Where NASCAR & fast oval tracks need improving... (archive)

WhileI totally agree (see my rant in above thread) HANS is a prudent measure of safety, for these fast ovals where these head on collisions are not so rare, the biggest improvement lies in "soft-wall" technology. Basically redesigning the barriers so as to absorb the impact far better than cement. The walls DO have metal cylinders behind them to in effect act as a "spring", but hittng the cement wall still gives far too little. Possibly using a flexable plastic or other more giving yet practicle material may help? I'm no expert, but the last thing NASCAR should do is cry "that costs too much". They have more money pumped into them than any other sport!

To quote Bob Costas, (ok maybe not exact words!)"if football, baseball, even boxing had fatality averages of 4 per year, there would be an outrage" Its teh nature of the sport and is accepted by all involved but with all the money these drivers and teams generate for the sport, theres no reason for them to not take every possible safety precaution, and no, slowing down the cars with restrictor plates is actually dangerous. Look at Stewarts crash, that bunching of the group was due to a reduction in power and more equal power across all cars that caused a VERY dangerous crowding taking out 17 cars at once! That was a plan that back fired.

Oval track may not be my favorite motorsport, but it is still a motorsport and any loss in the sport is a sad one.

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