or crash damage blocks their traditional window exit, was developed over a 13-month period at NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.
"The breakthrough on this project came when one of our in-house engineers developed the latch mechanisms that were superior to the others we researched and developed during the project," center director Gary Nelson said Wednesday.
Ryan Newman, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Todd Bodine. Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace have been forced to exit badly burning cars this year, bringing additional attention to the need for a better escape system.
The sanctioning body said use of the hatch will be optional for Winston Cup teams beginning with the EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch series teams, idle that week, can begin using what NASCAR calls the "alternate exit" Oct. 4 at Kansas Speedway.
Nelson said the hatch measures 24 inches by 24 inches, and is located on the roof on the driver's side of the car. It will be controlled by steel cable pull cords in the cockpit that are connected to a latch system.
Pulling on one cable will allow the driver to open the exit to the front or rear of the car. Pulling on both cables will remove the hatch completely.
Nelson said safety workers also will be able to release the system from the outside if necessary.
NASCAR conducted numerous crash tests under the direction of Dr. Dean Sicking, director of the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Facility. The final tryout was Aug. 6, with a test dummy and a simulated rollover crash.
"Our test in Nebraska proved the integrity of the design for that type of accident," Nelson said. "Now, we will begin working with many more teams to continue to evolve and fine-tune the application of the design."
A kit will be available through independent vendors and will cost about $150. It will take a team about 15 hours to install the device.