Talladega adding SAFER barriers after Kyle Busch crash:
Two days after Kyle Busch -- one of NASCAR's biggest stars -- broke his
leg and foot in a head-on crash into a concrete wall at Daytona
International Speedway, the president of the facility's sister track
said more SAFER barriers will be installed before it hosts racing in
May. "We'll look at our facility and reassess how we can make it better
for the competitors as we've done with the catchfences and other things
over the past 20 years," Talladega Superspeedway president Grant Lynch
told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. "I think based upon what happened ...
there will be a big focus on Talladega," Lynch said. At 2.66 miles,
Talladega -- located about 55 miles east of Birmingham, Ala. -- is the
biggest oval track in NASCAR and one of the fastest speedways in the
world. Violent, multi-car crashes are practically staples of racing at
the facility, which hosts two NASCAR weekends each year. Its 2015 dates
are May 1-3 and Oct. 23-25. "I think we've put more (SAFER barriers) up
than anybody, but that stands to reason because we're the biggest track
with the most inside and outside walls," Lynch said. "We're certainly
near the top percentage-wise for our company (International Speedway
Corp., which owns 12 venues). Lynch said he didn't know what percentage
of Talladega's walls is barrier-protected now. "As we've seen unusual
wrecks happen, we've added more as we go," he said. "This is another
opportunity to say, 'Let's ratchet it up again and take a good, hard
look at the safety factors and see where we need it.' "(USA Today)(2-24-2015)
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