Jason Lefflers death at a dirt track in New Jersey on Wednesday raised safety questions about Eldora Speedway, which will host a NASCAR Truck Series event in July. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp and Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart said the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln that invented SAFER barriers recommended the technology not be installed at the half-mile clay oval. ‘We went over that track top to bottom’ Tharp said on Friday at Michigan International Speedway. ‘There were some recommendations they made to improve the safety features of it. Those have been done. I do know the consensus recommendation was do not install SAFER barriers because it could reverse what you want because of the way the dirt is. ‘We would not have agreed to race there if we had not gotten a sign-off by all of our safety people.” The improvements at Eldora, where NASCAR will run one of its top three series on dirt for the first time since 1970, include: “ Replacing portions of the infield wall with new walls that feature a design approved by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. “ The Turn 4 pit entry wall being further protected by energy-absorbing impact attenuators. “ The track retrofitting the pedestrian gate at the start/finish line and the vehicle crossover gate in Turn 3 as well as adding a new pedestrian gate on the pit wall “ all with designs approved by University of Nebraska. “ Pit lane being widened in two positions. “ A permanent helipad for emergency flight care being installed. “ An infield care center being brought in that meets or exceeds all of NASCARs medical standards “ including a trauma center and critical care unit.( ESPN )(6-15-2013) News from June 14, 2013
