Virginia short track latest to make safety enhancements
Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live
Martinsville Speedway will install tire pack barriers to exposed wall on the backstretch of the 0.526-mile track before this weekend’s race activities get under way, according to track officials.
The portion of wall addressed runs along the inside of the back straightaway and ends just before the entrance to pit road, which is located in Turn 3.
The facility is one of 12 owned by International Speedway Corp. that hosts NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events.
“We are committed to the continued safety of the drivers and our fans,” Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell said. “We will continue to collaborate with ISC and NASCAR for additional safety enhancements deemed necessary.”
The track is one of a growing number to add temporary tire packs that could eventually be replaced by the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers.
Kyle Busch sustained a compound fracture of his lower right leg and a mid-foot fracture of his left foot in an accident last month at Daytona International Speedway when his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota struck an unprotected area of the interior wall during a NASCAR XFINITY Series race.
DIS officials announced shortly after Busch’s accident that changes would be made to increase the amount of protective barrier around the 2.5-mile track.
A week later, four-time series champion Jeff Gordon crashed into a portion of wall at Atlanta Motor Speedway that also was not protected. Gordon wasn’t injured but afterward said he was “very frustrated with the fact there are no SAFER barriers down there.”
MORE:
|
|
PLAY: Sign up
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
NASCAR news
