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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Dillon's Wreck Into Catchfence Mars Coke Zero 400, Prompts Fresh Safety Questions

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. at around 2:00am ET this morning took the checkered flag to capture the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Int'l Speedway "in a race that ended with a scary crash in which Austin Dillon's car flew into the catchfence," according to Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com. The race "didn't go green until 11:42 p.m. ET, far beyond the 8:10 p.m. scheduled green flag." Considering it "was already Sunday night and the limited crowd (only 50,000 seats were available for this race because of construction), not to mention it being the first Cup race for NBC and NASCAR having set a Wednesday test for Kentucky Speedway, NASCAR opted to start the race much later than it normally would" (ESPN.com, 7/6). Earnhardt said of the last-lap wreck, "That scared the hell out of me" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 7/6). ESPN.com's Pockrass reported one fan "was sent to a local hospital in stable condition, treated and released." DIS President Joie Chitwood III said that 12 other individuals "were assessed after the accident -- four were treated and released by track medics and eight declined treatment." DIS and NASCAR execs said that they "will evaluate the performance of the catch fence." Chitwood "credited an element of the new Daytona grandstands -- the fact that people take escalators up to the middle level and walk to the lower level seats, which eliminates fans from trying to walk next to the fence during a race." He added that the fence "did its job." Driver Denny Hamlin said, "The catch fence kept (Dillon's) car inside the racetrack" (ESPN.com, 7/6).

SAFETY CONCERNS RENEWED: Dillon: "It's not really acceptable, I don't think. We've got to figure out something. Our speeds are too high, I think. I think everybody could get good racing with slower speeds." USA TODAY's Gluck, James, Olson & Tucker note drivers "were shaken up afterward, immediately concerned for Dillon's well-being and that of the fans sitting near the action." Their reactions to the incident -- and whether it could have been prevented -- "were mixed." Driver Jimmie Johnson: "I'm shocked that Austin Dillon is even alive, what he went through. Just a frightening moment." Hamlin: "We're running at a decent speed. Do we want it to get up in the air? No, but it's going to happen sometimes. A certain element of danger is part of our sport, and a lot of that is what resonates with race fans" (USATODAY.com, 7/6). Driver Ryan Newman said of restrictor-plate racing, "NASCAR got what they wanted. That's the end of it. Cars getting airborne, unsafe drivers, same old stuff. They just don't listen." USA TODAY's Brant James notes for the second time since '13, "there had been potential catastrophe at Daytona." Newman: "They just don't pay attention to safety. Simple as that" (USATODAY.com, 7/6). ABC’s Ryan Smith said, “This crash is already being called one of the most frightening wrecks in NASCAR history” (“Good Morning America,” ABC, 7/6).

THIS & THAT: In Charlotte, David Scott reported NASCAR's recently formed Drivers' Council "met Saturday" for the second time. Earnhardt, who was in attendance, said that it "was a productive meeting, focusing on tires and the new downforce package that will be tested" Wednesday. He added that NASCAR "is hesitant to add new packages during the Chase" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/5). Meanwhile, in Daytona Beach, Dinah Voyles Pulver, prior to this morning's last-lap crash, noted the crash in February that left Kyle Busch with a broken leg "prompted a wide-ranging safety review by NASCAR and NASCAR tracks and an apparent multi-million dollar safety improvement project at the Speedway that added more than 4,000 feet of protective barriers, unveiled for the first time Friday." Chitwood said that the track added 4,100 linear feet of SAFER barrier "at the exit of pit road, at the exit of Turn 4 at the pit road entrance and along the entire backstretch wall." DIS "also is preparing to add another 4,000 feet of SAFER barrier after this weekend." If experts' predictions are right, the total additional barrier "would cost somewhere between" $4-4.8M (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 7/6). In Orlando, George Diaz prior to this morning's last-lap crash wrote Chitwood's accountability after February's crash "sets a high bar for all other tracks." Diaz: "It remains the gold standard. The transparency of safety improvements since the Busch incident has the feel of a Picasso painting, a tad on the abstract side. Some of it has been proactive, some reactive, some of it remains a mystery." Track Owner ISC on Saturday "issued a statement to all media indicating it will install approximately 54,000 linear feet of additional SAFER barrier at its facilities." ISC President John Saunders: "From now through the end of 2016, ISC will work with Cheaha Construction, Smith Fence Company, and North Industrial Machine, all certified organizations with the University of Nebraska, on this installation" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/5).

FLAGGING THE ISSUE: NASCAR-sanctioned tracks "are banding together to discourage fans from flying the Confederate flag during races." A joint statement on Thursday from ISC, SMI and eight independently operated tracks "stops short of banning the flag." But the tracks in the statement said, "Fans and partners ... join us in a renewed effort to create an all-inclusive, even more welcoming atmosphere for all who attend our events. This will include the request to refrain from displaying the Confederate flag at our facilities and NASCAR events" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/3). Only a few flags "flew Friday morning as the track slowly began to fill with fans" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/4). SI.com's Andrew Lawrence wrote NASCAR "has been immensely tolerant of a group of fans that, by their decision to fly a standard of white supremacy, would appear to be anything but." Quite simply, "a ban is a silver bullet, one that would delineate fans of racing from fans of racism." By "keeping the Confederate flag as part of its culture, whether frowning upon it or not, NASCAR is essentially waving the white flag" (SI.com, 7/4). In Louisville, Tim Sullivan wrote under the header, "Flags Fly Despite NASCAR's Disapproval." DIS as of Friday "had yet to find a taker on its offer to exchange Confederate flags at its concession stands" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 7/5).

SATURDAY-NIGHT FEVER: In Orlando, Mike Bianchi noted NBC asked NASCAR to move the Coke Zero 400 from its traditional Saturday-night role this year "because many more Americans are at home watching TV on Sunday night" and Saturday night this year fell on the Fourth of July. Chitwood "is one of the most likable and charismatic executives in professional sports, but even he can't convincingly sell this." As much as he "tries to put a happy face on it, he knows many racing fans are disappointed with the move evidenced by the plethora of tickets that were still available for the race as of Saturday afternoon." Chitwood said the move to Sunday night is "just for this year." Bianchi: "I hope he's right. The corporatizing of NASCAR already has done enough to rob the Fourth of July race of its identity" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/5).

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