RICHMOND, Va. - Mike Skinner tested the new steel and foam energy reduction (SAFER) barrier twice Friday at Richmond International Raceway, and the cushions passed with flying colors.
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As with any safety device, the only way NASCAR will learn whether the barriers actually soften the blow is to study crashes.
The sanctioning body stockpiled some information Friday during practice for Saturday night's Chevy Rock and Roll 400 and the NASCAR Busch Series' Funai 250. Skinner crashed twice in practice, as did Christian Fittipaldi and Steve Park. During the 250-lap race for the junior circuit, there were several crashes - some which triggered scuffles on pit road and in the garage area.
Through it all, every driver walked away.
The barriers were first installed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2002. Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway added them to some of the inside walls, and Richmond and New Hampshire International Speedway, the site of next week's Winston Cup Series race, recently completed construction.
The walls use steal beams that are attached to a series of foam cushions. The cushions are attached to the walls, and the basis concept is for the entire steal barrier to absorb some of the energy in a high-speed collision.
The SAFER barriers were ordered at Richmond shortly after Jerry Nadeau crashed in the first turn in May. His car spun and slammed driver's door-first into the wall, leaving him with head, lung, shoulder and rib injuries. He was in a coma for nearly three weeks before he started his long comeback.
Nadeau was at Richmond to cheer on his team - a team that now employs Skinner as the driver. Nadeau is still undergoing rehabilitation and hopes to return in 2004.
Skinner crashed the primary car on the first lap of practice Friday, then he tore up the backup in the same spot where Nadeau nearly died five months ago. Unfortunately for the team, Skinner had won the pole position in the backup, so he was forced to start last in Saturday night's main event.
While NASCAR continues to information, drivers said the fact everyone has been able to walk away from a crash is proof enough they work.
"It hasn't changed the line around this track," Skinner said. "I can't see it being anything but an improvement. Any time we bring these tracks more up to date, I think that's a plus."
"I thought the barrier did a good job," Park said. "I'd like to see it every track we go to."
Before that happens, NASCAR and the inventor of the barrier, Dr. Dean Sicking, said they need to know how it responds in the next two weeks. Because the turn radiuses are different at each track, the barrier will have to be modified to fit each facility, Sicking said.
"If you could get five or six hits at Richmond, maybe we could learn a great deal and could be ready for the next step," Sicking said. "If you don't get any hits, then you have to try to figure out where to go from here."
So far the best information came from a crash involving Brian Sockwell during Thursday night's Craftsman Truck Series race.
"It didn't look too soft heading toward it; it didn't feel too soft," Sockwell said. "But from what I've been told, I think I'm better off with the soft wall there than the concrete wall. I'm a little sore, but I'll take sore instead of broke."
PIT STOP: The SAFER barriers might force NASCAR to re-measure Richmond International Raceway. A track's distance is measured five feet from the outside wall and Richmond is advertised to be three-quarters of a mile in distance. The SAFER barriers, however, extend two-and-a-half feet into the turns. That should make Richmond a little shorter in distance.
Reach Don Coble at doncoble@bellsouth.net.
