Testament for soft-wall technology

[Frasson118]

Look at these pictures, and figure out the possiblities of walking away from this crash, if the soft-walls were NOT in place. The foam blocks saved Joey Payne's life, no doubt.

http://www.atqmra.com/Joeypayneletter.htm

[Boneman]

New Smyrna, Orlando, De Soto, USA; all of these tracks are fast enough to benefit from soft walls lining the concrete in the corners. I'm amazed they are not in wider use on short tracks.

There are always two reasons that come up: "it takes too long to clean up after a crash". Not so, I've seen them in use at Oswego. It takes no longer to clean up than any other crash, and it takes much less time than transporting someone to the crash house. The next reason is expense. Yes, there is some up-front costs, but I believe the benefits will come in long-term, especially if more racecars are on the track instead of being cut up after a big wreck.

[Frasson118]

Some good points Boneman. Looking at the remains of this car, I can't imagine the driver walking away without them being in place.

As for the cost, Lancaster Speedway had people/businesses "sponsor" the blocks and let them put their name/company logo on them. Many of them were paid for by racers families, owners and sponsors. The track itself laid out very little cash from what I'd heard.

Whatever the cost, they've proven themselves to save lives.