Aug 18, 2008

NASCAR Hits Safety Home Run

We have spent a lot of time in this column criticizing NASCAR -- we hope not without reason -- but today we have come to praise the organization because its recent safety record has been exceptionally strong. And while some pointed the finger at the so-called Car of Tomorrow for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway tire debacle, the new car has been a major factor in improving driver safety. And that is something we strongly applaud.

The fact of the matter is that despite our carping (or perhaps because of it), NASCAR has turned over a new leaf on safety. Whereas in the past the organization was largely laissez-faire on the issue of safety, in recent years it has changed its tune markedly. The effort to move to a new race car was neither easy nor inexpensive, but the sanctioning body bit the bullet and decided to move forward, and the results have been spectacular. NASCAR, as always, has given us great racing (Indy aside), but the organization’s recent safety record also has been outstanding.

“The Car of Tomorrow will alter the competitive landscape of NASCAR in a very positive way,” said NASCAR president Mike Helton prior to the introduction of the car. “We believe the drivers will be safer than ever, we believe the racing will be better than ever, and we believe the Car of Tomorrow will help control costs over the long haul.”

Despite a few small hiccoughs along the way, Helton’s predictions have come true. The Car of Tomorrow has been rock-solid even in horrific impacts, based on a brick outhouse construction that includes a double frame rail on the driver's side with steel plating on the outside of the roll-cage door bars to help prevent intrusion during impacts. The Car of Tomorrow also features energy-absorbing materials installed between the roll-cage door bars and door panels, a more robust floorboard and an enclosed 360-degree steel containment tunnel for the driveshaft.

OK, no one is going to say that the Car of Tomorrow, complete with a carburetor-equipped V-8 engine, is the most technically advanced race car on the planet. But it has both offered great racing and kept its occupants safe in an inherently risky sport. Congratulations, NASCAR! You deserve a great deal of credit for pulling this off.