Harvick’s No. 4 Ford caught hearth throughout final weekend’s race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway regardless of no crash injury or contact with the wall. Flames erupted out beneath either side of the automotive and got here in by means of his dashboard at one level.
After vocally taking NASCAR to job following the incident, NASCAR mandated a number of adjustments to the automotive’s chassis this week that went into impact this weekend at Kansas Speedway.
A flawed course of?
Harvick mentioned all the course of takes approach too lengthy and is one cause why he stop the unique driver’s council.
“Security can’t be about cash. I’ve lived this, man. I watched once we had all of the battle with Adam (Petty) and Kenny Irwin and it resulted in Dale Earnhardt’s (dying at Daytona). After which rapidly, it was necessary to put on the HANS gadget or it was necessary to put on the Hutchens gadget,” he mentioned Saturday.
“We developed delicate partitions (SAFER boundaries). It could actually’t be sluggish. Security can’t be sluggish. This automotive is screwed up so far as the best way that it crashes. Whether or not the info says it or not, each driver on this storage will inform you it’s not proper and it hurts.
“Ft damage, arms damage, head hurts and there must be a greater resolution. NASCAR has been sluggish to react and the groups are at all times frightened about cash and that doesn’t do something for the drivers.”
Earlier this week, Scott Miller, NASCAR’s senior vp of competitors, identified NASCAR has been engaged on the hearth subject because it first got here to mild on the Indy Street Course earlier this season.
On the time, the automobiles of Chris Buescher and Joey Logano each had fires erupt within the rocker field from crash injury, principally coming from beneath the right-side of the automotive.
Following the fires suffered by Buescher, Logano and others by Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman, NASCAR mandated an exhaust shroud be added to the automotive, which appeared to assist deal with the issue.
Harvick’s subject at Darlington appeared extra distinctive and addition measures – together with the addition of a metal plate and hearth retardant materials – had been added this week.
Harvick instructed with regards to questions of safety, there must be a extra impartial course of within the sport.
“The protection factor ought to go right into a bucket that has a council or board of some kind that handles most of these issues. When it goes into that security bucket, NASCAR and the groups wouldn’t have a say in it,” he mentioned.
“I’ve been on either side of this and it’s the explanation I didn’t keep on the driving force’s council as a result of issues had been too sluggish. Like if I used to be working it, it simply occurs too sluggish for me. I believe this taking part in the politically right, we received to maintain our eye on the racing, we received a TV contract developing – no matter all that’s, it’s nonetheless not honest to the drivers to be compromised within the automotive, having the sluggish response that we’re having and the not listening to ‘each hit hurts.’
“As a result of each hit hurts.”
Subsequent Gen considerations are nothing new
Some drivers raised considerations concerning the automotive’s security throughout its preliminary testing however final July an impartial panel of consultants signed off on the automotive’s security following the outcomes of a evaluate of crash take a look at information.
The panel consisted of Dr. James Raddin, who took half within the investigation of the dying of the late Dale Earnhardt; Dr. Jeff Crandall, who serves as an engineering guide to the NFL; Dr. Barry Myers, a professor of biomedical engineering at Duke College; and Dr. Joel Stitzel, chair of biomedical engineering at Wake Forest Baptist Well being.
As well as, NASCAR meets periodically with a bunch of drivers – one 2-hour assembly happened this previous week – to debate security considerations.
Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Corey LaJoie and Austin Dillon had been amongst those that took half within the dialogue this week.
Daniel Suarez, TrackHouse Racing, Freeway Insurance coverage Chevrolet Camaro, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx Cares Toyota Camry, Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing, LeafFilter Gutter Safety Chevrolet Camaro and Ricky Stenhouse Jr, JTG Daugherty Racing, Kroger/ NOS Chevrolet Camaro, large wreck
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
“Issues have progressed to the place we’re right now however it will possibly’t be that sluggish. It’s not simply the rear-clip – it’s the entrance clip, rear clip, aspect – each hit hurts.,” Harvick mentioned. “Now, you’re in an emergency state of affairs as a result of the automotive doesn’t crash proper.
“I don’t what the answer is however I do know it must be approach quicker. In the event you begin within the offseason, it’s going to be an entire cluster to attempt to get it carried out earlier than the (Busch) Conflict. So, the place are we headed right here? What’s the plan?
“Your information could say it’s the identical, but it surely’s actually not the identical. If you begin taking a look at it, and I do know Denny has talked about this earlier than, you have a look at how fast the hits come up and how briskly the whole lot accelerates, I believe it’s very obvious it’s not the identical. The full G (forces) stands out as the identical however the quickness that you simply get there’s very completely different.”
