As a former driver I can assure you flipping into a catch fence is preferable to a guardrail. In fact, much safer. Maybe let the drivers have some input on it. They’re the ones putting their asses on the line.

I'll take the guard rail over concrete or leaving the ball park to find telephone poles, trees or farm implements. But yes, ideally 2 or 3 rows of Armco, 10 feet of grass, and a really tall catch fence.

No walls or guard rails would be best with a heavy duty catch out about 50 feet from the top edge of the track. Of course the front stretch will have to have a wall. Destroying a race car by hitting some concrete wall is not needed as new racecars are expensive. If you ask any sprint car driver what he or she would prefer, they will say no guard rail or walls with a good catch fence.

let the promoters do there job, and if people don't like it, don't race there.

I am excited about the potential changes and the continuing of racing at one of the most iconic tracks in America. Tracks like THAT are closing all over the country, so lets celebrate the fact that this place will continue to operate in the near future.

I agree but idt there is room for that there...(don't quote me I haven't been there since 2003 tho). I don't see a fair board offering up much more to accommodate, but ya, all race tracks would be cooler like that...

There is room to put a heavy duty catch fence out 50 feet from the top of the track. on the East end it is over 100 feet to Dixie Bee road and on the West end it is 100 feet to the pit road. It would be much cheaper to build a catch fence than it would to put in guard rail. Go to Google Earth and look for yourself. Nothing is needed on the back stretch as it is over 100 feet from the drag strip fence. The best racing that you will ever see is tracks without walls. My son totaled a mod on that cement wall and when I raced there, I'm sure I would of went faster if there was no wall. Maybe we will hear from the guys who have hit that cement wall.

I thought the pits were pretty close to turn 3 & 4, but I won't argue there was 50 to 100 feet from the race track, I just don't think anyone wants cars flying off the track in that direction...

I think every racer has hit a cement wall at some point. Lots of them keep racing.

Will have to see what they do. MAYBE some ideas from this thread ARE cheaper (and safer) options...

Any improvements to this facility is an upgrade. This facility is dilapidated and desperate need of upgrades. We should just be thankful people are spending money. I'm sure those concrete cage crushing barriers were put there as a cheap way to get to an end game, whatever it was.

We can talk about we need blah blah feet of run off and a catch fence. How many times have we seen cars end up near the parking lot at Bloomington? 30 years ago that never happened. The cars today are much faster and need a longer run way to dissipate energy. The 100 feet isn't enough with the speeds they are traveling esp. at THAT. Hell, my 10 year old daughter can throw a discus 100', see my point?

We can debate all we want on what is safer, in the park or out of the park? Most drivers fear coming back into oncoming traffic after they make impact with a wall and getting hit by traffic. Therefore most drivers prefer out of the park, but in some instance this isn't the right answer. Just ask John Westbrook when he went out of the Grove over 1&2 about 10 years ago. He is now paralyzed waist down. The drop off at the Grove is 12-15' lower than the top of the turn. Clearly not enough of a runway to stop the car safely if it goes out.

The high tiered guardrail at Knoxville has done its job, albeit a few cars have gone over, and for the most part its been a successful. Most of the time the car that hits the wall doesn't come back across the track and pretty much stays near or close to the wall.

If you are worried about crashing you shouldn't be racing. If you're worried about junking a car you shouldn't be racing. If you are trying to buy the cheapest and least amount of safety equipment then you shouldn't be racing. See my point here.

Racetracks are racetracks, some are safer than others. Choose which ones you want to race at, the choice is yours.

Any help a track can get is a good thing.

All this talk about walls, catch fences, run off areas, etc. I'm wondering how much input a track's insurance company has on those things. Anyone here know?