What didn't happen at 'Dega should be focus

Now that the final few hundred yards at Talladega have been discussed, debated, dissected and digested ... let's take a deep breath and remember: The catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

Whatever the argument -- for or against restrictor-plate racing, for or against the new race car, for or against the rear wing, for or against aerodynamics, for or against the steep banking -- the catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

Video highlights

• Final Laps: Edwards gets air
• Dr. Lewis reports on spectators
• Edwards on his dramatic wreck
• Newman criticizes car safety
• Junior wants yellow line to stay

Danger sign

Joe Menzer says Carl Edwards' crash should be a wake-up call that Talladega is not safe.

• Complete story
• Wreck reaches fans
• Harsher penalties?

Sunday's finish will be talked about for ages. In fact, while there were more than 140,000 people at Talladega, five years from now when the Spring 2009 finish at 'Dega comes up there will be 300,000 people who will contend, "I was there, dude!" I hope they remember to add: The catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

It's easy to fall into hyperbole and proclaim the sky is falling whenever our hearts skip a beat after what could have been. And while, in theory, many fans could have been killed the fact remains: The catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

Taking the gloom and doom stance, looking solemn and saying all the right things about "fan safety" and "NASCAR was fortunate this time" and "changes need to be made" -- that's what you expect from those pundits and analysts who have taken it upon themselves to be the voice of the fan. Rare is the one who will come back to this safety feature: The catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

Also note that the roof flaps on the No. 99 car deployed as designed -- but it was Ryan Newman's car that clipped the No. 99 and sent it catapulting toward the grandstands. Even then, the catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

The sanctioning body has its issues -- and in that respect NASCAR is no different than any other sport -- but knee-jerk reactions in the immediate wake of Sunday's race is not what's best for the sport. After all, the catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

Talladega Superspeedway -- the name alone suggests a ride like no other among NASCAR's 22 tracks -- is an easy target, too. It's too big. It's too fast. It's too ... dangerous. It's also not the first track at which the catch fence did its job (and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch).

The risk vs. reward factor played out as it had in the previous 79 races at Talladega: one driver took home the checkered flag, everyone else went home empty handed. And the catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

While several fans were injured by debris from the airborne car, each of them (and countless others) is thankful for this: The catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

Tonight, when those injured fans tuck in their children, or kiss their husband or wife goodnight, they won't forget: The catch fence did its job and Carl Edwards' car did not fly into the crowd along the frontstretch.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

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