DARLINGTON, South Carolina – The track dubbed “Too Tough To Tame” has made its facility a little more safer according to a report by NBC Sports.
Ahead of Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 (7 p.m. ET on NBC) Darlington (S.C.) Raceway has added 4,600 feet of the SAFER barrier in time for this weekend’s actions at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. According to the report, the energy-absorbing barrier has been added to the outside walls along the frontstretch and backstretch.
The soft wall intended to absorb and reduce kinetic energy during the impact of an accident was added in the corners of the race track in 2004. The SAFER barrier previously was added to inside wall along the frontstretch and backstretch.
In the wake of Kyle Busch’s crash in the season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, race tracks across NASCAR’s top-three national levels have taken additional safety measures to improve their facilities as they see fit.
The new addition to the padded protection around “The Lady In Black” now encompasses the outside walls making the track well cushioned for its Labor Day weekend NASCAR return.
Darlington (S.C.) Raceway is owned by International Speedway Corporation (ISC), the same ownership group that owns and operates Daytona International Speedway.
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