Hendrick slams LVMS for not having Safer Barrier, says they shouldn’t race there
Quote selected text Published March 4th, 2008 in NASCAR News
Team owner Rick Hendrick thinks NASCAR should not return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway until the retaining wall Jeff Gordon slammed into is improved.
Special barriers are located in the outside walls at Las Vegas. But the track did not install them along the inside wall, which the four-time NASCAR champion hit in the closing laps Sunday. The force was so violent Gordon’s entire transmission was ripped from under the hood.
“If the teams are asked to spend $8 million a piece for a car that is a little bit safer, then we need to fix the damn walls at the track,” Hendrick told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “That ought to be priority No. 1, and if the tracks don’t have the walls, then we shouldn’t race there.”
Gordon’s accident happened shortly after a restart with five laps to go when Gordon made contact with Matt Kenseth, sending both cars into a spin. Gordon’s car smacked the inside wall.
Gordon said the accident was the “hardest I’ve ever hit” and was highly critical of the lack of SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers. He also was bothered that the angle of impact was nearly head-on because the part of the wall he hit curved inward as an access point for safety vehicles.
After being checked in the care center, Gordon delivered an on-air message to the track owner.
“Bruton, you need a soft wall and to change the wall back there on the back straightaway,” he said. “It was a really, really hard hit. It took me awhile to be able to catch my breath and to get out.
“I couldn’t have hit the wall at a worse angle. It really tore the thing up. I’m really disappointed right now in this speedway for not having a soft wall back there. And even being able to get to that part of the wall shouldn’t happen.”
Smith told ESPN.com’s David Newton that engineers are looking at adding a SAFER barrier on the wall at the corner of the opening near the Turn 2 backstretch where Gordon crashed on Sunday.
“Jeff is right and we will do this,” Smith told ESPN.com. “When Jeff Gordon says something I pay attention. He’s my friend, pal, chum and soon to be next door neighbor.”
Smith would like all tracks to take a look at protective barriers in those areas.
“I’m glad Jeff spoke out,” Smith told ESPN.com. “He told it like it was and I totally agree with him.”
Bookmark to:
- LVMS looking at wall where Gordon crashed
- SAFER Barrier designer to be honored by President
- Gordon critical of LVMS after hard crash into barrier
- Lowe’s adding SAFER barrier along the inside wall of backstretch
- Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams to test in preseason at LVMS
o shut up bc if it was any other driver nothing would have been said… if they stoped going to every track that didnt have it on both walls the’d be going no where… and the way the wall bends, come on its like that to make it safer for when there are wrecks and theres alot of worse spots on other tracks
Jeff isnt my favorite driver by far, but that was a nasty hit and i think he is right, pretty much all of the other tracks have SAFER barriers ALL OVER! And “ian” you need to pull your head out of your butt!! Get your facts straight..
Fisha695 wrote:
Hmm… The Transmission should not even be under the hood…. CHEATER!!! l0l
Fisha695 wrote:
I guess Mr Hendrick should protest every track then since every track does not have the barrier on all the walls that are facing the racing surface.
And another thing, The drivers should not have to speak out for the safety improvements to be made. But NASCAR and the tracks have always been re-active instead of pro-active and that has costs drivers their lives and a few drivers their careers.
Ok what’s the issue here? If anyone read any of my pass coments, yall know how i feel about this situation. Jeff said that the track needs a safe barrier on the inside wall and he was right. The track is going to install the safer barrier. I will also add that every track needs a safer barrier on the inside walls. It’s the right thing to do. However I agree with the reason that Hendricks is standing up for a safer barrier and to make the track safer for ALL drivers, not just Jeff. But lets get real he is not going to sit out any race where there’s not a safer barrier on the inside wall. Because he would sit out for an entire season, while all the tracks are updated, He can’t just pin this on Vegas because a lot of tracks have the same problem, so is he going to sit out all the races at the un updated track? Rick the track is going to fix the problem, Jeff took a stand and I glad he did, its time for you to shut up now. Please don’t give me a reason to regret agreeing with HMS about something.
lol, fisha. ESPN’s “journalist(s)” obviously know very little about automobiles or racing. We all saw the radiator ripped from the car, not the transmission, but then again this “journalist” might be getting creative with the facts.
I do think that NASCAR should, within reason, do everything possible to keep people from getting injured, drivers, fans, crew and officials alike. However, with hind-sight being 20/20 it’s easy to blame NASCAR for acting too late, but not necessarily correct. Too many safety precautions water down the sport (ie. no racing back to the caution, in my opinion).
If nascar is going to require a certain kind of car for safety reasons then it should require the tracks to improve all elements of safety as well. I am sure that anyone who has spent the kind of money that the owners have would feel the same way.
Really the no racing back to the line wasn’t a big change for me because my local short track has been doing that since before I was born. The caution comes out you slow down.. but then again in short track racing you also go back to the last completed lap so you really don’t need to race back to the line.
I personally think every wall should have it, but when you ask why an inside wall like that doesn’t have it, one of the reasons you get a lot it, “We didn’t think cars would hit there”, but then my response to that always is “If you thought cars would not hit there then whey did you even build that wall?”
Or if a track would come out and say “It cost to much for us to put the barrier a long all the walls”, and god-forbid somebody would hit one of those un-protected walls and dies, then you’ll have the backlash of implying that “that persons life was worth less then the cost of the walls”
Its a big catch-22. And a perfect example on a smaller level would be driving gloves. I’m not sure what NASCARs stance on this is, but at my local track they do not mandate driving gloves they just strongly suggest them. I asked the promoter why they don’t mandate them and she said its a safety issue to mandate them because if somebody can’t get out of the car because of the gloves, then they’ll get in trouble for making that driver wear them.
It is true that it took Jeff speaking out to get change. Jeff Fuller had a similar incident at Kentucky, and only Kentucky made the change. Just like it took Earnhardt getting killed to require a hans device, even though Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin died a year earlier.
Here is a video of the Jeff Fuller wreck. He had to be flown from the track.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k5sVheIcffM
I agree that NASCAR should put the SAFER barriers everywhere a car can wreck except the pit wall, unless they come up with a different design.
I really do miss the racing back to the yellow flag though. As a driver I would accept the risks involved with that. That was really intense and set NASCAR apart. NASCAR acted proactively to make that change all because of something that really was an isolated incident at Pocono with Michael Waltrip and Vickers, I believe, racing back while Jarret was wrecked on the front stretch. Also, restrictor plates… As a fan I would accept the risk of possibly being crushed by a flying car while watching a “real” race at ‘Dega or Daytona. I think top level competition is worth some risks.
NASCAR requires gloves now. Junior got in trouble a couple years back for not wearing them during a race.
Franco wrote:
Didn’t Adam’s crash put in motion the cut-off switch being mandatory on all cars?
Axel Foley wrote:
They could use the ones like they have at Iowa speedway, without the concrete walls behind it.
ian wrote:
Lets get real hear had Jeff hit completely head on he would not be among us so his car owner has every right to speak up. That wreck could have been alot worse had the car turned differantly so your comment is mute.
Like I said… They never complained about it before.
There have been 7 years since someone (Earnhardt) was killed by a HARD wall. Safety WAS looked over and over and over again>.Many changes made, and safer barriers up on many tracks. But once again, Gordon, the nascar godman speaks and now he’s got his boss spinning in his shoes. Spo that’s how many people, we know there’s more, from Gordon’s group, that SUDDENLY have this ephiphany that its not safe and something must be done… NOW!!
Shut up!
I LOVE Hendrick’s concern… 8 million for a car… haha for him it appears the car’s loss was his issue, not Gordon.
This is ridiculous that this is comining out now. IF this was SUCH a problem to sarety and car losses, wouldn’t these people have been complaining sooner? Like say when they put up the first barriers. I am SURE that engineers and everyone has gone over this and deemed that it was appropriate to do it the way it was set up. The way these guys have been driving these tracks for these years and nothing bad has happened. IF ANYTHING, Gordon should be praising all the hard work IN the safety that was in place in these new cars and all the equipment around. Otherwise, he might not be here bitching about this.
How about we just put them all in perfect little bubbles and then there won’t be any bitching. Better yet, let’s just drop the sport all together, it’s just, to… dangerous!! What a joke.
And FISHA.. LOL I love your response to that (your 1st reply).
I know I sound really crass in my response to this. But really people… YOU and I all know that this IS garbage. We have been through this, over, under, between. And there have many 60 years of racing… 60 years of safety improvements etc.
7 years of DEEP driver safety issues. Not only did Dale Sr’s death bring about mandatory hans wearing, BUT the fact that ALL safety to the driver and vehicle safety went under enormous scrutinany and we ended up getting the barriers. We also got many other things. Like the roof flaps to keep the cars from flipping. Remember Stewart waving at the cars under him while he was airborne in that race? Yeah, this is not something that has not been looked at before and not something that people just said “oh well it cost too much”. Sure things can always be improved, etc. As they should! ANd like a couple of you said, Nascar is reactive instead of proactive. BUT… If Hendrick, Gordon, and any other driver, owner, crew chief, even a tire changer said in the past 7 (or more) years that these walls were unsafe, WHY were they not dealt with in that time? Because NOT ONE of them complained. And you know if it was such a concern someone in nascar would have listened… ESPECIALLY coming from the royal family. So I just cannot buy into this crap of its a problem now. Ok, well, then how come it wasn’t a problem before the dozens of times you(gordon) have driven it? Oh that’s right, because you didn’t crash before and get all butt hurt over it. Now he has to take the heat off of him for what he did to Kenseth and his stupid move there and direct blame to something else. That’s what everyone does when they are busted doing something stupid. Plain and simple.
I will agree that this is a problem for these drivers safety IF the engineers go out there and evaluate it to be one, other then that… this to me is one guys diversion from having a bad day, because of a bad choice he made, and it cost his boss millions. That’s that.
Oh man… Sorry about all those type O’s. LOL I am not typing in light and my nails hit other buttons to. I guess ‘proofing’ before I hit the submit button would be good. LOL
On one had I look at this as there always needs to be things done to make everything safer, and just because they only did so much at one time doesn’t mean it was enough. A perfect example would be car seat belts, back in the day it was only a lap belt, and then it turned out that wasn’t enough now we have a shoulder belt as well.
Sr died by hitting a wall in the corner, so they put the barriers all along the corners because they thought that is only where it was needed, then they put them in the tri-ovals because there was some hard hits there and because some drivers complained about it. The reason they were not in the tri-oval originally is because the tracks/NASCAR didn’t think it needed to be there at that time. And now this is the same thing. Like I said before in this story (I think it was this one) NASCAR has always been re-active instead of Pro-Active, but if they would have been pro-active there might be a few drivers that would still be alive, or would still be physically able to race today.
And for some reason I think if Jr (saying him because he is your driver) would have said this, you’d be 150% behind this idea and trying to banish the people that did not think it needed to be done.
I would think this anyway.
My whole thought on this is that IF this was that big of a problem, why have they not protested like this before? Since they introduced the safer barriers at all? Why wait till now, if that many people think that? Why race then? I mean even a couple of owners, or couple drivers protesting and saying “hey this isn’t safe and were not getting on that track until you take a look at it” is going to get someone’s attention.
That’s where I am with it. You cannot tell me that sponsors are going to say “oh you wont race, ok we pull our money”. NO! They are going ask what is going on, be given the information and even then they might put their two cents into nascar and say “hey, you got a problem, you need to get on it”.
So, I just wouldn’t be saying this because its Gordon and then yell, scream, and shout if it were Jr. It is what it is. Which is, there have been many ample opportunities to bring this forward before now.
But drivers have talked about it before, Since they started putting these barriers in drivers have been saying they should be put in places that they are not put. It just so happens that when A 4 time champion says it, it becomes front page news.
Fisha695 wrote:
Agreed. You can’t deny that Nascar and the fans overlook
the opinions or concerns of “lower” drivers. It’s just the
way the world is. For any sport.
And I know Hendrick said they shouldn’t return to LVMS until
it’s fixed. It’s just funny how a few years ago, no one would
have thought of saying such a thing, they toughed it out
and moved on because there were not safer walls at all.
Point being, the concern level wasn’t as high or evident
as it is now and now all of a sudden they don’t want to
return to the track.
I’ve always believed that people don’t want to get involved with anything until it affects them personally. Hendrick got involved with the marrow program only after Rick got sick. And it’s a very worthy cause. Now they want more SAFER barriers. Why? Because it affected Jeffy. Would HMS be that upset if the Robby Gordon or Carl Long had that wreck instead? Probably not. But sometimes it takes adversity like this by a major figure or organization to bring the problem to light. Any way you look at the wreck, the barriers are needed. The sooner, the better. That’s just my opinion.
this wouldn’t be an issue if gordon could keep the car on the track and wasn’t hated by all the drivers that wreck him.
Jeff shot himself in the foot and now HMS wants NASCAR to buy him that bullet proof vest he needs. Stop it. Just fix the walls.
Guest:
wrote:
Well, Jeff is hated because HE is the one who does the the wrecking, not the other way around! Jeff punts car out of his way. He drives dirty like that, and gets away with it, usually able to hang onto his car because he knows what’s expected, because HE starts it. And he tried to do it to kenseth, except he misjudged it this time and lost it and ended up wrecking himself. He isn’t fooling anyone. If you’ve been driving that long of a time, and know your car, and know what gravity does, etc, you can figure out the dynamics of what is going to happen in all likelyhood, to a car during that wreck. This time His highness misjudged it and caught himself in it.
Don’t say that he is hated by all the drivers that WRECK HIM. HE is the one doing it, and Nascar doesn’t call him out on it, because he is their poster child. He’s hated because he’s a little punk and gets away with all these stunts, not to mention his whining when things don’t go his way. He brings it on himself.
jr88fan wrote:
Sounds a whole heck of a lot like what Dale Sr was famous for if ya ask me…… Little bit of a double standard ya fans have today isn’t it….?
Fisha695 wrote:
Who said anything about SR, besides you?
Sam, I guess that simple comparison of driving styles and the double standard most fans have today went over of your head.
Seriously, Sr wasn’t in this until Fisha brought him in it. But ok. How about this isn’t what Sr did, because Sr’s style was different to the point that he didn’t have to touch them. Those guys would wreck on their own for the mere fact the Sr scared them so badly, it threw them off and then they’d wreck. LOL That’s why the “Intimidator” got his name.
But, so no one accuses me of being biased here. I will say that Sr did actually cause some accidents. But then again, what driver hasn’t? The thing with Sr is that he scared people into that, Jeff, just punts them like he’s a cop doing a pit manuever. There IS a difference, and Jeff will NEVER be Sr, and never get away with that style. That was a different era when driving was different. Not the way it is today and not late into Sr’s career. But early on in his career, before Jeffy was even able to drive, did we have that style. Jeff is just a dirty driver and he gets away with doing those things. Like Montoya took out his own teamate because he wanted that win in Mexico, that is Jeff. Montoya got crap for that , yet Jeff would get praise. It’s just dirty driving in the end, plain and simple.
Yeah because people were scared of ironhead or blockhead or whatever his other nickname was that DW gave him…. lmfa0 He did the same thing that Gordon, Stewart and many others do today, and that is the nature of Full bodied stock car racing.
And as far as the Pit maneuver thing… Sr/Labonte Bristol is all I have to say.
Fisha695 wrote:
No “child” nothing you say goes over my head. You haters always want to blame JR/SR for everything. Please try and stay on topic if your ADD will let you.
SAm
“No “child” nothing you say goes over my head. You haters always want to blame JR/SR for everything. Please try and stay on topic if your ADD will let you.”
OMG Too damn funny! You almost made me spit my soda all over the place. Good laugh. haha
Sam, where am I blaming Jr OR Sr for anything? I simply stated that Jeff Gordon (as well as others) drive a lot like Dale Sr did, but the fans will always crucify every driver that drives like that except Sr (and Jr is he ever gets around to driving like that)
I see no blaming or Bashing of anybody, and I see me staying on the topic that jr88fan stated of how Jeff Drives.
[Fisha695
The force was so violent Gordon’s entire transmission was ripped from under the hood.
Hmm… The Transmission should not even be under the hood…. CHEATER!!! l0l] if you have ever drove r been around a race car you would know that the trany is about were the hood is you sit back a lil than a regular car.
I went to public school.All this stuff is over my head!
I work on race cars. The Tranny is not under the hood. The Bell housing is and but not the Tranny. The tranny is closer to being under the hood then it is in a street car, but it is not, well at least in Asphalt modifieds & latemodels…. I don’t know how you dirt racers do it.
Fisha695 wrote:
You poor child! You must always blame or involve an SR/JR! Get over your Jealousy child and you will be much happier! You must admit to yourself you will never be great or SR or JR. You will always be fishy.
Sam once again you make no sense. I simply stated the fact that the majority of the fans who loved Sr for his driving style think that todays drivers who drive like that are driving dirty and they have a double standard..
Now you and your little buddy jr88fan can continue to fall flat on your faces trying to make it look like I said or implied something I didn’t, but the real fans of the sport will see what I mean by what I originally said.
Samantha tell me why I should be jealous of him? Please I really want to know. Is it because he is only where he is because of his famous last name? Nope that can’t be it because my last name has ties back to royalty so that cancels out his last name being famous… It is because he he gets paid to drive in circles….? No thats not it because I get paid to make cars be able to drive in circles and actually enjoy that aspect of the sport more then actually sitting in a tight hot car for hours at a time…..Is it because he is a multi-time champion of the top level of his sport…. oh wait nope he’s been around for 7 years and hasn’t done that yet…. Hmm what else.. Am I jealous that from Sunday to Sunday he is constantly being pulled in all kinds of directions by his handlers and the media… nope thats not it either… What about the fact that from Sunday to Sunday he is constantly on the go and never really has time to just take a second and enjoy life…. no wait thats not it either….
Please tell me what I have to be jealous of.
ok i live in vegas and i realy think if what ever tracks that will be raced on should have all bin changed all readyn
like it takes what to build a hole comity of track houseing in what a month so its just awall not a since progect
heck its just a wall to fix shouldent take more than the time that they have pleanty of time and money to protect th these drivers
Fisha.. Please don’t say “you and you little buddy”, while addressing Sam about his post to you. I do not know him. I only thought it funny. And don’t assume YOU know who “true fans” are.
I know what you were saying with the difference of style on driving. Obviously, since what *I* was talking about in turn.
Author: Fisha695
“Is it because he is only where he is because of his famous last name?…..Is it because he is a multi-time champion of the top level of his sport he’s been around for 7 years and hasn’t done that yet”.
First of all, Jr by NO MEANS is only famous or in the sport becaue of his name. Second, He was a Busch champ. and rookie of the year. He also runs top of the cup series year after year. The only thing that has stopped him from getting the championship yet, there, is the fact that his cheapass stepmother wouldn’t put the money into the team/equipment to make that team as strong as HMS, Roush, etc. Hence the reason for his move to HMS.
The REASON why Jr has been running in the top 5 etc, is because of HIS hard driving and skills. And you have to know, had his team not been docked those points 2 years ago, he would have been cup champion. But once again, Nascar made sure that its little golden boys Johnson/Gordon contended for that title amount Petty and Earnhardt Sr have. Because they hope that it’ll bring the people back in to the sport buy having such drama for breaking the title’s record. In turn that means more viewers and more money thrown itno the sport. Its a great plan from marketing. Only, they never expected that Jr would be so popular and talented like his Dad. And just like his dad said, he’s a teddy bear in the car. Jr needs to quit being so nice about everything and do what it takes to win it, just like the rest of his cheater team.
Just get over your hate and constant negative remarks about Jr. Its old.
You still have yet to tell me what I should be jealous of him for.
Fisha695 wrote:
Fishy,
Jealousy is the only reason you would continuously hate the way you do. Grow up child. You rarely see a post from me that does not give respect to a driver who has won races at the top level and trust me there are drivers who i do not like. When it comes to my post I am responsible for them, so direct your response to me not other posters.
Where do I hate? I hate nobody but Child Molesters and Rapists and I am sure 99.99% of the people on here and on this world would agree with me on hating those two groups of people. I dislike several people, but I hate nobody but members of those two groups mentioned above. Hitler hated the Jews, does that mean he was Jealous of them? Old School Americans hated people of African decent, does that mean they were Jealous of them? I (and I’m positive most of the people here) hate child molesters does that mean we are jealous of them? The answer for all 3 of those questions is NO. Your argument that Jealousy is because of hate falls flat on its face.
Face it I have different opinions then you and I may not respect the same drivers you do, well GROW UP AND GET OVER IT, because nothing you or anybody says or does is going to make me change my mind on the way I feel about a drive