Question about Kenny Brack and other injuries

[hotdog1]

I was wondering if Kenny's Injuries would have not been as severe if he had hit something other than the fence. If he would have hit concrete rather than the fence. The fence just shreaded the car and quite possibly could have taken his feet off. The same thing goes for Davey Hamilton, Alessandro Zampedri, etc. I just wonder if maybe something better than fencing could be used. I certainly don't think you could put concrete up 20 feet in the air, but I do think it could be higher in some place that would not get in the way of spectators. Maybe its time the start to develop something that would help prevent these types of injuries to the wall rather than the car. It would also help prevent injuries to spectators as well. Look at Bodine when he got into the fencing at Daytona in the truck series. When these cars get into the fence the amount of debri that goes flying is unbelievable. Maybe something a little more solid would prevent this. I am not a racing expert or an engineer by any means, maybe some of you could give suggestions.

[Turn13]

I think this is a really interesting topic. I'm looking forward to seeing some ideas and discussion here.

[Mackie]

I guess you could raise the walls as high as twenty feet, but people behind them wouldn't see much. Until the sorry azzed day that all sports become studio events, all we can do is the best we can, and there is indeed room for improvements in that fence.

In that crash there was a combination of both good and bad luck, Kenny survived, but he may have hit in the worst possible place.

In 1969, a good friend of mine was killed at Daytona, his name was Don MacTavish. Several days earlier, Don and his mechanic George Collwell (SP) sat across from me and my new fiancée at the NASCAR Awards Banquet at The Plaza Hotel on Daytona Beach. Don was the NASCAR Modified Champion. I had just returned from Viet Nam.

Don was driving a car entered by Don House of NJ, a man that once provided Modifieds for Wally Dallenbach Sr. It was a cold, damp day, with a threat of rain, it was the Saturday "Sportsman" Race, now BGN. They started the race 15 minutes early, trying to get it in before the rains came. I was in the stands with Jo Ann, my future wife, I don't recall what lap it happened, but it was in the first few, Donnie Allison got into the back of Don's car as he came off of "4," in a spot later named "calamity corner" and turned Don, who had a wiggle and lifted, into the gate area where they let cars and trucks into the infield. At the time, "the gate" was two strips of ARMCO that didn't even slow him down. The car contacted the butt end of the regular concrete wall and tore the entire front of the car off, frame, engine and all, right to the front roll bar posts. The car was left spinning, Don with nothing in front of him to protect him, he was hit by an oncoming car, but most feel he was "gone" before that. The lucky thing about Kenny's crash is that nobody hit him, although Wheldon and Vitor were very close. The sad thing is that at Daytona with Don MacTavish was that he died before the scheduled time to start the race, if they had only started the race when...

In the "business" I am in, casino gaming, the number one topic of discussion is "woulda, coulda, shoulda, it serves little purpose as it changes nothing that already has happened. It could change what happens in the future, but it usually doesn't.

[cheeseczar]

Good Lord, Mackie...I saw Don's wreck on TV. It's now very commonplace, but back then they actually warned the TV viewers of the violent nature of the event.
I don't think I've ever seen a worse one.

[beyondnascar]

I was thinking "maybe really thick lexan" tracksideside the fence but then then got to thinking, lexan, although bullet proof if thick enough, still shatters! Hate to see somebody get run through by a sharp piece of lexan!

and if you put a smaller mesh fence, that would really mess with the fans view of the race.

The higher walls would work great, but all the grandstands would have to be reconfigured and I can't afford race tickets now! How much would that cost?

no easy answer!

[hotdog1]

you'd think with all the technology we have today something could be done with the catch fences to help out the drivers. I would say most of the devastating foot and ankle injuries in the last 5 years are due to the car getting up into the catch fence. The are making great strides on making the walls "S.A.F.E.R." Maybe the ought to concentrate on making the fence safer as well.