We as wheelers tend to "overuse" a cage for reasons not related to safety.
We tend to hit trees and rocks and other rigs and flop and roll. All of these things can ruin a normal cage.
We then look to things like plate steel and DOM to strengthen things up cuz not everyone can build a new cage any time they tip over or hit a tree and deform the cage.
So to keep the wheeler working week after week, we "overbuild" the cage.
Now this overbuilt cage has no ability to absorb energy in a serious hit.
Most racecars that use Chromo tube are either very abusive to chassis (top fuel engines destroy things with large vibes and forces) or crash often and are made to withstand hits. These kinds of cars have different kinds of safety devices/equip made to help soften the blow.
Most racecars are built with safety in mind and longevity next in line. most drag cars and roundy rounds are not meant to take a hit to the wall or roll over and be in serviceable shape afterwards. They are meant to protect the driver and are usually made of HREW and will deform and absorb some impact while keeping the driver safe.
Most stock cars and drag cars tend to be junk after a good roll or wall hit and the driver doesnt mind buying a new chassis after the last "soft" one saved his life.
A good mix in a weekend race car would be a dom passenger cage with hrew around the outers to act as a cushion.
New cars like Tony sells have a inner shell made of stronger steel in the A,B,C pillars and bars inside the doors and then are wrapped in soft sheetmetal. This way the car absorbs/crushes somewhat and the passenger compartment will hold its shape keeping you safer.
I read a tech bulletin at the firehouse about updated "Jaws of Life" jaws. It seems the new cars (moslty started by euro imports, bmw,audi,MB,VW,subi,volvo) have steel tube inside the roof pillars that are a harder Rockwell hardness than the cutting blades on the jaws of life. This led to problems cutting people out of such safe cars until they got harder cutting jaws.
Now cheaper companies like KIA etc have started to build the same way. That how they get the safety ratings so high on these shitty little cars.