Safety, this is a very tuff issue, because it is not a CHEAP issue. If new seat belts were $100 or a new fire suit was $100 they would be changed out all the time. These items are not cheap. Large teams change there belts ou then sell them to smaller teams. Or look at the fire suits drivers wear. How many of them are wearing IRL related pit crew suits? Several. We need to sind cheaper ways for driver to be safe. Step 2 track safty. I knew the anderson speedway barels would be brought up. Open wheel guys can not stand the fact that when a car goes full throtel into them that it springs back onto the track. Yes this is bad, but the drivers WALK AWAY. I seen way to many stock car drivers severly injured when those barrels were not there. So take the good with the bad. Lets take a look at the burg. Millions of dollars spent redoing the place. How much was put in saftey. Concrete wall all the way around the out side, awsome catch fence mounted correctly, but no safer wall or anything like that to take the blow. No other track in indiana is going to be able to put that kind of money into there facilities. Why do we think things are going to change in the future?

I appreciate your point...and let's expand on it.

Improvements to the track facilities are going to take time. As much as I am an advocate of racing safety, I am also a realist. We need to improve the factors within our control first...then we can move on to other areas. The SAFER barrier was not developed overnight. I wholeheartedly believe someone will come up with a short-track wall package that will revolutionize our tracks. We have some very bright folks in racing...it will happen. Approaching the owner/promoter at your local track about specific areas of concern with an attitude of problem-solving, not confrontation, will go a long way. How can we expect a track to invest in safety if the participants have not done the basics?

BTW, belts are not very expensive...new basic Simpson 5 pt @ $109...top of the line Platinum 6 pt @ $145.

New Simpson Super Sport firesuits (SFI 5) @ $399...not pocket change...and a lot less expensive than a basic emergency room visit and way cheaper than a trip to the Burn Unit. Let's think about upgrading to mutli-layer suits...at least FR undies!