Dangerous Barriers Draw Criticism from Fans

America held its breath as fan favorite Kyle Busch crashed into concrete barriers during the Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway February 21st. After making contact with teammate Erik Jones Kyle slid into the grass, lost control of the car, and hit an interior concrete wall. While he did survive the crash, he sustained a broken right leg and left foot.

The NASCAR nation immediately reached out Kyle and his lovely family with words of encouragement. Contenders and teammates alike made sure to wish Kyle the best of luck. Having already gotten out of surgery, Kyle is on the road to recovery and hopes to be back on the track as soon as possible. While the worst of the accident seems to be behind him, the wreck Kyle went through has created many questions about the safety protocols of NASCAR.

Over the last few years, NASCAR has developed a type of barrier that works to absorb the energy transferred to the wall during a crash. These barriers (known as SAFER barriers) have been installed at some raceways, but not all of them. Many people have been pushing for the new barriers to replace ALL concrete at raceways, but NASCAR has shown reluctance due to the installation prices.

While NASCAR may have been able to avoid the disapproving voice of the public in the past, this is the 20th century. After Kyle’s crash, NASCAR fans and racers flooded social media with the discussion of SAFER barriers and the importance of such safety measures. After this recent accident, many are wondering how NASCAR can justify cost when the driver’s well beings are on the line.

NASCAR is understood to be a dangerous sport, but why not take every opportunity to make it a more safe? Aside from the basic moral obligation, lets think about it from a business perspective. At one time, NASCAR marketers leveraged manufacturers and sponsors to drive viewership. Now, NASCAR marketing is all about the drivers. In a way, the drivers are the assets of NASCAR so why wouldn’t they want to protect their assets? NASCAR needs to invest in the aspect of their business that makes money and brings in the fans.

Thankfully, Daytona has finally decided to become safer. Daytona International Speedway President Joie S. Chitwood III took full blame for the incident. He believes that the raceway let the racers down and immediately sprung into action to begin installing SAFER barriers. Hopefully other track owners will follow suit and accidents like Kyle’s will be prevented in the future.

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