At the Talladega Superspeedway, two weeks ago Carl Edwards No. 99 was sent Ford airborne as fence, sailed his car into the wall and safety showers which stands behind the winner. Catch fencing, and Edwards raised by his burning car with hardly a scratch, but several people were injured by the debris. Officials said seven fans sustained non-life-threatening injuries (including a woman who suffered a broken jaw) and an eighth fan sitting in the same section had an undisclosed medical issue. Two of the fans were taken by helicopter to the hospital. Despite the injuries, it was lucky there were no longer serious injuries or even deaths.
Talladega was a polarizing venue in the NASCAR safety debate. There 1987 legend Bobby Allison was a weirdly similar to wreck that copied was a 150 foot-hole in the catch fence at the front of the Gallery involved in close to the finish line scattering debris into the crowd. Allison was like Edwards in the location, injuries sustained during some fans walking.
It was Allison's 1987 wreck, the cars the following year at the Talladega Superspeedway to slow that developed flow plates, be asked. Over the years has the fans and the drivers protects more safety regulations have been implemented, how switches steel and foam energy reduction but last (SAFER)-Barrieren, in view of the Sunday arrived perhaps events that further their safety standards for the protection of his fans and driver change time for NASCAR. Edwards fall on Sunday came very close to tragedy; his car had reached a slightly higher elevation and the wall completely is deleted it entirely possible that the would have not kept catch fencing and a real tragedy even running. As it was, was it a very close call.
NASCAR has been very happy, no fan fatalities at a large race have, spectator deaths not without precedent in other premier category but are certainly. In 1955, more than 80 spectators, including driver Pierre Levegh were killed in the worst auto racing accident in the history of Le Mans in France, if Leveghs were flying car in the stands. 1957 Were a famous at the Mille Miglia, race Italy Alfonso de Portago and co-pilot Ed Nelson is killed along with 10 spectators. 1961 Fourteen fans and Wolfgang trips driver were killed at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Four fans were killed in 1975, as Rolf Stommolen car off course at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on the Montijuich Street line turned. In October 1977 of two fans at the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji died when Gilles Villeneuve car turned from the road and landed in a limited area. In 1987, viewers Lyle Kurtenbach was captured by a tyre, flying car at the Indy 500 with Tony Bettenhausen. The tyre sailed 30 feet in the top row of the stands killing Kurtenbach, who was the tenth spectators killed in Indianapolis 500 history.
In July 1998, three people were killed and six others were injured when the CART U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway at the a hurling tire and other car parts went fling in the stands. This was the first time in more than a decade that spectators were killed in a major race. After this incident NASCAR their safety standards by expanding the security fences in the high banked 2-mile oval before the next race, that August changed. In May 1999, three fans were killed and eight were in the IRL VisionAire 500 in Concord, n.c. (for all intents and purposes of NASCAR backyard) injured as debris from a crash flew into the stands. So they are managed during NASCAR to avoid such scenarios, a very real possibility.
The most racing fans know the threat of a serious accident. Whether car flying a 3,500 pound careening towards them or debris showering is after a wreck, the risk and death or injury are constantly present. The reality however is that at the same time most are unlikely to viewers, to see it as a serious threat, and many have no problem is located very close to the line. Monday, after Carl Edwards crash at the Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR, its commitment to the spectator safety and possible penalties for unsafe driving commented. Rick Humphrey, President of Talladega Superspeedway, said he would consider whether the fences should be created later. Review of the Edwards crash, it could be a good idea, the height of the SAFER barrier and the catch fencing many tracks increase be.
The flow of plates to the uses of Daytona and Talladega, slow down the cars and help the potential for fatal collisions have border become a constant source of debate in terms of security. The fact is that while they limit some speeds, they also artificially push design, where a car constantly runs into the car before field League and lead, and sets both cars around the track faster than they otherwise in open air could reach. Drivers have since years complained that this leads to a ubiquitous by accident and sure enough there was a major incident, the significant number of cars with virtually any discharge plate race threat. Seriously, it must be questioned whether a set of rules, leading competitive, requires is a safe way to the race close to a large number of cars and go permanent contact between the fast, heavy and less than nimble machines, to the constant.
Terry Bertucci
http://HardcoreRaceFans.com
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