NASCAR announced new rules to slow down racers at Talledega and Daytona. The new safety measures were put in place in response to Joey Logano's airborne crash during the first stage of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega in April. The cars were traveling at about 200 mph when the crash occurred, and Logano managed to escape unscathed.
After the wreck, Logano started working with officials to make changes to ensure the safety of drivers on the superspeedway tracks.
"It is a product of this race. On one hand, I am so proud to drive a Cup car that is safe and that I can go through a crash like that and get out and speak about it. On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash, and on the other, I am happy to be alive. On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not okay. I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don't feel like that is acceptable," he said following the race.
NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller said that after the crash, officials began working with drivers, engineers, and crew chiefs to come up with a plan to make the races safer.
NASCAR said drivers will have to remove the rear spoiler wicker from their race cars, and an optional roll bar behind the driver's cockpit will now be mandatory. In addition, tapered spacers which are used to restrict power will be reduced from 57/64" to 53/64." Officials expect the changes to reduce the speed of the cars by 7-10 mph.
The next superspeedway race will be the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 28 at Daytona International Speedway. The next race at Talledega will be a playoff race on October 3.
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