“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games,” Ernest Hemingway, a 20th-century American novelist, famously penned this bold statement. And after watching NASCAR’s bone-chilling crashes, we cannot help but agree with the motor racing part. With heavy stock cars flying over 200mph on superspeedways, a few wrecks are part of the deal, as a veteran driver insists.

This arises amidst the ongoing debate about driver safety. After Corey LaJoie‘s Michigan flip and Josh Berry‘s scary Daytona crash, gear experts are concerned about the breakneck speeds. However, a seasoned NASCAR racer observes that is the very core of our sport.

Brash decision would take away NASCAR’s essence

With six laps to go at Michigan, Corey LaJoie’s overtaking maneuver went awry. His No. 7 Chevy spun out and went airborne, flipping several times before landing on the grass. In response, NASCAR introduced shark fins and roof flaps to prevent such incidents. Despite these changes, Josh Berry’s terrifying crash highlighted that the measures might not be foolproof. However, some experts like Dale Earnhardt Jr dialed down the severity of the crashes. Now 9-time Xfinity Series winner Rick Mast offers his bold opinion about the dilemma.

Some NASCAR experts and fans are calling for slowing down the cars to about 20-30 mph. But Rick Mast vehemently protested against this. Citing Hemingway’s quote, he said the very essence of the sport is the ‘fear factor’. “A part of the lure of our sport is the fear of what these drivers are putting themselves into. If you’re a race car driver, you know what you’re signing up for…You know you might not come back, you might get hurt.”

Then Mast boldly declared that he firmly opposes NASCAR’s possible move. “If there was ever a race car driver who said we need to slow the cars down, I don’t want that race car driver to be representing my sport. That’s not the right mentality.” He laid down his solid reasons as well, observing the audience’s reaction. “You take out 30 mph or 20 mph at Daytona, I’m telling you right now, you won’t have the same people coming back to those things…When those race cars come by you as a fan, your breath has to be taken away…You cannot take that away from our sport.”

Rick Mast’s protest is reminiscent of a similar situation from 2021, when NASCAR reduced the speed of race cars on superspeedways following a major wreck. At that time, the Cup Series driver involved shared concerns similar to those Mast has recently expressed.

Safety has been a priority

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NASCAR has indeed seen significant advancements in safety since the mid-20th century. The sport, known for its high-speed and high-risk nature, faced intense crash-related incidents during the 1990s and early 2000s, including the tragic deaths of legends like Dale Earnhardt and Kenny Irwin Jr. In response to these tragedies, NASCAR introduced crucial safety measures such as SAFER barriers and HANS devices. These innovations have substantially improved driver safety and reduced the severity of injuries in crashes. However, some drivers keep clamoring for more safety, like Joey Logano did in 2021. At the spring Talladega race, a nudge from Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr sent the No. 22 into the air and flipping.

After the wreck, Joey Logano was upset with the ‘dangerous’ driving. “It is a product of this racing…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.” His further demand would irk Rick Mast today: “We have to fix it though.”

And NASCAR did reduce the speed by 7-10 mph at Daytona and Talladega. However, Berry and LaJoie’s wrecks may not prompt the same action again.