The new fences at Daytona Int'l Speedway yesterday "passed their first test" during practice for the Daytona 500, as a multi-car crash "sent Parker Kligerman’s Toyota to the top of the wall and against the fence in the front stretch before the car flipped over on its roof," according to Randy Covitz of the K.C. STAR. The car "did not go through the fence and into the stands" the way Kyle Larson's did in "horrifying fashion" in the season-opening Nationwide Series race at DIS last February. The first practice session was "red-flagged while repairs were made to the fencing and new cables were replaced." DIS Senior Dir of PR Lenny Santiago said the fencing "performed as designed" (K.C. STAR, 2/20). In Daytona Beach, Dinah Pulver notes "only a few fans were in the stands for the session." Santiago said, "We are replacing one cable and some of the mesh fencing that was affected. He added that the repairs, which "took a little more than an hour, were made along 120 feet of fence." DIS over the summer "beefed up the cabling and fencing system at the crossover gates" following recommendations from two engineering consultants. Additionally, to help fans "move more quickly into the stands before a race, the Speedway has since replaced two of the gates with new crossover ramps" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 2/20).
