Every NASCAR fan who was watching the recent Cup Series race at Watkins Glen was left with a gasp in their mouths when William Byron crashed into Brad Keselowski late in the race. The front end of his No. 24 Camaro dangerously jammed into the rear quarter panel of Keselowki’s No. 6 Mustang — leaving both drivers in a precarious position.
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Closer camera angles revealed that Keselowski’s head was just inches away from the front splitter and tire of Byron’s car. Despite this heavy-impact incident, both drivers were soon on their way to the finish line without any physical issues. This is what left many surprised even more so than the actual wreck itself. From a reasonable perspective, it is a recent development that ensured their safety.
OH MY GOODNESS!
WILLIAM BYRON AND BRAD KESELOWSKI CRASH! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Uf3mAHGyCn
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 15, 2024
In 2023, Kyle Larson was racing hard in the Talladega Superspeedway when his No. 5 Camaro went up the banking right in front of incoming traffic. The Stewart Haas Racing driver couldn’t control his car and ran straight into Larson’s right door. The impact left his safety cage damaged with a piece of tubing breaking loose. Huge concerns arose at the time and led NASCAR to its R&D center.
The officiating body studied the crash and came up with a solution. It reinforced the right side of the car and added more tubing to the left rear corner, as a means to protect the driver further. The additional tubing’s purpose was to create more support for the car’s center section and act as another layer of protection for the driver’s back. This is what saved Keselowski in the Glen.
The new piece of tubing acted as a barrier and stopped the front splitter of Byron’s car when it crashed in through the rear window. The RFK Racing driver was able to continue his race with less damage than expected. His window and the safety tubing around his seat were all intact. The additional tubing that took most of the impact did not exist when the Next Gen chassis was introduced back in 2022.
This shows how crucial it is for NASCAR to keep adapting and developing the Next Gen car. Although there have been major concerns about the car regarding performance and design, safety is one aspect that hasn’t come into question. The reason for that is the proactiveness that the promotion shows in protecting drivers. Keselowski and fans have the NASCAR R&D team for its work.
