NASCAR has seen safety concerns become a topic of conversation and the phrase, “It will get worse before it gets better” is an idea that certainly applies to what is being seen today with the latest injuries.
Let’s dive into the latest on NASCAR’s safety issues entering the Charlotte ROVAL this weekend.
NASCAR breaks concerning record with driver safety
It was announced on Tuesday that Cody Ware would miss the race at the Charlotte ROVAL as the healing process continues from his violent wreck at Texas Motor Speedway almost two weeks ago.
J.J. Yeley will replace Ware in the No. 51 car for Rick Ware Racing. This counted as the second driver scheduled to miss the weekend as Kurt Busch still recovers from his concussion suffered at Pocono Raceway.
Later in the day, it was announced that Alex Bowman would miss the final race of the Round of 12 at the Charlotte ROVAL due to his ongoing recovery from a concussion suffered at Texas Motor Speedway.
This would eliminate Bowman from the Round of 12 after a very promising start to the NASCAR playoffs. Noah Gragson is scheduled to drive the No. 48 car for Hendrick Motorsports in this weekend’s event.
Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick sounded confident that Bowman would be back behind the wheel in Charlotte; however, the health and safety of the driver are the most important factors within the process.
Bowman’s concussion dampers the playoffs as the NextGen car closes out its first season. Unfortunately, there is going to be a very dark and sad record broken this weekend when cars hit the race track.
Based on research, the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL will be the first time in the 21st century that three drivers (Busch, Bowman, Ware) will all miss an event due to injuries sustained in the race car.
This almost happened during the 2001 and 2002 seasons, but it appears that NASCAR has stepped back about 20 years when it relates to the safety of the NextGen car. That line might anger people but the facts are being presented.
Due to the outgoing demands by drivers to fix the NextGen car, NASCAR has been working on ways to alter its design and help fix what is needed.
Related: Two NASCAR drivers nearing big records during 2022 season
NASCAR’s new NextGen car updates to be tested on Wednesday
NASCAR has been working on a new rear clip and rear bumper structure for some time after drivers have been voicing their opinions about the impact of crashes in the NextGen, specifically in the rear of the car.
Busch and Bowman each suffered concussions in a very similar way. Both cars essentially backed into the wall and those hits were the ones that eventually caused the head injuries to take place.
NASCAR is going to test these new updates on Wednesday, October 5 at an Ohio crash test facility with hopes that the updates perform how they were intended. It would be a major step in the safety process.
However, these updates will not make it before the end of the 2022 season. If the crash test goes well, it should be expected that NASCAR implements these changes for the start of the 2023 season.
Many drivers, such as Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin, were very vocal about the NextGen car at Talladega Superspeedway this past weekend as NASCAR entered one of the sport’s most dangerous tracks.
Elliott said that NASCAR has too many years of technology to not know what is happening. He stressed the sport shouldn’t be in this box because it had plenty of time to build and crash test the car.
Hamlin was more direct with saying NASCAR needed new leadership, which was not directed at President Steve Phelps. The driver of the No. 11 car also said the NextGen car needs a total redesign, but that it wouldn’t occur in 2023.
The topic of drivers throwing up red flags to NASCAR about the safety of the NextGen car was brought up and Hamlin said the sport continued to push forward without responding to those concerns.
NASCAR is going to make some changes to the car if the crash test goes well on Wednesday. But, will it be enough to satisfy the drivers and start the process of protecting them? Time will tell what happens.
Unfortunately, NASCAR needs to go through these dark days of driver safety being an issue every single week. The next updates for the NextGen car will be crucial in how fast the sport climbs out of this hole.