NASCAR held a Next Gen crash test last week at Talladega, and following a preliminary review of the day has delivered the findings to an independent panel of safety experts for further review.
The panel consists of Dr. James Raddin, who took part in the investigation of the death of the late Dale Earnhardt; Dr. Jeff Crandall, who serves as an engineering consultant to the NFL; Dr. Barry Myers, a professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University; and Dr. Joel Stitzel, chair of biomedical engineering at Wake Forest Baptist Health.
The spec vehicle was driven by a robot and fitted with a crash dummy, giving biomechanical engineers the opportunity to study how the dummy reacted during a wreck.
NASCAR competition officials confirmed the data is being studied and will not comment on the test and its formal findings until complete.
The Next Gen car is scheduled to make its debut at the 2022 Daytona 500. NASCAR’s three automakers released their Next Gen models for Cup Series on May 5, ushering in a new era of the “Rebirth of Stock.”