Fans injured at Daytona

Figure the cars are doing 150+ or so, coming to the checkered flag. Faster if it's Cup.

 

NASCAR is doing everything in its power to suppress this story. And given the compliant media posse that travels week to week in adoration of the sport, that won't be too difficult.

 

It looked to me that when the car hit that gate, a bunch of debris just blew through it into the crowd. Like it was a weak point and buckled instantly. I was wondering what was involved there structurally, so that must have been the gate.

I was in the stands at Daytona one year, way back when the fence wasn't as big, and I went down to lean into it as the cars blew past. All that noise and power and fury, passing right below me. ... And then Bill Elliott's car climbed the wall and looked as if it was coming right at me, and I thought I was a goner.

And then somehow Elliott got the car down. It was a thrill, and it was really scary.

 

I don't think they can eliminate the gates in the fence completely, but they'll have to do something to make sure they are no longer weak points when shut.

 

Impractical. The tunnel would have to go from the backside of the grandstand to the inside of pit road. At Daytona, a tunnel in the tri-oval would be a half mile long, as well as under sea level. They're just going to have to make the gate areas stronger when they are shut.

 

Uh, there are tunnels at Daytona now. Several, actually. It's how the infield happens.

 

I know next to nothing about auto racing but I assume those gates have nothing to do with moving people to the infield.

 

That's exactly what they have to do with. They're open before the race so fans can climb on the track, sign the start/finish line, go to the pre-race concert, etc.

 

Damn, I can't believe they let people on the track on a race day.

 

If it's before the race, what's the big deal?