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The reaction to Carl
Edwards wild ride was
seen on all media
outlets come Monday
morning. The horror of a
large stock car being
thrown through the air
like a matchbox draws
concerns and criticism.
The incident is simply a
byproduct of physics.
Newton’s third law of
motions state that for
every action there is an
equal but opposite
reaction. Given the
outcome of Sunday’s
race, Edwards aerobatics
is a result of
aerodynamics, speed and
broken momentum.
As the No.99 car began
to change direction, the
increase in banking and
contact with Ryan Newman
resulted in a lift. The
car continued its path
in route to the catch
fence where the car
dispersed energy on
impact and once again
reversed direction.,
falling back on the
track. The carnage and
shock brought safety
back to the forefront of
NASCAR.
Fingers have been
pointed at NASCAR for
the lack of control over
the competitors
aggressive driving
styles and their neglect
to address episodes of
this behavior during the
race. Both of which may
have prevented the
aerial display on the
final lap. In the same
context, NASCAR’s
involvement may not have
changed the outcome.
In a teleconference held
Monday, NASCAR addressed
the safety concerns and
their take on Sunday’s
late race rollercoaster.
“We tried letting the
competitors police
themselves when it comes
to blocking and bump
drafting,” said NASCAR
Vice President Jim
Hunter began as he
addressed the media’s
conception of the late
race contact between
Brad Keselowski and Carl
Edwards. “After
reviewing all of those
procedures, we might
have to start making
some judgment calls of
our own and ensure that
the races are as safe as
possible for everyone,”
Hunter concluded.
Safety as an issue is
never far from NASCAR’s
agenda given past
fatalities and injuries
sustained by driver’s
during the course of
competition. The
creation of the current
COT (Car of Tomorrow)
stock car was intended
to dispense energy and
reduce impact on the
driver following a
collision.
“One of our primary
goals over the years is
to build a restraining
fence that keeps the
cars and parts and
pieces out of the
spectator areas,” Hunter
said. “And nothing is
bulletproof from
yesterday,” he
continued. “What we saw
yesterday, the retaining
fence did what it was
supposed to do; it threw
the car back on the
racetrack. There was
some debris that went
into the grandstand
that, fortunately, did
not invoke serious
injury.” Hunter added
that NASCAR will analyze
the fence, and “we will
make it as safe as we
humanly can.”
Sprint Cup Series
Director John Darby
reiterated that as a
whole, “we are in the
racing business, and a
lot of what the sports
surrounds is
professional drivers
controlling cars at high
speeds.” He also went on
to compare driving to
the dangers of the
interstate. “Driving
down the interstate has
a degree of danger. But
as everything in what we
do in life does, our
responsibility,
understanding that any
sports has a degree of
danger to it is how you
protect your
participants and your
fans the best that you
can.” Darby added,
“that’s what we do, and
we do it everyday.”
NASCAR will reexamine
the video evidence of
the race to the
checkers, the damage to
the catch fence and the
carnage of the No. 99
machine. Research and
Development will use the
facts to generate new
safety concepts. “We go
to different teams and
we look and take
pictures and measure the
movement of the
restraint system,
whether it be the head
surrounds or the seats,
all of the roll bars and
tubing and things like
that,” Robin Pemberton,
Vice President of
Competition, added.
“We have got a group in
the back that goes and
does investigation work
that helps us make all
of the right judgment
calls. We do that on a
regular basis if need
be. Also, many times
we’ll impound a car at
the R&D center and
invite car builders from
around the area, all of
the different teams, to
not just look at their
cars, but look at the
competitors’ cars to
where they can each help
each other as it relates
to safety matters,”
Pemberton concluded.
With safety in mind,
NASCAR has reacted to
Sunday’s action packed
event with a level head.
Before making any rash
decisions, the
sanctioning body will
examine the race
conclusion and address
any findings before the
next firecracker race on
a restrictor plate. |
