It’s a Lot to Absorb

Carroll Shelby, the legendary sports car driver from an earlier era, once said, “If you don’t crash now and then, you probably ain’t goin’ as fast as you oughta.”

Even in Shel’s time, no one really wanted to crash, not even the lovable Texan himself, but it did happen.

It still happens, it’s a part of racing, but NASCAR and other racing societies are doing their best to make it as uneventful -- or as painless -- as possible. It probably won’t even be noticeable to spectators this weekend at California Speedway, but the track will have “safer” walls for the first time -- just in case.

Technically, their name is Steel and Foam Energy Reduction, or SAFER. Their purpose is to absorb as much energy as possible that is transferred during a crash.

As part of NASCAR’s recommendation that all oval tracks install the barriers by 2005, California Speedway became one of the first to respond when track President Bill Miller announced last month that the walls would be in place in time for the Auto Club 500 Nextel Cup race Sunday.

“The SAFER walls have been a priority safety initiative since the fall of 2000 and ... the teamwork between NASCAR, the Indy Racing League, Dr. Dean Sicking and the University of Nebraska has allowed this project to become a reality,” said Gary Nelson, NASCAR director of research and development. “This safety initiative continues to be implemented at a growing number of tracks, including California Speedway this weekend.”

The walls vary in height but average about 40 inches and extend from two feet to 30 inches from existing concrete walls at various places around the two-mile, D-shaped oval track.

Two sets of barriers have been placed along the turns, with the first set starting at the beginning of Turn 1 and running to the end of Turn 2. The second starts at the entrance of Turn 3 and runs to the end of Turn 4. The third set is on the inside retaining wall at the exit of Turn 2, extending about two-thirds of the way down the backstretch.

Each wall section consists of five steel tubes 28 inches long stacked vertically with 40-inch sheets of foam and bound to form energy-absorbing pylons.

The system was developed by Sicking and his team at Nebraska for use at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but its acceptance was so immediate that NASCAR became involved. Texas Motor Speedway officials announced Tuesday that they would have barriers installed in time for a June 12 IRL race.

“We all know that safety is paramount in our sport, and this is another positive step going forward,” Miller said.

Although the barriers blend into the track, almost unnoticed, their importance is the latest project in motor racing’s continuing struggle to make a dangerous sport as safe as possible. Speeds at California Speedway, which have exceeded 225 mph for Indy cars and 187 mph for Nextel Cup cars, are caused by a smooth surface, gentle banking in the corners and racing lanes that are 75 feet wide with another 15-foot apron.

“Getting around California takes a combination of handling, horsepower, aerodynamics, a combination of all those things,” said Ricky Craven, driver of the No. 32 Tide car owned by longtime Southern California car builder Cal Wells. “You have to factor in all of those things, including the draft.

“You’ll see two, three cars pull out as a result of the draft on the frontstretch. Not nearly as significant on the backstretch, but the frontstretch does create a heck of a draft.”

Close racing, which seems to get closer and closer as Fords, Chevrolets and Dodges are designed to a common template and engines have become so equal, has spawned a new problem -- bump drafting. It is more common in restrictor-plate races, such as Sunday’s at Talladega Speedway, but it could be a factor at California Speedway too.

Bump drafting has been part of NASCAR’s Cup racing for a number of years, but teams are now building steel-reinforced bumpers with steel plates to prevent damaging the shape of their nose.

“Everybody is running the same speeds and [bump drafting] is about the only way you can really shake things up,” said Jimmie Johnson, winner of the 2002 race at Fontana. “It would set off an air bag in a passenger car, we’re hitting each other so hard.”

Tony Stewart, who will drive in Saturday’s Busch race as well as the main event Sunday, says that the spacious California track, with its corners banked at a comfortable 14 degrees and its rounded dogleg on the frontstretch banked at 11 degrees, offers a driver more opportunities to use his driving talent.

“It’s nice knowing that as a driver you can help yourself out and you’re not relying too much on the car,” said Stewart, the 2002 Cup champion. “Regardless of what everyone else is doing, you can find a way to help yourself out. It makes you feel good knowing that because the place is so wide, you can move around, and basically, earn your money.

“If you feel like you’re slower than the pace you need to be running, you’re going to be able to move up the racetrack and find a place that helps balance your race car.”

Stewart, who has been a winner in karts, midgets, sprint cars, Silver Crown, Indy cars and super modifieds as well as Nextel Cup stock cars, said he was running Saturday’s Busch race in hopes of filling a void on his racing resume.

“There are only two divisions where I’ve run that I haven’t won, and that’s the Busch series and sports cars. A Busch win would be one of the two and after that all that would left would be a sports car race. After that I’ll have won in every type of car I’ve ever driven.”