According to the ARCA Menards Rule Book, everything “must be NASCAR-approved and meet the specifications.” However, a rising racer may have just flaunted the most crucial aspect of NASCAR racing. Being an intense sport where race cars ram into each other at 200 MPH, NASCAR prioritizes one thing above all else – safety. That is why Bubba Wallace‘s spotter went into a rant mode.

Despite safety procedures advancing over the past two decades, the sport is not bereft of spine-chilling accidents. Ryan Newman‘s terrifying tumble during the 2020 Daytona 500 or Josh Berry‘s flipping wreck last year teach us how important it is to follow safety norms. However, a young racer found that unnecessary.

Bubba Wallace’s insider chides recent recruit

When you have faced the consequences beforehand, you are more alert to similar situations. Bubba Wallace was not devoid of controversy in 2024. During the Chicago Street Race, he incurred NASCAR’s wrath by hitting Alex Bowman during the cooldown lap. What is more, the No. 48 had his window net down, which made Wallace’s action more egregious. After having tasted $50,000 and solid reprimands from the community, both Wallace and his spotter Freddie Kraft know exactly how dangerous an act of rage can be. So when an upcoming ARCA Menards nonchalantly flaunted the safety rules, the 23XI Racing spotter was furious.

Having a background in dirt racing, Nathan Goodrick turned laps around a paved oval track for the first time. Rise Motorsports reported Goodrick’s Hickory Motor Speedway trial on X: “Nathan Goodrick & his dad traveled from MI to test w/us on Tuesday.” However, let alone cheering for his first experience, Freddie Kraft launched furious shots at the driver and the team. “I dunno what’s worse. Making laps without a HANS device, and the window net down. Or posting the video showing that you made laps without them. Wow 🤦🏻‍♂️”

Ever since Dale Earnhardt passed away in February 2001, the Head And Neck Safety or HANS device is a mandatory thing in NASCAR. Accompanied by a slew of other safety precautions like SAFER barriers, sturdier roll cages, and others, NASCAR has ensured that no fatality arose in the two decades since Earnhardt’s tragedy. So even though Goodrick’s team may have used an evolved HANS device, Bubba Wallace‘s spotter could not overlook the missing windshield. “Driver may have a hybrid head and neck restraint on. But the team also decided to skip a windshield bracket as well. No telling what we can’t see that unsafe.”

In the meantime, however, Rise Motorsports hailed the talents of Nathan Goodrick on Facebook. “We had the pleasure of letting Nathan Goodrick test with us at Hickory…honestly, one of the better test drivers who have gotten behind the wheel of our #31! It’s rare that Rita Goulet gets that excited about a driver! With his talent and attitude, he has the potential to go far! Hoping we get to see more of him!”

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Yet NASCAR insiders like Freddie Kraft know well that unless basic safety rules are followed, talents can be useless. His driver faced a terrifying incident 7 years ago.

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Counting one’s blessings in a disaster

Before Dale Earnhardt‘s death, people in the sport counted danger to be a crucial part of racing. So safety rules were flaunted, and multiple fatalities resulted. Earnhardt died of a basilar skull fracture. In 2000, Tony Roper, Adam Petty, and Kenny Irwin all died of the same injury. So NASCAR introduced a massive safety revolution in the sport. Ranging from the HANS device to the free-pass rule, drivers had to abide by a lot of rules. However, terrifying accidents still continued to happen, leaving a bitter aftertaste of the drivers involved.

Bubba Wallace faced such a spine-chilling accident in 2018. Being a rookie driver at Richard Petty Motorsports back then, Wallace came close to disaster at Pocono Raceway. The brakes on his No. 43 Chevrolet failed at the end of the 2.5-mile track’s long front straightaway. He was going well over 150 miles per hour and heading towards the wall, and his life flashed before his eyes. “There’s a sense of being terrified. Not like watching a scary movie and being scared for a second, jumping out of your skin for a second. This one is, am I going to die? That’s exactly what I asked myself. I was terrified.”

The reason why Bubba Wallace could emerge unscathed from that accident is evident. The HANS device, other car innovations, and the SAFER barrier saved his life. “I’ll wake up tomorrow and be a little sore, but the safety’s come a long way so it’s good to be able to climb out of the car,” he said. So who else to stress the importance of safety than Bubba Wallace’s current spotter, Freddie Kraft?

Hopefully, the ARCA Menards Series will take note of the young racer’s safety violations. As NASCAR is well into the 21st century, such mistakes should not happen.