NASCAR and IndyCar venues are currently taking a "fast, hard look at how they can make tracks safer" after Kyle Busch was injured in a crash last month at Daytona, and the "immediate answer has been tire barriers," according to Jeff Gluck of USA TODAY. SAFER barrier inventor Dean Sicking, whose product is the main alternative to tire barriers, said that the tires are "an acceptable stopgap in certain situations," and that tire barriers "are usually better than SAFER barriers when it comes to head-on and large-angle impacts." But Gluck notes for more common impacts, "such as at a 45-degree angle, SAFER barriers are more effective." Tire barriers "aren't new, but they've dominated the safety headlines in racing recently as tracks scramble to install more SAFER barriers, which are costly and take more time to erect." Auto Club Speedway, the site of this weekend's NASCAR races, is "installing tire barriers on the inside of Turn 1." On NASCAR's high-speed ovals, tires "aren't meant to be a permanent solution but somewhat of a Band-Aid until SAFER barriers can be put into place." But barriers "are more of an issue in IndyCar, which often races on road courses or street circuits where tire packs could be a useful temporary solution." Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal: "The problem with tire barriers for us is we don't have fenders, and when you go into the tires it'll rip the steering wheel out of your hand." Some IndyCar drivers "called for more tire packs this week at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., after Sage Karam hit an unprotected steel Armco barrier during testing." The track said that it would add a tire barrier "at Turn 15 before next month's IndyCar race." Track manager Mark Whitt said, "We don't look at safety as cost-prohibitive" (USA TODAY, 3/20).
STARS FELL ON ALABAMA: FOXSPORTS.com's Jay Pennell noted Talladega Superspeedway "will add more SAFER barriers to its 2.66-mile facility ahead of this May's race weekend." The track said that Thursday's announcement comes after "an extensive track review" that included Int'l Speedway Corporation, NASCAR, ARCA and track officials. Pernell noted the additional SAFER barrier "will be installed along the inside wall at entrances to pit road, Turn 1 and Turn 3" (FOXSPORTS.com, 3/19).
