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Improvements in NASCAR Safety: A Closer Look at Recent Incidents

During the recent Go Bowling at The Glen race, a late-race caution triggered a chaotic restart for NASCAR Cup drivers. Among those fighting for position were William Byron and Brad Keselowski, who collided thanks to Joey Logano’s involvement, resulting in another full-course caution. The incident saw Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet hit Keselowski’s No. 6 RFK Racing Ford, with Byron’s car becoming briefly airborne before landing on Keselowski’s vehicle.

At first glance, this incident was alarming, particularly given that such occurrences are rare on road courses. The collision was contingent on specific angles and trajectories; Byron’s car needed to approach just right, while Keselowski’s Ford had to be in a corresponding position for the impact to unfold as it did. Fortunately, both drivers escaped without injuries. Their escape can be attributed to enhancements made to the car’s safety features after a serious incident the previous year.

In 2023, at Talladega Superspeedway, Kyle Larson experienced a significant crash when another vehicle collided with him at high speed, causing severe damage to his car’s safety cage. The incident prompted NASCAR’s Research and Development team to analyze Larson’s car thoroughly. They not only reinforced the right side of the vehicles but also recognized an opportunity to enhance driver protection by adding extra tubing to the left rear section of the center frame.

This additional structure not only provided overall support but also acted as a protective barrier, absorbing energy during rear-end impacts. It proved vital for Keselowski during the Watkins Glen incident, as it helped shield him from Byron’s splitter, which made contact with the car just inches from Keselowski’s head. Social media images shared by RFK Racing highlighted the specific tube that bore the brunt of the impact.

Furthermore, NASCAR has made comprehensive updates to various aspects of car design aimed at improving driver safety. Changes include modifications to the front end to ensure it crumples more effectively during collisions, whether with other vehicles or barriers. Earlier adjustments had similarly softened the rear clip, allowing it to absorb impacts when vehicles back into walls while lessening strain on drivers in a crash situation. The result is a more resilient vehicle structure designed to mitigate potential injuries.

Keselowski faced less internal damage from the recent incident than could have been anticipated, allowing him to resume racing with minor bodywork and window damage. The window net and the cage tubing surrounding his seat remained intact, while the newly introduced tubing played a pivotal role in preventing Byron’s splitter from reaching Keselowski’s seat. This part of the safety design was not present when the Next Gen chassis first came into play.

Despite some initial challenges following the introduction of the Next Gen car, ongoing updates have significantly boosted the safety performance of these vehicles. The adaptability of this chassis across various track types has further fostered advancements in safety technology, contributing to the unexpected resilience of drivers during incidents that may not have been fully anticipated by NASCAR’s research team.

Source
www.motorsport.com