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It is not uncommon for drivers to get broken/cracked sternums in some nasty shunts but I am not sure that this is due to the chin area of the helmet hitting it or their chest hitting the steering wheel since some drivers (ie. Mark Martin) like sitting right up close it for leverage reasons.
As far as the chin area of the helmet working like a lever, it does seems plausible to me in a stock car from a physics standpoint. Stock car drivers do not sit in a small restrictive space like open wheel drivers do. This room has it advantages since it keep drivers further away from the impact but at the same time, provides more room for them to move around in the driver's compartment during a crash.
There are trade offs to wearing either helmet in a stock car. I do remember at crash at Daytona or Talladega that Earnhardt was involved a few years back and Bill Elliott's car shot up some flames that singed Earnhardt's mustache.
Personally myself, I agree with Dale. I would opt for the open faced helmet if I sat far away from the steering wheel like he does.
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