When it comes to keeping drivers safe, NASCAR often tries its best to make sure that everything is in order. However, there are times, when lapses may emerge on the race track. Such was the case, when Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney faced the “hardest hit” of his career following a wreck at Nashville Superspeedway, something that left him agitated.
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Thankfully, Blaney walked out unharmed from the incident. But the incident brought back the question regarding safety issues that often plague the well-being of the drivers out on the track. Situations like this beg the question – Why were the SAFER barriers not installed particularly at that spot where Blaney had his accident?
Ryan Blaney explains his frustration after a hard hit at Nashville
Following the wreck, Blaney was taken to the infield care center and discharged soon after since he did not have any injuries. But despite that, he sure was not happy with how this had all panned out for him. He went on to speak to the media regarding this critical lapse in safety at the racetrack.
Blaney mentioned, “I don’t really know what happened. Someone checked up on the restart, I guess. I kind of checked up, got hit from behind… I didn’t know if they were wrecking… and I just couldn’t get it straightened out. When I got out of the grass, I thought I was going to come back around, and that I’d be ok. Just never got back right.”
“I don’t know why there’s no SAFER barrier there. That’s pretty ridiculous, honestly. Hardest hit I’ve ever had in my life. Happy to be all right, but it sucks for the Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Stinks to go home early,” he concluded.
Later on, NASCAR released a statement on Blaney hitting the wall with no SAFER barriers. Bob Pockrass tweeted, “NASCAR safety engineers work closely with safety experts on the implementation of barriers around the track. As we do following every race weekend, we will evaluate all available data and make any necessary improvements.”
What happened to Blaney during the race at Nashville?
The incident had taken place on lap 147 of 300, right after the restart. Blaney was collected by a wreck caused by William Byron. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had initially hit Brad Keselowski, which in turn resulted in a bunch of cars piling up. Eventually, a hit from Kyle Busch had the Team Penske driver lose control and sent across the grass. Unable to stop, Blaney then went head-on into the concrete wall situated at the end of the pit road.
The Steel And Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers, also known as SAFER barriers, primarily aim to decrease the impact on drivers. NASCAR typically installs these devices on concrete walls to absorb the majority of kinetic energy when Next-Gen cars collide at high speeds.
Interestingly, they installed these barriers throughout the entire track, except for the one spot where Blaney eventually crashed. Undoubtedly, following this incident, NASCAR will ensure the implementation of safety features in that section too. Considering the potential for a car collision in the past, they should have installed safety barriers right from the start.
