A spectacular crash in the closing laps at Talladega Superspeedway Sunday stymied NASCAR’s best effort to avoid the ‘big one’.
More importantly though, it validated the safety that NASCAR has built into their new generation racecars and the training they put the safety crews through.
With less then four laps to go as the pack was heading down the backstretch, Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevy hit the back of his teammate Tony Stewart’s Chevy. Newman’s car shot across the track turn spun around backwards and pirouetted up and over with the back of the car landing on the hood of Kevin Harvick’s machine behind him. Newman’s car then slid on its roof back across the track into the turn 3 wall and began to flip down the embankment coming to rest on its roof in the grass.
Safety crews were on the scene almost immediately and for several anxious moments everything stopped as crews began to access the situation. Despite the anxious moments, NASCAR fans were able to witness a sight rarely seen as safety crews performed tasks they had practiced many times before. Once they determined that Newman was okay, the safety crews slowly and gingerly righted the destroyed Chevy. The crew then cut the roof off the car allowing Newman to step out.
Although shaken up, Newman was fine physically. After he was checked out Newman expressed his disappointment but said that the roll cage of the car had been compressed to the point where it was touching his helmet.
Part of the changes made during the seven-year design process for NASCAR’s new racecar included larger crumple zones to help with impacts and perhaps even more importantly for Newman the drivers seat was moved to the right and the car is four inches wider and two inches taller than the previous models.
It was those two inches in height that no doubt allowed NASCAR fans to watch and cheer as Ryan Newman climbed from the car Sunday. Mark Martin would later tumble down the front stretch as the field came to the white flag. He was able to climb from his car as well.
Many fans have criticized NASCAR’s COT, and while it may not be perfect had it not been implement full time in 2007, Newman’s accident most likely would have had a far worse ending.
One thing that everyone can agree on was the outstanding and tremendous effort put forth by the safety crews. Since the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, NASCAR’s safety has improved tenfold and the crews proved that Sunday.
With the combination of the safety improvements in the racecar, along with the training of the safety crews Ryan Newman walked away and will race again. And no matter what anyone may think that’s a far better result then NASCAR would have seen prior to the introduction of the COT.
Comments
While few debate the new car is a tremendous improvement in terms of safety, when it comes to the other part of the equation it was designed to address -- namely, improving competition -- it has been and is a miserable failure. Until this is addressed, the new car cannot be considered a genuine success.
if the cot wasnt such a piece of craap and impossible to adjust to handle, these crashes would NOT happen several times a race. alao, the racing would be good.
this was the car that was going to change racing radically for the better. joke. maybe it's time for YOU to shut-up.
I don't suppose you would like to give any credit for safety to things like the HANS device, SAFER barriers and better seats? We have seem spectacular wrecks at plate tracks for years. Everyone seems to forget that, for the most part, safety features before the COT worked well. Nascar designs the new car so the bumpers line up, then says they shouldn't bump draft? In a car that can't pass without it? Let's get real.
Let’s see..hmm…. yesterday there were 64 lead changes among 27 drivers…the year before the COT was introduced in 2006 at the fall Talladega race (won by Brian Vickers) there were 63 lead changes among 23 drivers….in the spring race there 55 lead changes among 22 drivers…in the fall 2003 Talladega race there were 41 leads changes among 17drivers..and Sunday proves the new car isn’t competitive? Ha, seems more competitive to me and the stats seem to agree…”Everyone seems to forget that, for the most part, safety features before the COT worked well”??…I’m sure the family of Dale Earnhardt would disagree with that statement…Point is gang, many of us haven’t noticed a significant difference with the new car and in the end if it helps avoid another 2001 Daytona and allows guys like Newman to go through what he did yesterday and walk away, then I’ll take the COT any day….
Greg Engle,how much kick back do you get from FAKECAR while your nose is up thier butt? How dare you even interject Dale Earnhardt into this coversation! The race yesterday was boring and a disgrace.
What, were you watching the race with NASCAR colored glasses on? Everything was great except for the fact that there wasn't much of a race going on for the first 150 laps. It's like building a beautiful house without a roof.
The COT caused the severity of the wreck because the rear wing got it airborne and the COT is great because nobody was killed or hurt badly? It doesns't make a lot of difference if the car is safer but is not a competative car and it causes wrecks or increases their severity. The combination of the COT and NA$CAR rules have destroyed competative racing and fans are leaving in droves.
What are you talking about Greg? Wondering if you were riding along with Ryan when he did his flip and you hit your head? Worst race I've watched in 23 years. These guys are proffesionals, let them race or do away with the track. Ryan Newman was 100% on the money. I question where your coming from.
Too bad the wing on the back of the crappy COT is what helped Newmans car fly up off the ground. Think about it, what are wings made to do? FLY!!! When the car is forward, the wing does a great job stabilizing the car, but what if the car is turned around? The air lifts right under that wing (which also blocks the useless roof flaps) and WE HAVE TAKEOFF!! Way to go NASCAR, real safe cars
From where i sit, the COT may be a better speedway car, ie larger hole punched in the air, safer and more durable.
The issue isnt plate tracks, its the intermeadiate tracks, this car is almost impossible to setup. when a wedge adjustment or a lb of air puts you out to lunch, its time to revaluate the car
Knock down turns 1 and 2 at Daytona and Talladega – replace them with turns similar to 3 and 4 at Indy.
Take them back to 350cid with zero over tolerance
Remove restrictor plates
Put spoilers back on the cars
green white checkered – everyone 2 or more laps down off the track.
Note: I had to stop watching after Newman got out. That whole race was as about as fabricated as the chase
I would like to see flatter corners on one end to get the drivers shifting, not hold their foot down and go. I want to see drivers driving a racecar, not cruising in the back of the field.
The new car is terrible. The wing on the back is what makes the car take off. It has ruined racing.
The biggest inprovment in safety was the changes making the HANS a rule and adding softwalls to the tracks. I have not seen anything that proves that this car is safer. If you start to take about Ruetty's wreck at Texas, maybe if he wasn't driving this POS he might not have actually had this wreck. The new car is safer because they can't race with it so there's never anything aggresive going on.
I'm pretty much done with Nascar.
Well obviously Greg Engle obviously forgets the 2003 Daytona 500 crash Ryan Newman was involved in. Ryan's car flipped a couple times and ended up on resting on it's roof as well. This was probably one of the worst crashes I've ever seen!! and this was in the "old style" racecar and guess what!?!?!? Ryan Newman walked away from this one unscathed as well. The COT sucks!!! Bring back our old cars!!! make racing actual racing again!!!
I hate this COT car and dont care what anyone says. Yes its no doubt safer going forward but lets look at the replay of the 99 last year and of Newmans wreck. NASCAR can bury there head in the sand all they like but it doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. If your wing is pointing up going backward its does the opposite from downforce, lets go flying.
Say what you may Engle this COT car SUCKS!! Further more its has ruined racing.
This car is gunk. The wing quite possibly caused Newmans crash. Earnhardts crash was completely different than this and can't even be compared. I've seen Allison flip at Pocono right in front of me in turn three, I've seen Earnhardt flip, get in the ambulance, exit the ambulance, start the car, and finish the race. I've watched Rusty flip because of Earnhardt, watched Smoke flip over his own team-mate. All of these wrecks were horrible and should have or could have been avoided, but NONE of them were caused by that rediculously stupid looking wing we have today. All of you media folks need to listen to what the paying fans are saying for once. Twist the stats anyway you want to, the racing is not very good, the car is not that attractive or brand unique, and the grandstands are becoming emptier and emptier as time goes on. Listen to the fans once just once and watch interest levels climb back to respectablity. I hope Chevrolet NEVER races the Camaro. Nascar would butcher it.
NASCAR was fun to watch while COTCAR is boring as crap. I guess we could put a roll cage on golf carts and race them to be safer also but that would be very boring also.
The leadership of NASCAR has failed their fans and that is the one reason why the stands are becoming more and more empty each week and race fans are turning the channel to other sports each weekend.
Now you can Shut Up Mr Engle because this once NASCAR fan will watch other more exciting sports from now on.
Lead changes at Talladega are irrelavant. Almost anyone can lead there for a lap or two before getting shuffled out of the lead and falling to the back. Those ignorant wings are for ugly Honda tuners and "decals on a Spec car" is not brand identity. The drivers should say it like it is "My 1970's style carburated engine ran well today. I'm really happy the old pushrod technology didn't fling a pushrod into the stands." PLEASE!!! NASCAR is dying fast and my interest in NASCAR is dying faster. I no longer watch a full race and plan my day around watching it on TV. Now I plan what I am going to do until the last 20 laps (if I even watch that much anymore.) The drivers and teams NEED to plan a sit-out and not race until DEAFCAR listens.
Greg...I've tried to warn you about calling out the JR fans. For example..."dirttrackracer says: How dare you even interject Dale Earnhardt into this coversation! The race yesterday was boring and a disgrace." Touchy, touchy, touchy they are.
I'm thankful for the safey advances in the past couple years. It has made racing more safe and that is one thing I think all the drivers and teams will agree on. Hey Greg, by the way, if you ever want to just write something...and not get called out...just sign it "with two geez."
Newman couldn't get out of the car!!! He himself admitted it!!! This does not bother you??? This car needs a NHRA style triple hoop over (at least) the driver's head. And somehow they need to protect the window opening!!! This is not an option, this part of the car MUST survivie!!!
I am getting tired of everytime their is a wreck, they are keep heaping praise on the 'soft wall' and cot"!!!!!!!
I have been watching or going to Nascar events since 1963, I wish you could have seen some of the big wrecks without all of this safety tech and see drivers survive!!!!!
You need to see a replay of Maynard Troyer wreck at Daytona in the early 1970s,Richard Petty Darlington crash in 1970,1965 Cale Yarbrough goes out of the track at Darlington, 1976 Bobby ALLISON crash at Rockingham, move on to Micheal Waltips crash at Bristol, Jeff Bodines crash at Daytona truck race,Richard Pettys crash in the late eighies and hit by Brett Bodine when stopped, Darrell Waltrip Crash at Daytona summer race in ninties!
Do you get the picture,surviving crashes is not nothing new!!!!!!!
Don't spill your cup of Na$crap Kool-Aid while patting yourself on the back over the safety of the Crap COT. The COT is safer, but as Jack Rousch said they could have build the same safety features into the old car. Fan's aren't stupid Greg, they fed up with the COT IROC car, and it's NOT about safety! NO car is totally safe, the clock is ticking at Talledaga, with the way things are, a driver or fans are going to get killed there in the near future. Get a CLUE!
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