Dr. Dean Sicking was hoping his SAFER barrier would be ready for use this month in the Daytona 500, two years after Dale Earnhardt’s death in the race. A few bugs in the testing process made that goal unachievable, but the delay is only a temporary setback. The University of Nebraska scientist said a variable form of the collapsible barrier could be ready for use at every Winston Cup track later this season. “We knew all along that it was a long shot for the barrier to be ready for Daytona this month,” Sicking said. “Everything would have had to go perfectly in testing and development for that to happen. A testing failure caused us to make some adjustments, but that’s part of the process. We’re very close to reaching our goals.” Sicking’s goal, with the support of NASCAR and the IRL, is to see the barrier in place at every major oval-track event. There isn’t a set timetable for reaching that goal, but the end of the 2004 season seems reasonable. The SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) wall was used for the first time last season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. The improvement was obvious immediately, dramatically reducing the G-forces of crash impacts in practice-session accidents. The problem was that particular design of the barrier wasn’t applicable for high-banked ovals or smaller, tight-radius tracks. The length and shape of the barrier sections needed to be customized for various track configurations. By midsummer, Sicking hopes NASCAR and the IRL will recommend that track operators consider installing the barrier at their facilities. Richmond International Raceway, a .75-mile oval, is expecting to become the first short track to use the barrier later this year. Other tracks will follow, and the dangerous paper clip-shaped oval at New Hampshire should be near the top of the list. ( Dallas Morning News – may need to register for free to read). see more info on my Safety: Soft Walls page .(2-6-2003)
