Kyle Larson Unmasks NASCAR’s ‘Not Safe For the Brain’ Flaw at Watkins Glen

Evidently, NASCAR is hellbent on angering its fanbase and the community, with its decisions. Later on this year, the NASCAR paddock will make landfall at Watkins Glen International. However, the track will be slightly different compared to last year, owing to some tweaks made to the track.

Diving deeper into that change, it was reported that the track had received new kerbs, specifically at the Bus Stop chicane. While this has not gone down well with a few drivers, 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is hoping to give it a chance.

What did Kyle Larson mean by his comments?

While a number of prominent members of the community hated the decision, Larson adopted a different approach. He wanted to see whether the changes would make a difference from the last time NASCAR paid the track a visit. The driver wrote in a tweet, “My mouth piece data from last year through the bus stop. Something needed to be done. What was there before was not safe for the brain. Hopefully this is better.”

In essence, he was insinuating that the previous iteration of the Bus Stop corner took a toll on his body. In fact, he was experiencing an average of 12Gs into the corner and a maximum of 18Gs. As a result, he was adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach and gauging whether the new kerbs would be safer. On the other hand, Trackhouse Racing youngster Connor Zilisch had simply noted, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Others were also heard bemoaning that that corner was ‘massacred’ and that NASCAR was making a big mistake.

Admittedly, Larson is hopeful that there may be a change felt in the cars. Of course, there is still a lot of time before NASCAR reaches Watkins Glen. This is because the Glen is scheduled as a Playoff race, and that only adds a bit more pressure for the tweaks to positively impact the racing quality. But with these sudden measures, are officials taking a step in the right direction?

NASCAR drivers have every right to be worried about track changes

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This isn’t the first time that track changes have earned the wrath of NASCAR drivers. Recently, the Sonoma Raceway got repaved, but that went to waste when images surfaced of the track breaking up. Denny Hamlin was one of the biggest names calling out the shoddy workmanship. That kicked off a major spat between himself and Speedway Motorsports Inc’s Marcus Smith. Although Hamlin had a point, the beef between the duo turned ugly.

Now, coming to the New York-based venue, the big question is, will the new kerbs actually help or hurt the drivers? Frankly, everyone is either going to be divided on the matter or neutral on the issue until they get there. One of the biggest fears is that the kerbs could potentially launch a car airborne,resulting into a nasty crash. NASCAR felt that the changes were necessary, owing to ‘an abnormally large number of incidents triggered in this area’. In essence, the larger kerbs are meant to be a deterrent and not an invitation. All that’s left is to wait for the Cup race at Watkins Glen in mid-September.

Having said that, are you in favor of or against the alterations? Let us know in the comments below!