It’s no secret that safety technology in motorsport has come a long way. In comparison to just a few decades ago, NASCAR drivers have never been safer on track, especially with the HANS Device, SAFER Barriers, Roof Flaps, and many advancements made to prioritize their well-being. Having said that, there is still work to be done, as we saw when Ryan Blaney crashed almost head-on on the Nashville Superspeedway last year.

Describing it as the “hardest hit I’ve ever had in my life,”  Blaney miraculously escaped with no injuries, despite the absence of SAFER barriers.

With the Cup Series race taking place at Nashville Superspeedway once again, it appears that NASCAR hasn’t heeded the warnings, installing tires instead of a SAFER barrier where Ryan Blaney suffered a catastrophic crash last year. However, the 30-year-old says he is “happy,”  even though the ‘improvements’ don’t seem adequate at all. But why is the defending champ happy?

NASCAR implements a makeshift solution

It all began at the Nashville Superspeedway last year, when the race restarted on Lap 147. Brad Keselowski was seen getting loose after being pushed by William Byron near the front of the pack, forcing the cars behind to brake, causing Kyle Busch to hit Blaney’s No. 12 Ford Mustang. The impact forced Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney across the grass, with the latter unable to control his car, hitting the concrete wall at an almost head-on angle.

Despite the crash causing some serious damage to his Ford Mustang, Ryan Blaney escaped the ordeal unscathed. When asked by Bob Pockrass if installing tires instead of a SAFER barrier on that very spot was an adequate solution, Ryan Blaney replied, “I’m happy that they did something there. The explanation they gave me of why they didn’t have an actual SAFER barrier there was the wall was too small to anchor a SAFER barrier there. That’s okay, that’s fine. At least you’ve got something there. Tires are gonna do the job in that area of what they should do to soften the blow. It’s nice they did something.”

Standing for “Steal and Foam Energy Reduction,” SAFER barriers have been used by NASCAR and IndyCar since 2002. Following a roughly five-year development period, the SAFER barrier is meant to absorb the energy of an impact, reducing the forces a driver feels during a crash. While still being a concrete wall, SAFER barriers feature structural steel tubes and bundles of closed-cell polystyrene foam to soften the blow by reducing kinetic energy, drastically reducing injuries due to wall contact.

As we have seen all too often, NASCAR has been reactive instead of proactive when it comes to implementing safety measures for its drivers. Yes, SAFER barriers have been installed in most wreck-prone areas. However, in this day and age, the word ‘most’ simply isn’t good enough, especially when the difference could be a matter of life and death.

The installation of tires, instead of a SAFER barrier has also been a reactionary response to Ryan Blaney’s incident, and it seems nothing more than a makeshift solution. If technology is available to make racing safer, implementing it everywhere should no longer be a matter of debate. However, that didn’t stop fans from having their say on social media.

Fans react to NASCAR’s safety ‘solution’

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Following Ryan Blaney’s interview with Bob Pockrass about NASCAR not installing SAFER barriers at the very juncture where he suffered a horrific crash last year, fans took to social media to comment on the situation. Emphasizing how important it is to prioritize drivers’ safety, a fan wrote on X, “Shouldn’t be going to tracks that can’t have 100% safer barriers on walls.”

Despite the wreck at Nashville Superspeedway last year leaving Ryan Blaney with concussion-like symptoms, there was a possibility that it could have been much worse. Recounting the incident and the damage it did to his No. 12 Ford Mustang, a fan wrote, “Yeah, he’s lucky. He could’ve easily gotten hurt really bad.”

One fan couldn’t believe the explanation that Ryan Blaney was given by NASCAR about the wall being too short at the Nashville Superspeedway to install a SAFER barrier. Responding to Bob Pockrass’ tweet, the user wrote, “How is that possible, Iowa didn’t have a regular wall?” to which Pockrass replied, “But everything is anchored to the cement underneath it,”  highlighting the fact that SAFER barriers are mounted behind the wall and anchored to the surface underneath.

Wondering how long SAFER barriers can remain effective, a fan asked Bob Pockrass about the lifespan and inspection process that are followed for the barrier. Writing on X, the user wrote, “Bob, do you know the inspection process for SAFER foam or what the life span is for it? I noticed at Iowa date stamps of Dec 2022”.

Another fan had a simple solution to avoid a repeat of last year’s incident. Commenting on Pockrass’ tweet, the fan wrote, “Then don’t hit it,”  urging Ryan Blaney to avoid the infield track around the first turn entirely. Who would have thought of that solution?

Are you happy with NASCAR’s alternative to a SAFER barrier? Let us know in the comments!