NASCAR shrinks restrictor plates at Talladega
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10/09/2009 09:48 PM ET By AP
FONTANA, Calif. -NASCAR is reducing the size of the restrictor plates used by Sprint Cup cars at Talladega in hopes of making it safer for drivers.
NASCAR director of business affairs Bob Smith said the move will reduce horsepower and take a little bit of top-end speed off the cars.
The track announced earlier this week it is raising the fence at the massive 2.66-mile oval from 14 to 22 feet following a safety analysis after Carl Edwards' last-lap crash during the spring race sent him flying into the fence.
Debris from the accident injured seven fans in the stands, the most serious a broken jaw suffered by a teenage girl.
The frontstretch fence at Talladega will be raised before the Nov. 1 race, and the backstretch will be completed during the offseason. Daytona will have its fences raised before its first big event in January.
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The walls add to safety but reduce restrictor plates keep the cars from being able to spread out on the track. Keeping them packed like sardines is what causes wrecks on that track to involve many more cars than how many would have been involved if it were not for the restrictor plates. We can see 23 cars in a pile up instead of just 2 or 3. Drivers will have about 1/500th of a second more to react and avoid the cars in front of them...yeah, that will cut down on accidents.