Drivers say safety improvements have paved way for tighter NASCAR races
The argument that NASCAR has become too safe was never accurate.
Ryan Newman’s horrific wreck at the Daytona 500 two weeks ago was a vivid reminder of how auto racing remains dangerous. But it was also a reminder of how far driver safety has evolved as Newman walked out of a hospital two days later with no serious injuries.
“I can remember coming to Texas and wearing an open-face helmet, with no HANS device, no containment seat, nothing,” driver Johnny Sauter said during Texas Motor Speedway media day. “And the speeds are generally in the same ballpark as back then. You just didn’t give it a thought — it was just part of it.”
The HANS device (which stands for head and neck support) has been a requirement for NASCAR drivers since 2001. Other advances in helmet safety and softer barriers on the tracks may be leading to closer races as drivers feel more confident to make riskier and more dangerous moves on the track.
Young drivers such as Harrison Burton, 19, say they’ve noticed a change in the past few years. He’ll race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series 300 on March 28, the middle event of a three-race weekend that also includes the NASCAR Truck Series on March 27 and the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR Cup Series on March 29.
“There’s a constant improvement going on [with safety],” said Burton, whose father, Jeff Burton, won the inaugural NASCAR race at TMS in 1997. “I feel like it’s getting more and more aggressive, especially in the Cup series. It’s five wide and people are just slamming into each other and it’s awesome to watch. These guys are going 190 mph and banging into each other.”
The tightness of the races means a few opportunities not taken during a race could mean a huge difference in where you finish.
“You have to take advantage of every opportunity, and that puts drivers in situations where they’re willing to do more than they were in the past,” Burton said.
TMS president and general manager Eddie Gossage thinks the closely-contested Cup race in Las Vegas last week means good things for Texas.
“If you have a good race in Las Vegas, you’re probably going to have a good race at Texas Motor Speedway,” said Gossage, who pointed out that television ratings were up 7% from a year ago. “Things can obviously change just two races into the season, but that’s better than being down. We’re on an upswing and good things are happening in our sport.”
That’s the hope, at least. Attendance and TV ratings have lagged for NASCAR after seemingly hitting a zenith in the 2000s.
Gossage said a turnover in well-known drivers the past decade with big names such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon retiring created a vacuum for star power fans have gravitated to.
“We went through a period of time where we lost a number of high-profile drivers to retirement,” Gossage said. “All of a sudden, you had all of these young guys and it’s taken a little while, which is normal, for fans to identify and kind of figure out.”
As reputations are built, Gossage said, excitement builds and more fans are attracted to the sport.
“As these young drivers have shown their personality and we’ve seen what their driving style is like on the track, they’re saying, ‘Hey, you need to watch this guy,’” he said. “It just takes time to develop a following. Twenty years from now, they’re going to be talking about how these young guys are retiring and new people are coming along to replace them.”
And no matter how good the safety precautions, there’s no denying the dangers — and attraction — of the sport.
“Ryan Newman walking away is a good indicator. I don’t necessarily think he survives that wreck 10 years ago,” Sauter said. “I’m all about safety. There’s still a risk involved. Anything can happen. The evolution of it all over the last 15 years has been remarkable.”
The improved safety, however, has only made the races tighter and more competitive, Sauter said.
“I’m a race fan. I grew up in a racing family. Anybody who says the racing isn’t as good today as it was years ago, I don’t know if I believe that,” he said. “We’re on top of each other all the time. I think the racing is more competitive now than it’s ever been. Whether that’s got anything to do with the safety stuff … I think all drivers are crazy. I think if they said no more containment seats, you’d see people doing the same things that they’re doing. It think it’s at an all-time high for competitiveness. And that’s not propaganda and me up here spewing baloney. That’s how I really feel.”
