33 fans injured at Daytona

[Zembonez]

I like the start of the race and the last 15-20 laps. I can't remember the last time I watched a whole race. I realize you don't hate NASCAR. It's just not your thing.

 

[Alljackedup408]

Re: 30 fans injured at Daytona

I just wonder who thought it made sense to put a gate in the middle of a turn where the forces would tend to thrown any debris right at the fence? Admittedly, I'm not a huge NASCAR guy, so maybe there's some reason it has to be right there, but it sure seem like sticking it on a straightaway where the forces would be perpendicular would make more sense.

Freak accident. Ive been through that gate dozens of time and let me tell you it has huge cables and multiple locks. It gives fans access to the infield for prerace shows. It must have hit it at just the right angle.

Shit happens when cars are going 200mph.... no one should sue. Nascar will take care of the injured as they always do.

Alljackedup Samsung

 

[daddy]

I just wonder who thought it made sense to put a gate in the middle of a turn where the forces would tend to thrown any debris right at the fence? Admittedly, I'm not a huge NASCAR guy, so maybe there's some reason it has to be right there, but it sure seem like sticking it on a straightaway where the forces would be perpendicular would make more sense.

Freak accident. Ive been through that gate dozens of time and let me tell you it has huge cables and multiple locks. It gives fans access to the infield for prerace shows. It must have hit it at just the right angle.

Shit happens when cars are going 200mph.... no one should sue. Nascar will take care of the injured as they always do.

Alljackedup Samsung

I'm with you on the lawsuit part, and the freak accidents part, I just don't consider it a freak accident when the failure point was where they cut a hole in the fence. Clearly, the cables and locks weren't as effective as the solid fence.

 

[JOEGMC]

I just wonder who thought it made sense to put a gate in the middle of a turn where the forces would tend to thrown any debris right at the fence? Admittedly, I'm not a huge NASCAR guy, so maybe there's some reason it has to be right there, but it sure seem like sticking it on a straightaway where the forces would be perpendicular would make more sense.

Freak accident. Ive been through that gate dozens of time and let me tell you it has huge cables and multiple locks. It gives fans access to the infield for prerace shows. It must have hit it at just the right angle.

Shit happens when cars are going 200mph.... no one should sue. Nascar will take care of the injured as they always do.

Alljackedup Samsung

I'm with you on the lawsuit part, and the freak accidents part, I just don't consider it a freak accident when the failure point was where they cut a hole in the fence. Clearly, the cables and locks weren't as effective as the solid fence.

True, but the car did stay on the track, and the engine didn't land in someones lap....could've been a lot worse.

 

[mr_bots]

I don't think not having a gate there would have made it any better. I think the fence did a commendable job on containing such a freak accident, it did keep the car on the track side and kept the engine from flying up into the stands. The debris that did make it up into the stands was pretty small, just had a lot of momentum. The tire that ending up in the stands flew OVER the fence.

 

[Texas Jim]

I don't think not having a gate there would have made it any better. I think the fence did a commendable job on containing such a freak accident. It takes more than aluminum poles, chain link, and some cables to stop an engine block and tires/wheels from flying through at those speeds, but then you wouldn't be able to see the race through it.

^^^^^^^ Yeah...That....

 

[Dartboy]

To the poster who hadn't head from his dad- hope he's OK, heard anything yet?

Is it coincidence that it was Brad Kesselowski who also sent Carl Edwards into the stands at Talladega a few years ago?

IMHO, I think the Green/White/Checker rule is encouraging this sort of behavior. Why back off a position when you can spin the guy in front? If you can dump him without wrecking yourself, you'll get another shot at a better finish.

The problem with moving the gate is that the nearest straight is about a mile away on the other side of a lake Daytona's a big place. Hind sight is 20/20, how many accidents have there been where afterwards it seems so obvious "why is there xxx there?" Remember the gate at Bristol?, tore a few cars to pieces before someone thought of a better solution.

 

[Darkanion]

IMHO, I think the Green/White/Checker rule is encouraging this sort of behavior. Why back off a position when you can spin the guy in front? If you can dump him without wrecking yourself, you'll get another shot at a better finish.

IMO, they need to reduce the banking at these super speedways, so drivers actually have to decelerate through the corners and get rid of the restrictor plates. That will spread the field out more, you'll see more racing, and you'll cut out a lot of these types of accidents..

Flat on the floor for lap after lap, with 40 cars within a second to second and a half of the leader... That's not racing. That's biding your time until the big one happens and hoping you're not in it..

 

[Zembonez]

Some new tracks actually have the fans elevated and separated from the track by a secondary wall. I think Kansas speedway is one of them. It's a simple design element that keeps fans safe and maintains a good view for all of the fans. I can see that happening at all new tracks in the future, but that doesn't help at the older tracks.

Bottom line is that this has almost never been an issue and I see no reason to redesign the world because a freak accident happened.

 

[Texas Jim]

Some new tracks actually have the fans elevated and separated from the track by a secondary wall. I think Kansas speedway is one of them. It's a simple design element that keeps fans safe and maintains a good view for all of the fans. I can see that happening at all new tracks in the future, but that doesn't help at the older tracks.

Bottom line is that this has almost never been an issue and I see no reason to redesign the world because a freak accident happened.

That...