This point needs to be re-emphasized.

[Beaver-Cleaver]

If the track and NASCAR have any common sense a team of bulldozers will descend on the place Monday morning.

Because tearing down the banking and reconfiguring the 2.66-mile speedway is the only way to stop the madness that has reached frightening proportions.

Weekend of terror at Talladega must bring about changes - CBS News

NASCAR will never do it, because the racing will suck worse than California and Indianapolis, but the man does have a point.

 

[Pete]

Isn't racing inherently dangerous?

Isn't it a freak occurrence that Edwards car hit the fence because Newman caught his car just right and lifted it?

Didn't the fence do its job and only minor injuries result?

Would it be easier and make more sense to move the seats back from the fence?

Have you always been a drama queen or do you only do it now because it makes you artificially feel like an authority on racing in general?

 

[K_Jo]

 

[MMDad]

Wow, Andi, this death has to stop! All those spectators killed! And seeing them shovel Edwards remains out of the car after his horrifying crash! Oh the horror!

$20 says more people died travelling to and from the races this weekend than all of the drivers, crews, and spectators combined.

And even more died of auto-erotic accidents like the one that almost took your life and left you severely brain damaged, Andi.

 

[GWguy]

This weekend's quotes:

Flipper: "NASCAR puts us in this box [restrictor-plate racing] and will race this way until they kill somebody. Then they'll change it. We're very lucky nobody got [seriously] hurt today."

2004 Daytona 500 Champion Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: "There's a responsibility of the media and the sanctioning body to come to their senses. They've celebrated the big wreck to bring attention to this stuff. This didn't just start happening today. It's been like this for a long time." Where do you draw the line? When does it become too exciting to be safe?

2008 Daytona 500 Champion Ryan Newman: "Talladega is short for 'We're gonna crash, we just don't know when.'"

3-time Sprint Cup Series Champion, 2006 Daytona 500 Champion, Jimmie Johnson: "Man, it sucks racing here."

---

Tony Stewart had this to say after the 2006 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, prompting NASCAR to issue a direct warning about slamdrafting:

"Yeah, we're going to kill somebody. Somebody else is doing to die at Daytona or Talladega with what we're doing right here. I hope I'm not around when it happens."

So, if all the drivers agree that this is an issue, why aren't the drivers themselves doing something pro-actively to change it? Why do they continue to drive at breakneck speeds on a track that they themselves have made comments about?

 

[nachomama]

So, if all the drivers agree that this is an issue, why aren't the drivers themselves doing something pro-actively to change it? Why do they continue to drive at breakneck speeds on a track that they themselves have made comments about?

That's my thinking...if it's such an issue for the drivers, they should ban together and boycott a plate race. :shrug:

 

[huntr1]

So, if all the drivers agree that this is an issue, why aren't the drivers themselves doing something pro-actively to change it? Why do they continue to drive at breakneck speeds on a track that they themselves have made comments about?

Increase the banking, install 20' kevlar mesh nets between the fence and the seats, move the seats back 5 rows, remove the restrictor plates and let them RACE.

 

[aps45819]

Have you always been a drama queen?

bingo

 

[clevalley]

Increase the banking, install 20' kevlar mesh nets between the fence and the seats, move the seats back 5 rows, remove the restrictor plates and let them RACE.

I have said that for years... the restrictor plates makes the race more dangerous.

If the car can goes 300 mph then great, but let the driver be a driver and not a steerer of the vehicle.

 

[Beaver-Cleaver]

Increase the banking, install 20' kevlar mesh nets between the fence and the seats, move the seats back 5 rows, remove the restrictor plates and let them RACE.

The car will fly off the ground like a rocket if they remove the plates.

Unless you meant, "Decrease the banking".

Indianapolis and Pocono have almost no banking. Indianapolis sucks, as far as NASCAR. Most over-rated race on the schedule. But Pocono has some incredible races.

 

[clevalley]

The car will fly off the ground like a rocket if they remove the plates.
Unless you meant, "Decrease the banking".

Indianapolis and Pocono have almost no banking. Indianapolis sucks, as far as NASCAR. Most over-rated race on the schedule. But Pocono has some incredible races.

Again, let the drivers control the car... just because the car can go that fast does not mean the driver holds the throttle down to the floor board the entire time.

When I MX'ed, I had a TON of power in that bike but never used all of it. If I did I would have flown off the track - sometimes, just by slowing down I actually went faster than the rest of the pack. I had a ton of reserve power I could get into if I needed it but mostly raced at 75% throttle - any more was a recipe for instant crash.

 

[Beaver-Cleaver]

Again, let the drivers control the car... just because the car can go that fast does not mean the driver holds the throttle down to the floor board the entire time.

When I MX'ed, I had a TON of power in that bike but never used all of it. If I did I would have flown off the track - sometimes, just by slowing down I actually went faster than the rest of the pack. I had a ton of reserve power I could get into if I needed it but mostly raced at 75% throttle - any more was a recipe for instant crash.

The driver is going to go as fast as the car will allow him... until it either goes airborne or the motor erupts in a plume of smoke.

This stuff is the reason NASCAR/ISC/Gillian Zucker WON'T increase the banking at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California.

 

[clevalley]

The driver is going to go as fast as the car will allow him... until it either goes airborne or the motor erupts in a plume of smoke.

This stuff is the reason NASCAR/ISC/Gillian Zucker WON'T increase the banking at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California.

Exactly, if the car can go 300mph then fine, but if the car will only allow him to go 190mph without killing himself then he is driving the car... a driver will not push that envelope - maybe once or twice but they learn.

 

[CRHS89]

I don't believe that the cars having restrictor plates contributed to the accident with Carl Edwards at the end. There were only 4 cars battling for the lead and they were not in a pack. They were in two sets of 2. The earlier wrecks where the cars were all bunched up, yes the restrictor plates contributed to that. But not the end accident.

Just glad that no fans were hurt more seriously than they were. Can you imagine if that fence had not held?

 

[Beaver-Cleaver]

I don't believe that the cars having restrictor plates contributed to the accident with Carl Edwards at the end. There were only 4 cars battling for the lead and they were not in a pack. They were in two sets of 2. The earlier wrecks where the cars were all bunched up, yes the restrictor plates contributed to that. But not the end accident.

Just glad that no fans were hurt more seriously than they were. Can you imagine if that fence had not held?

Because they have a yellow-line rule at every other track.

 

[aps45819]

The car will fly off the ground like a rocket if they remove the plates.

Unless you meant, "Decrease the banking".

Then the driver that stays on the ground wins.
Why is that a problem?

 

[toppick08]

I have said that for years... the restrictor plates makes the race more dangerous. If the car can goes 300 mph then great, but let the driver be a driver and not a steerer of the vehicle.

yes........and Hell yes.......

 

[Dupontster]

Again, let the drivers control the car... just because the car can go that fast does not mean the driver holds the throttle down to the floor board the entire time.

When I MX'ed, I had a TON of power in that bike but never used all of it. If I did I would have flown off the track - sometimes, just by slowing down I actually went faster than the rest of the pack. I had a ton of reserve power I could get into if I needed it but mostly raced at 75% throttle - any more was a recipe for instant crash.

Ed Zackrey...Sometimes slower is faster...My son MX races quads and I see guys go out there and bust arse and wreck every time...Dumb a$$'s need to slow down sometimes..

 

[homedepot20]

I think everyone has some good and fair opinions of the racing at Talladega, But I like Talladega as it is because that what you expect , Wide open High Speed drama ! If NASCAR did not have the Super Speedways for the High speed racing , then all you would have would be boring a## short track races to watch. But this is MY opinion for what it's worth !

 

[Baja28]

I think everyone has some good and fair opinions of the racing at Talladega, But I like Talladega as it is because that what you expect , Wide open High Speed drama ! If NASCAR did not have the Super Speedways for the High speed racing , then all you would have would be boring a## short track races to watch. But this is MY opinion for what it's worth !

Did you say "boring short tracks"?

The only boring tracks are California, Texas and the road courses.