In an attempt to protect the driver’s feet and legs, NASCAR will gradually implement changes to strengthen the car by modifying the floorboard, driver’s anti-intrusion plating, firewall and footbox areas. The changes, sparked by the accidents to Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon last year, are optional for 2016, mandatory for the Daytona and Talladega races in 2017 and then all tracks in 2018. NASCAR senior vice president Gene Stefanyshyn said teams designed various proposed changes, and NASCAR had done two crash tests to help determine the changes. ‘We’re replacing existing materials with materials in instances which are thicker or being formed in a way with less welds,’ Stefanyshyn said in announcing the changes Thursday. ‘Also the way we attach part of it is we are creating, for lack of a better term, a zipper so we provide a lot more weld surface. The gradual implementation is so teams don’t obsolete current chassis, as the new chassis will have to go through the NASCAR certification process.(ESPN.com)
