Taking greater steps to protect drivers, Talladega Superspeedway will have every exterior and interior wall covered with energy-absorbent barriers for its Oct. 22-25 NASCAR weekend.
Talladega Superspeedway adds SAFER barriers, covers all walls
Drivers will have greater protection when they tackle NASCAR’s biggest track in two weeks.
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Talladega, NASCAR’s largest track at 2.6-miles in length, installed Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers along the outside backstretch wall and interior walls between Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4.
“Safety of our competitors and fans is our top priority, and we will continue to review the facility and provide updates as circumstances warrant,” Talladega chairman Grant Lynch said in the statement.
Emphasizing safety has taken on increased importance following Kyle Busch suffering serious injuries in a February crash at Daytona International Speedway. Busch wrecked during the season-opening Xfinity Series race breaking his right leg and left foot when he struck an unprotected inside wall.
Since Busch’s accident tracks have reviewed how to better protect drivers with several adding additional SAFER barriers and other measures including tire packs. Several competitors including Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski have vocalized the need for widespread use of energy-absorbent barriers on any wall a vehicle could potentially contact.
Truck Series driver Austin Theriault hit a bare concrete wall nearly head-on during a race last Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 21-year-old suffered a 10 percent compression in his back. He is hoping to race in the Oct. 23 truck race at Talladega.
“I know there’s a plan, but there’s no reason why some of these race tracks like Bristol for instance had the walls on the straightaway before they showed up in the spring and a place like Vegas, it’s been eight months and nobody’s been there and they don’t have walls,” Busch told reporters Tuesday. “It’s frustrating sometimes.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, us NASCAR drivers, we’ll figure out how to crash in the stupidest ways in the weirdest spots and get hurt. That Austin crash, that was so weird and never should have happened, but it did. We all need to stop playing God and protect as much as we can protect and let the rest take care of itself.”
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