After the crash: Daytona's new safety upgrades
NASCAR returns to Daytona International Speedway this weekend and remarkably, Kyle Busch will be in the field.
Photo by: Action Sports Photography
It was less than five months ago when Kyle Busch suffered a compound fracture in his lower right leg and a mid-left foot fracture after making impact with the inside wall of Daytona International Speedway (DIS) during the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity race on Feb. 21st.
The day of the crash, DIS President Joie Chitwood promised to cover 'every inch' of the 2.5 mile race track with SAFER Barrier in order to prevent future injuries. NASCAR is back for the annual 4th of July 400-miler and remarkably, so is Kyle Busch, who is fresh off of winning Sonoma after missing the first 11 races of the year.
The entire facility isn't covered in SAFER Barrier yet, but major upgrades have been made. The section of the inside wall where Busch hit has been reconfigured and is now lined with a combination of soft walls and tire packs.
Grass removed
The grass near the entrance out of Turn 1 and exiting the tri-oval has also been removed and paved over in hopes that drivers will have a better opportunity to slow sown should they find themselves heading for the inside barrier.
The entire outside wall is now equipped with SAFER Barrier as well. Previously, only the corners were.
With the threat of the 'Big One' ever present in these plate races, Daytona's new safety upgrades might just be put to the test this weekend.
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