Did You Notice? … NASCAR safety has remained a front page story in the Cup Series for close to two months?
Darlington Raceway was the latest in a long line of problems, with Kevin Harvick‘s Ford going up in flames despite never touching another car on track or the outside wall.
Let’s do a quick review of the scary moments in the sport the last two months.
Pocono Raceway (July 23): Kurt Busch suffered a concussion after crashing in turn 3 during his qualifying lap. Busch hasn’t been in a stock car since, and those around him have remained tight-lipped about his recovery. During NASCAR Playoff Media Day, Denny Hamlin recently explained, “He’s getting better and he’s kind of plateaued, which is something he wouldn’t think would happen. He’s gotten to about 80%, and it’s kind of stayed there. I think the rest is just going to take quite a bit of time.”
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (July 31): Chris Buescher’s No. 17 caught fire over the course of the race. Buescher’s fire appeared to be the result of contact with Bubba Wallace that damaged his exhaust and rocker box assembly. The resulting blaze entered the inside of his car, igniting the door foam and melting various parts internally.
Buescher somehow remained in the car, abiding by a NASCAR rule that meant exiting the vehicle would have forced the No. 17 to retire from the race. He miraculously fought back to finish 10th. Joey Logano‘s car also caught fire during the course of the afternoon.
Richmond Raceway (Aug. 14): This type of fire happened again, with Chase Briscoe the victim as a potential top-five finish is ruined. Once again, a buildup of rubber appeared to be the culprit, as you can see the fire rise up from the side skirt, all the way into the side of the car.
Daytona International Speedway (Aug. 28): A wild wreck triggered by a raging downpour in turn 1 caused a number of hard hits into the outside wall. Bubba Wallace openly vented on his radio, swearing over the harshness of his hit while Denny Hamlin groaned in pain. Hamlin wound up missing a planned NASCAR Xfinity Series start due to soreness while he and other drivers were openly critical of officiating putting them in harm’s way.
Darlington Raceway (Sept. 4): Two more drivers, JJ Yeley and Kevin Harvick, experienced fires inside their racecars. Harvick’s was the most serious to date, forcing him to pull to the inside of the…
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