“I Have a Wife and a Kid”: Weeks After Horrific Incident With Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece Commends NASCAR Response to Safety Concerns

Driver safety is something that is of paramount importance in the world of motorsports. In a sport like NASCAR, officials consistently maintain top-notch safety standards to avoid any potential mishaps. However, even with stringent precautions in place, shortcomings can still occasionally occur. This was recently demonstrated after Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports was involved in a horror wreck at Talladega Superspeedway a couple of weeks ago.

Thankfully, NASCAR worked tirelessly to make sure that those shortcomings were addressed as soon as possible and worked upon. Recently, fellow driver Ryan Preece spoke to the media and revealed his appreciation towards NASCAR’s swift implementation of safety-strengthening efforts.

Ryan Preece commends NASCAR safety efforts after Kyle Larson incident

Ryan Preece said the changes NASCAR is making to the cars following its investigation and reconstruction into his crash with Kyle Larson is a step in the right direction. pic.twitter.com/tkB2Ky3TMc

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 10, 2023

While speaking with Bob Pockrass, Preece revealed his thoughts on NASCAR quickly acting upon the problem at hand and implementing a reconstruction. He said, “We need to do something and we are doing something… I have a wife and kid on the way, and I don’t want to put my wife in that position. I’m thankful that NASCAR’s taken the initiative at doing something… This is a step in the right direction for sure.”

It is good to see that NASCAR did not choose to wait on introducing these safety upgrades, unlike last year. It certainly was a step in the right direction to keep drivers’ safety as the primary agenda. But what were the major changes that NASCAR introduced to prevent such a thing from ever happening again?

NASCAR introduces major safety updates post Larson horror wreck

The wreck between Larson and Preece at Talladega highlighted a need for greater crash protection, particularly after the force of the impact caused a structural compromise in the #5 car’s passenger side. One can only imagine how grim things would have been had the impact taken place on the driver’s side.

Key changes announced to mitigate this included the reduction of about three pounds of material from the car’s front clip and bumper. This paired with modifications to several braces. These adjustments aim to increase the crushability of these areas, thereby enhancing overall safety for the driver. Furthermore, to enhance crash resistance, NASCAR now prohibits teams from adding additional weight to the front bumper.

Finally, NASCAR is fortifying the passenger side with a steel plate. This means replacing the previous aluminum one, to prevent any intrusion during a crash. While the driver’s side already had superior protection, NASCAR will add more tubing to further reinforce the structure. These changes come into effect from the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Hopefully, such incidents do not repeat themselves with these major changes being implemented.