SAFETY Nadeau wreck reopens debate

Last week's crash was the most violent in two years.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Jerry Nadeau's accident at Richmond International Raceway was the most violent wreck NASCAR has seen since installing black box-style data recorders in cars two years ago.
The crash far surpassed the 80 times the force of gravity reading NASCAR got after Kyle Petty's wreck at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, which was the hardest hit the sanctioning body had previously seen.
As Nadeau remains hospitalized with serious head, rib and lung injuries, NASCAR's safety debate has reopened after a relatively quiet period following vast improvements since the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt.
"There is no question we've made tremendous improvements over the past two years," driver Jeff Burton said. "But it's unrealistic to think that in a dangerous sport, things are immediately better. When a wreck like Jerry's happens, people in our society tend to be impatient and they think the answers should be there tomorrow.
"In most cases it doesn't happen like that. There is no gadget to make our sport 100 percent safe."
Since Earnhardt's death -- which capped a span of four fatalities in less than two years -- NASCAR has taken an aggressive safety approach.
Improvements
The data recorders are in cars, head and neck restraints are mandatory, and medical liaisons are on NASCAR's staff.
But there's still no full-proof way to avoid injury, especially on hits like Nadeau's.
Gary Nelson, NASCAR's competition director, said the angle in which Nadeau hit the wall contributed to the violence.
"It was a very flat hit on the driver side, which is pretty unusual," Nelson said. "It was an almost perfectly flat hit, so there was a tremendous energy spike because he didn't have a bumper or something else hit first.
"This one had no initial impact that would have softened the hit."
There are a few solutions that could help, including installing the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier at Richmond.
So far the soft wall is only used at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and on the inside wall at Talladega Superspeedway.
But NASCAR has found that the shorter tracks are just as dangerous and need the wall. Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin were both killed in wrecks at New Hampshire International Speedway, and Kyle Petty had the hard hit at Bristol.
Nadeau was the latest driver to get hurt at Richmond: Johnny Benson broke ribs there last year, Derrick Cope broke his leg, and the hit that initially injured Sterling Marlin's neck and sidelined him for the season was also at RIR.
NASCAR wants the soft walls installed at New Hampshire and Richmond by this fall, and tested the SAFER barrier Tuesday at the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility.
Time needed
Dr. Dean Sicking, who runs the Nebraska facility, will need up to 30 days to go over the data and determine if the walls are ready for the short tracks.
The drivers are content to wait rather than install something before it is ready.
"I've seen video of what happens with a soft wall before it's ready," Burton said. "It's not pretty. I want soft walls, but definitely not until they're ready."
Although cockpit improvements have been a priority, there's little room left to add any energy absorption material in the driver's door. Through adjustments in the transmission, it's possible to eventually shift the driver over to the center of the car.
NASCAR is testing crushable metals, such as aluminum foam, which could help absorb some of the shock of a crash. But until there's more room in the cockpit, Burton doesn't think much more can be squeezed inside.
And NASCAR's efforts to build a bigger "greenhouse" have been put on hold because cars with the larger cockpits were unstable during a test last August.