The Facts About Crashes in NASCAR
Crashes are always a risk in NASCAR racing; auto racing is an inherently dangerous sport, after all. While everyone acknowledges this risk; it isn't at all uncommon for there to be at least one crash in any given NASCAR race. Some NASCAR racetracks are notoriously dangerous, with there being an uncommonly high incidence of crashes, even fatal ones at these venues. While some enjoy the sport despite the risk of accidents, others are actually drawn to NASCAR at least in part because of the crashes.
There will always be fans who are interested in the sport mostly because of the possibility of seeing a crash. These are the fans that come to the races to see the speed and feel the thrill of the close calls and for these people; a crash is the icing on the cake. While crashes certainly are a dramatic sight, they're not good for the popularity or even the survival of the sport over the long haul. Crashes have caused the death of several drivers over the years and fatalities have even occurred among spectators at NASCAR races.
NASCAR has been working to implement safety protocols over the last ten to fifteen years which aim to make the sport safer and reduce the incidence of injuries and deaths. The organization was spurred to put these measures into place due to a tragedy at the Daytona 500; namely, the death of NASCAR's biggest star Dale Earnhardt. Following his untimely death, NASCAR began to add more padding to the walls of racetracks, stipulate certain safety features be added into the design of vehicles used in NASCAR racing and require drivers to use improved head and neck stabilization technologies.
Change, naturally takes some time to adjust to - and when this change has to do with redesigned vehicles for NASCAR racing, time is exactly what the drivers can least afford. It's important to keep in mind that the majority of these drivers have spent their whole career in the sport on one type of car - and that auto racing is not an ideal environment for on the job training. The high speeds and crowded tracks of a NASCAR event mean that a single mistake can have disastrous consequences.
This is not to say that the added safety requirements put into place by NASCAR were not necessary; they were and are needed. However, there is still much work to be done to make the sport a safer one for drivers and spectators alike. Some drivers have opined that while improvements have been made, there are still many tragedies waiting to happen at many NASCAR racetracks and that the organization should take a proactive stance rather than waiting for another death before taking action.
A recent NASCAR race was the scene of an extremely close call when a car flipped and slammed into the fence separating the track from the stands. While the fence stood up to the impact (although just barely), flying debris from the crash caused several injuries to spectators. Thankfully none of these injuries were life-threatening, but this came very close to being another tragic day for the sport.
None of these incidents have done much, if anything to make NASCAR racing less popular. Fans still eagerly line up to see every race (and some to be close to the crashes). However, NASCAR would be well advised to implement additional safety measures - there have already been some narrow escapes and one catastrophic event could be all it takes to plunge the sport into a decline from which it may not recover. Some NASCAR fans may love to see a crash; but drivers and fans shouldn't have to risk injury or death to give these fans what they love.