Monday
Time For The End Of Pit Speed Limits
By Michael DalyThe Brickyard 400 has come and gone and a rule the sanctioning body can’t credibly justify has put the wrong winner into victory lane. It is never a good thing when a rule or a penalty cost a driver a win and in this decade of rules overkill the wrong winner has been put into victory lane more than once because of bad rules. Mostly it has happened either because of the rule freezing the field when the yellow flies or because of the yellow line rule at the plate tracks.
This time the culprit is the rule limiting speeds on pit road. Juan Montoya had led almost the entire Brickyard 400, but on a late stop he was flagged for speeding on pit road. The penalty dropped him out of the top ten, and it says everything one needs to know about the COT’s promises that once Montoya was trapped in dirty air he was done. As a result, what had been brewing into a serious upset became instead just another forgettable Hendrick Motorsports romp.
The old biases that have long injured NASCAR’s credibility in rules and officiating crept into the fray here as they have elsewhere. I highly doubt NASCAR specifically sought to stop Juan Montoya from the win, but the fact remains that the EIRI clause trumps everything else, and certain teams and individuals get better treatment in manners such as this than others – the day we see races taken away from the Hendrick cars for whatever reason is the first day it will happen.
But the real issue here is the sagacity of pit speed limits. A fact of life in the sport since April 1991, they are a result of NASCAR’s incompetence at handling pit road crashes in February-March 1991. NASCAR banned tire changes under yellow; it blew up in hideously uncompetitive races and no improvement in pit safety. NASCAR then hit on pit speed limits at North Wilkesboro in April 1991 and it has been the rule ever since.
The EIRI clause has reappeared with this rule as it has so many others – pit speeding put Dale Earnhardt into victory at Charlotte in 1992 and Earnhardt was publically called on it, but nothing in the way of penalty or change came of it. It has happened in less spectacular fashion more than a few times since, and now we have the Brickyard.
The rationale for pit speed limits remains safety, yet pit crashes have not been lessened with them – indeed more pit rules (such as mandatory crew helmets) have come into the sport in the years since speed limits were first implemented. And yet the underlining cause of the problem has never been examined – the rule closing pit road. It was this rule from March 1989 onward that led to everything leading up to pit speed limits.
The safety argument for pit speed limits simple doesn’t work, especially on green-flag stops. Pit safety didn’t become an issue until 1989; it became an issue because NASCAR implemented rules it had no business putting in. Now we have a race in which a bad rule has denied the right driver the victory.
It has to change. It of course is unlikely but the truth is still the truth – NASCAR has to drop pit speed limits because they serve no purpose and have done nothing except ruin the racing for a lot of competitors.
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Views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Catchfence
Article Tags: Brickyard 400, Rule Sagacity Disputes, Winston Cup
“A fact of life in the sport since April 1991, they are a result of NASCAR’s incompetence at handling pit road crashes in February-March 1991.”
Well maybe, but MeThinks a review is in order, pitroad speed limits were instituted prior to the 1991 season.
In 1990, during the season finale at Atlanta, no one was ready for the tragedy to come.
During an otherwise routine pit stop under yellow, Mike Ritch was changing Bill Elliott’s right rear tire. Suddenly, without warning, Rudd’s Chevrolet Lumina spun out of control along pit lane and slammed into Elliott’s car. Caught between the Lumina and the Thunderbird, Ritch was killed almost instantly.
The most immediate changes in NASCAR regulations after Ritch’s death were the institution of pit-row speed limits and the end of crewmen waving boards to identify pit stalls.
Marc, what NASCAR implemented in February-March 1991 was not pit speed limits, but a rule forbidding tire changes under yellow; pit speeds were not regulated. Initially cars that qualified on the inside row – “odd” cars – would be allowed to pit first a lap after a restart, then “even” cars would be allowed to pit, then pit road would be open for all. No one bit; instead they tried to stretch their tires and the result was either a plethora of tire-related problems under green, or virtually caution-free races because no one was racing for anything, or occassionally both. Pit speed limits came at North Wilkesboro in April 1991.
Pit road safety has become a major focus of NASCAR officials in recent years since the 1990 Atlanta Journal 500, where the rear tire changer for Melling Racing was killed in a pit road crash.
By April 1991, NASCAR implemented the current policy of pit road speed limits. – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR_rules_and_regulations
Dan Elliott – a member of the 1988 NASCAR Winston (now Sprint) Cup championship winning team – was instrumental in lobbying NASCAR to implement pit road speed limits in 1991.
Michael, I think you need to go back and watch the accident in which Mr. Ritch was killed again. Slower pit speeds at least give the right side guys a chance at survival should such an accident occur again.There have been several guys hit since then and none have been life threatening. Take a poll up and down pit road and get back to us. A penalty is less important than a life.
To Preston – I’ve seen that replay many times. Like many others you ignore the real cause – the rule closing pit road and packing up the cars to pit. They had these slower pit speeds and we’ve seen numerous incidents over the years of crewmen getting hit hard anyway – to the point where NASCAR mandated helmets for crewmen – and STILL refused to look at pit closure. I look at the fact we didn’t have fatalities in those post-1990 crashes far more to luck than because of slower pit speeds – indeed, a by-product of pit speed limits has been largely overlooked but has been noted by Mike Mulhern – an epidemic of brushbacking of crewmen by rival cars. At some point there will be a serious injury from this.
I remember racing before the pit closure rule of 1989, and pit safety was never an issue. It became one when NASCAR began interfering with pit rules.
I couldn’t agree more Michael. Losing a race after breaking a rule is much more tragic than hard working men and women being maimed or killed. Darn those NASCAR fools! Don’t they know the only reason we fans watch racing is to see death and destruction? Along with eliminating pit road speed limits, they should do away with all driver restraints, roll cages, and that stupid reinforcement on the driver’s side. Now that would really add some excitement to the show. I have been a fan since the late 60′s and have heard many ridiculous suggestions. But yours takes the cake. Are you familiar with the word inane?
Bill B., you clearly do not remember 1988 and before, when pit road wasn’t closed when the yellow came out, when crewmen didn’t wear helmets, when there were no pit speed limits – and where pit road was safer than it is now.
Nicely put Bill. I feel it would be insane as well. If anything is done, then maybe increase the cushion from 5mph to 10mph. But that really won’t resolve anything as they will just push the bar just the same. I do wish NASCAR would at least put digital signs on pit road for all to see.
Thanks For the back-up Mark. I was trying to be a little less than a basher and used the word inane. (Lacking sense or substance) None the less, you are correct. It would be insane as well. According to NASCAR they don’t post the compeitors’ speeds for all to see as they don’t want other teams to gain an edge by seeing them. Normally I would post a link to the article but it’s a rather obscure one and I can’t find the doggone thing now. Duh. lol. I’m an old school fan and get sick of hearing about changing rules after every race because someone’s favorite driver didn’t win. Have a great race weekend.
I certainly do remember the old days and it was only by the grace of God that no one was killed. Your assertion that I don’t makes it clear that you make rash and faulty assumptions rather than applying simple logic. I loved that era in racing and miss it badly. But I am not in favor of waiting for a car to come down pit road, crash, take out perhaps a dozen people, and then say “Oops, we need to slow these guys down”. Just because it didn’t happen before means it never will? Thinking like that allowed terrorists to fly airplanes into buildings. Wrecks and injuries are a sure thing in this sport and to even suggest we don’t minimize risk where reasonable is just ridiculous. Using your logic we should get rid of catch fences because fans were injured this year, then hope a car doesn’t end up in the stands. We can debate this til the cows come home but I will side with the drivers and crews. I have yet to hear one of them agree with your point of view and they are the experts, not us.
Bill, it was NOT by the grace of God, it was because drivers didn’t try to ram their way past other cars on pit road; it was because they didn’t have the fake “security blanket” of pit speed limits under which brushbacking of crewmen has been taking place for years. They came down pit road at a speed they could handle and left the same way – there were incidents, certainly, but they were far less frequent than they are under the present rules package. What pit speed limits have done is NOT minimize the risk; they’ve only created more problems. We need to get away from the phony dichotomy that holds that if there are no pit speed limits cars will fly down pit road out of control and crush dozens of crewmen to death.
Michael, Pit road is only closed as a caution is coming out and under caution is the only time that speed is really an issue. Under these circumstances, everyone will come on the first available lap, whether it is the first or third. Closing the pits hurts no one. it is the only way for Nascar to allow everyone to pit fairly. Juan was speeding by .07, he was 5.07 miles over. I, and my collegues, prefer a pit speed.
Preston, I understand why pit road is closed – the point is that this rule is what started the whole mess that is pit road rules. If NASCAR had simply left it alone, there never would have been the issues – pit safety and piling on rules upon rules that have done nothing but take away more control of the racing from the racers and hand it to the officiating tower – that have cropped up because of this one rule. “I and my colleagues prefer a pit speed.” Clearly you’re as ignorant of racing history as others who go by the false dichotomy that “if we don’t have pit speed limits drivers will crash into pit crews and people will die all over the place,” never mind that we didn’t have that before 1989 – before pit closure and pit speed limits.
There is no reason to have pit closure or pit speed limits.
So if pit road speed limits are so grossly unfair, unreasonable, and unnecessary then why have they been enacted by every other major form of motorsport to make the pit lane safer? Formula 1 and Indycar, among others, have a system in which a chip is installed in the ignition box which is controlled by a button on the steering wheel. When the button is depressed, the chip limits the RPM to a preset range, which only allows the car to go a certain speed. Now I understand that the technology on these cars is much more advanced than that of the current NASCAR cars, but installing a rev limiting chip in an ignition box and a button on the steering wheel to control it is extremely simple, and would all but eliminate the supposed “unfair” penalties that may affect the outcome of the race. This way, if someone was caught speeding on pit road, there would be no silly conspiracy theories, or any argument whatsoever, because if the car was over the speed limit, the driver obviously was not on the rev limiter, and in fact was attempting to illegally gain an advantage.
Now, doesn’t this idea much more sensibly…and much more safely solve this problem than the frankly moronic idea that pit road speed limits should be eliminated? As stated by a previous poster, let’s poll each of the 301 over the wall crew members that risk their lives every race weekend and see which alternative they would vote for.
I never served as one that went over the wall, but have served as one behind the wall. Having a car spinning on pit road and hitting the wall just on the other side of you, is enough for me to cast a vote of keeping the speed limit!
“So if pit road speeds are so grossly unfair etc. then why have they been enacted by every other major form of motorsport to make pit lane safer?” Because racing is a COPYCAT sport.
You advocate a rev-limiting chip, which only opens up more avenue for cheating and “interpretation” as we see with constant gains by cars supposedly held to pit speed limits yet coming out well ahead of cars they were either behind or just barely ahead. Such devices ultimately fail because they try to make a bad rule work when a bad rule by definition CAN’T work.
Ok…so how could this possibly open up another avenue for cheating or interpretation like you said? Let’s say such a system is put into place. NASCAR issues the ignition box and/or chip on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, depending on when the race is held, and after the race the teams return the box/chip to the sanctioning body, and any that appear to be tampered with bring with them a hefty fine and/or penalty. Also, you still keep the current system with the electronic timing…since it already exists anyway…to ensure that all drivers are following the rule and not breaking the speed limit. And if you’re STILL not satistifed Mr. Know-it-all, then we can have NASCAR officials themselves plug in the ignition boxes/chips before the race, and enact a rule where all cars must sit in “parc ferme” overnight before the race which would eliminate any chance of tampering altogether.
But apparently all of this seems silly and nonsensical to you. Yet for some reason, 43 stock cars weighing 3,450 lbs. apiece barreling down the pit lane at Daytona or Talladega weaving back and forth at 180 mph makes perfect sense in your crazy moronic fantasy world. Yeah, I can’t possibly see how anything bad could happen in that situation!
Steve, when you introduce more technology to the sport you introduce more opportunities for cheating. It’s inherent in the technology arms race. Your ignorance of the sport’s history shows in your shot about “43 stock cars…….barrelling down the pit lane at 180 mph weaving back and forth makes perfect sense…..” That’s not what happened before the pit closure rule; it’s what that rule has helped create.
Montoya got robbed of the win at Indianapolis because of a rule that has no justification.
Hello Michael. I want to thank you for clearing it up for me. I now realize all those retired crew chiefs, drivers, and crew members were lying on “NASCAR Raceday” yesterday…You know about how pit road was much more dangerous when they were there. And all those guys getting their legs broken and suffering head injuries. And of course the numerous clips they showed of pit road incidents proves it’s much more dangerous today. And the battles at 120mph plus, on and off pit road, well that’s never gonna cause a problem. Let’s not forget the number of serious accidents due to the high speed chaos… I figure that was just clever editing. All hail Michael. The be all end all of copycat sports. But I fully support your first ammendment right…To make a jackass of yourself. This has gotten to be a battle of wits with an unarmed person so I’m outta here. Peace y’all.
Bill, I didn’t see this episode you cite – in what context were they discussing pit safety? In the context of when tracks didn’t have walls seperating the track from the pits? This epidemic of injuries you cite was not there in the 1980s or the 1970s; an epidemic DID happen in 1989-90 when pit road was closed; it didn’t stop when pit speed limits were put in place.
marc, the whole argument for pit speed limits is based on that “strawman argument” you want to attack – the notion that if we don’t have pit speed limits we’re going to kill crewmen. We didn’t have pit speed limits in the 1970s or most of the 1980s or even the first month of the 1989 season – and there was no safety issue. What changed? NASCAR’s rule closing pit road when the yellow comes out. Take that rule away and suddenly the safety issue goes away; the whole issue of pit speed limits goes away.
Fact a car moving at 55 and a car moving at 120 both are deadly. you would have to make pit road speeds less that 0 in order to make them “safe”. Reducing the number of vehicles trying to occupy the same space in time is the only way to reduce risk. Reducing pit speed actually increases the number of vehicles in that space at a given time therfore increases the risk of (mass time velocity squared) hitting you. a 3000 + lb car going 55 mph is no safer than one going 100+ in term of energy . Its a feel good measure. You really cant say would you rather be hit by a car going 100+ or 55 because in reality they arent at the same place at the same time. Plus I saw the video clip of pit road and most if not all of the incident were not even car related, like a jackman taking out an official with his jack. How abou this, one car on pit road, full body armour for all, one guy over the wall at a time, compliance forms, sprinkler system over each pit stall, Michael is more right than he is not. I’d havet o agree with him.
Perception is fools logic, not a substitution for reality.
MBMACC, indeed.
Getting to Montoya’s incident – what safety rationale was ever there for pit speed limits under green, anyway?
Michael,I agree closing.pit road is in fact the cause for the need to regulate pit road speed. Berucrats make sure there is always a need for their policies. They will never look for the cause, but instead focus on symptoms they created. I watch every form of racing. Pit roads are over regulated and no safer today, and are a brutal mess. I do agree with the poster who said there has be data to cite and analize. Ps FIA blows.
Never mind, your right. While we are at it, let”s get rid of helmets and firesuits. Heck, don’t really need inner liners, galvanized roll bars should be fine as well. That was history as well. We definately know better than those guys in the nascar offices. Dude, the only people who agree with you are you, and some guy who won’t leave his name. I am going to venture to say that neither of you really have enough experience to understand . Perception is reality here. Faster cars are more deadly.
OK folks. I have been educated. No sarcasm by the way. Now it’s time to learn some more. I understand what you guys are saying about pit road being “safer” in the old days. Although I still think a 3500 pound missile travelling at 100+ mph on pit road is a recipe for disaster, I want to go at it from a different perspective. I get your point about pit raod closures bunching them up etc…Valid point…So let’s say I agree that the “old days” were at least as safe…Closing pit road bunches them up and makes the race more exciting…That’s why many rules in NASCAR have been enacted…To put on a good show for the fans…Let’s face it…Watching a race where the only cars on the lead lap are the top 2 or 3 is veeeeeeeeeeery boring, in general. It’s about mass marketing to keep the sport alive…An evil necessity. That’s why NASCAR is my favorite sport…Cuz they actually care about the fans. And the athletes, yes I said athletes, are willing to take on a 3500 pound race car to put on the greatest show on earth. So rules have changed to adjust to the new face of NASCAR. My contention is that you have to look at the whole picture. Back to my question…Are you advocating that pit road speed limits be thrown out with no other changes? I think you can see where that would be disasterous…How do you fix it without losing the excitement of close racing? You can’t, in my opinion, just say all of a sudden “All right boys, all rules are null and void” without creating chaos, injury and death. So how do we do away with the perceived problems on pit road, the result of those “bad” rules, keep the racing as close as possible (exciting), and keep the folks involved safe? Anybody got a plan? Big picture folks, big picture. Peace y’all. Free speech rocks!
Thanks Bill for conducting yourself in a proper and mature manner. It’s a shame that some people, when they don’t agree with someone, have to resort to name calling, and all other sorts of improper manners.
If you did away with closing pit lane, the need for reduced pit speed is not nescessary. The argument that you make it safer is unfounded and not based anecdotal evidence. Ps I’ve personal met a car while going just 25 mph. It sucked and I’m lucky to be alive. I was on a bike wearing lycra and a foam helmet. I know first hand how some rrules work like a helmet and others don’t. If safety was the concern there are numerous other areas to address that would vastly improve safety and reduce cost. Get rid of the jackman, get rid of gas cans, get rid of lug nuts. Its amazing a lug nut hast killed anyone yet. But according to the great minds you say support your viewpoint, they cite “Tradition trumps safety”. Its all numbers, we all agree on that. Reduce the amount of crew over the wall and by all laws of science you would make the sport “safer”. Now how it all changes the race from a fan perspective that’s a good point, but remember the rules basis is safety in this discussion.
I run a manufacturing company, and I design prosesses and procedures that improve safety and efficiencies. My record backs up my approach, but I’m not so arrogant as to think I know it all, career forces me to analize cause and effects. the one factor that’s impossible to nail down is the human factor, and racing involves a lot of humans.
I posted late, so I just caught an error in my post. In the second sentence, remove not before anectdotal.
I go over the wall!! I have first hand knowledge.
and , by the way, a lug nut feels like a bullet when it hits ya.
Preston, In this discussion how current Pit rules affect “safety” Why then does NASCAR still allow the use of jacks and lug nuts? Is it because no one has been seriously hurt, yet? You agreed, saying they’re like bullets. Requiring fire suits is smart, helmets are smart, ect, etc. All I’m trying to convey is that the number of people and vehicles on pit road at the same time is causing most of the safety issues not necessarily speed. I don’t disagree with you on the fact that if a crew member actually can see a car coming at them going 55 instead of 100 they stand a better chance of avoiding a tragic accident. Where i disagree with you is in being hit by a 55mph car versus 100mph car you will fair much better. A COT going 55 has 353932 ft/lbs of kinetic energy that’s deadly force on any scale especially if you get pined against a solid object. Plus correct me if I’m wrong, pit crews practice to make sure they are efficient, making their job focused and instinctive. Yes there is the element of being aware of whats going on around you, but wouldn’t having less cars clamoring in and out of pit road make your job easier. Being a bureaucrat myself, ill let you know where this can lead. Imagine the caution coming out and NASCAR lining all the cars up behind the pace car according to their pit stall. That way you would not have drivers entering and exiting across one another, it will be synchronized and safe. Obviously safety is more important than track position, just letting you know what goes through a bureaucrats’ mind. Something else I have experienced, The, initial, easy response to a problem usually ends up being wrong, overly complicated to enforce, and implement with success. Logic states if you do something and it makes it worse, try the other direction. Bureaucracy on the other hand only wants to go in one direction. Can rules actually prevent a freak accident and leave enough of the sport intact to make it worth watching? Plus discussions help drive proactive solutions rather that the typical reactive approach.
This conversation started as a discussion on pit speed. My argument is that it is safer to have a pit road speed. I am not concerned with deadly force. I will be hurt at 35 or 180. My quess is that many crew members that have been hit would argue your logic on how sever it might be. The pure and simple fact is racecars and their drivers will have better control of those said cars at a slower speed, resulting in fewer possible accidents that may harm anyone on pit road. That is the same reason we have speed limits on our highways. Speed limits on I 77 don’t change at midnight when there is less traffic. Drivers have to have control of racecars with that many people on pit road. The rule as a whole has not changed the outcome of many races. Teams that I have been on have suffered at the hands of this rule but my position stays the same. The cars have to be under as much control as possible on pit road.
I hear what your saying about control of the car, but the overall data tells me something different.
Charles Lave and Patrick Elias. “Did the 65 MPH Speed Limit Save Lives?” Accident Analysis and Prevention, 26.1 (1994), p. 49.
“We find that the 65 mph limit reduced statewide fatality rate by 3.4% to 5.1%, compared to those states that did not raise their speed limit.” Prahlad D. Pant, Jamal A. Adhami, and John C. Niehaus. “Effects of the 65-mph Speed Limit on Traffic Accidents in Ohio.” Transportation Research Record, 1375 (1992), pp. 53+
“It was found that fatal accident rates on rural Interstate highways posted at 65 mph or rural non-Interstate highways posted at 55 mph had not significantly changed after the implementation of the 65-mph speed limit.”
Nicholas J. Garber and Ravi Gadiraju. “Impact of Differential Speed Limits on the Speed of Traffic and the Rate of Accidents.” Transportation Research Record, 1375 (1992), p. 44.
“There is no evidence that the increase in the maximum speed limit to 65 mph for passenger vehicles on the rural Interstate systems in the states studied has directly resulted in a significant increase in fatal, injury, or overall accident rates.”
Preston, as stated before, most would assume your viewpoint, but evidence proves contraray. I’m trying to find data on a single racing series before and after regulated pit road speeds. My hypotheseis is, Volume of traffic not speed increases accidents. Closing pit road and slowing the racers down increase the number of vehicles on pit road, therefore increasing the rate of incidence. The fact that a 55 mph car is no less fatal than one going 100 mph demostrates that the risk of injury or fatality will be greater due to a rise in incidence. So far data from DOT, Highway safety,and many other groups support the initial part of the correlation of speed and volume to incidence and fatality.
Ill leave it at this unless I can get actual data on the subject. Enjoyed the discussion. its ashame some did not see it as that. Preston are you currently with a team? is so do you mind me asking who?
I fuel for Truex.
Martin, if you understand fully the meaning behind the acronym N-A-S-C-A-R, how can you even consider doing away with lug nuts, jack men, and pit road competiton? This is a hard core sport. Steeped in tradition. And tradition is what makes the NASCAR world go ’round. For us hard core fans it’s not just a sport…It’s a way of life. I believe people going over the wall understand the risks and if it’s ok with them, it’s ok with me. Ya makes your choices, ya takes your chances. I am truly impressed by these men and women. Even more so than my favorite driver, quarterback, receiver, volleyball or tennis player, etc…The evidence you present concerning hiway traffic safety is irrelevant in my opinion. Like comparing apples to oranges…And many of your other assertions contradict the theory of relativity. I became very aware of said theory after being involved in two cycling incidents and a roll over truck wreck that trashed my spine. Never mind being lucky to be alive. I’m fortunate, extremely fortunate, to have use of anything below my neck. (Guys reading this will know for which function I am most grateful. lol) My experiences and education tell me that your logic is severely flawed. Simply put…Mass times more speed (kinetic energy) equals an exponentially harder impact and more distance required to cease motion. That is an extremely dangerous combination. Regardless, I will defer to the experts. Those that are actually doing it, or did it, every week. And all I’ve heard from agree. A speed limit is a good thing. I want to make one thing perfectly clear…I disagree with many things the sanctioning body does…But I believe their engineering of pit road policy has made racing much more competitive, exciting, and a very good show for the fans while attaining a reasonable level of safety. I also belive the bare facts prove it. It’s all about the fans without whom no sport can prosper. Big picture racing ensures that NASCAR will be a permanent fixture in American sports. Peace y’all.
Hey Mark. Thanks for the kudos. I can be a real hot head sometimes but…I’d really like to hear your opinion on the latest posts. And Preston, assuming you are who you say you are, what do you think about my assertions that ya makes your choices, ya takes your chances? And NASCAR doing a reasonable job to keep safety and competition in balance? Peace dudes (I’m required to say that according to a new state law here in Cali.lol)
Bill, of course, I make the decision to do what i do, and I love it. But I am not an idiot either. I am not a thrill seeker like a base jumper, i just love racing and this is how I stay involved. I understand the risk, but I expect NASCAR to minimalize those risk. This is a JOB and this is how I feed my family. While I can appreciate Martins theories and formulas. Sometimes a little redneck practicality must be used. Real life is more than a formula. On your ride home today, test your fomula. Get back to me on that.
FYI, Tradition was trumped for perceived safety with the closing of pit road, and the pit road speed limits. It was a reactionary policy. In fact so far what I have gathered is the number of incidences has increased not decreased since the closures started. My argument is 55 = dead so does 100 etc. The theory is lock solid. Its not my theory, and my application is consistent, K=1/2mv2. Car =3500 lbs, speed 55, Kinetic energy = deadly force. There is no such thing as more deadly, dead is dead. I’m actually arguing for your point, I like NASCAR, love the tradition, years ago I had a customer named Allan Kulwicki, my Father had shrines to Bill Elliot, and Bobby Allison. I built Christmas presents for little Ricky Hendrick. I went to school with and played football with Trip Wheeler, Humpy Wheelers son. I know the Sebates family and went to school with Felix Sebates’ son Mario, I had a friend that worked for SABCO Racing, It was my Irish immigrant mother who introduced me to the Sport in the early 80′s, I’ve been addicted since. I worked the grandstands just to see the races by selling hotdogs, tee shirts, and BBQ. I’ve cleaned the mess up after wards, chicken bones, tobacco spit, and everything else imaginable. I agreed with Preston’s point speed limits may provide more control and maybe crew actually having a snowballs chance in hell in getting out of the way with slower speeds, but the point remains, your are not crossing a highway, Pit Crews are doing a rehearsed and focused job in a caldron of smoke, noise, and flying lug nuts in a scenario of seeming unpredictability. Were talking about not dodging 1 car going 55 or 1 going 100, wear are talking about 43 cars all going 55 down a narrow strip of pavement. With solid walls behind them and other solid cars in front and behind most. Before pit closures this wasn’t the case. Having more cars on pit road at once is the real danger. Again lock solid theory. As some one who works in an organization amongst people inside and outside of that organization, who deals with people who’s only existence is telling other people how to do their job, I say watch what you ask for. They feast on perceptions. Like politicians. I write as a warning. I would bet my life that the ridiculous scenarios I have suggested like a synchronized pit lane, no jack man, or fuel man (No offense Preston) are being tossed around . I have actually heard safety advisers say, we’ll have to find an excuse for their idea. The Closing of pit road with time will eventually lead to no jack men or no fuel cans and worse, the more we are removed from the way it was the easier it becomes for change. NASCAR will never go back regardless of facts. I loved the sport as it was in the past and enjoy what it has become in the the present, getting here has been bumpy, but its not static and time means change. Its hard getting each generation not to want to mess things up, but then again every generation has influenced the sport. I personally miss all the tobacco and alcohol sponsorship. Yet I’ve never smoked, and rarely drink. Today my favorite driver pawns office supplies and is suppose to be a bad ass. I still say Busch (Not Kyle haha) and Winston, and Charlotte Motor Speedway, soon to be CMS again. We’re all on the same page we love the sport, I’m as hardcore as any. I admire Preston for what he does, and cant figure out how I never got involved as directly as he has. I’ve ridden across NC on a bicycle 7 times, ridden the Assault on Mt. Mitchel 3 times. I know what it’s like to play in traffic, and to be hit as stated in an earlier post. Unlike many of the people who will be making safety decisions, I actually get my hands dirty. As for driving everyday look around you, its the distracted, the timid and the presumptuously cautious that cause most wrecks and traffic jams, which in turn results in an increase in volume, then an increase in wrecks, its exponential. Traffic accidents are directly related to volume not speed. Yes speed increases energy in the vehicle but 55 isn’t slow enough to not be deadly. This is a solid fact. I appologize in advance but I’m being an ass here, what you say about my “formulas” and “theories”, sounds a lot like those who doubted the world was flat, we couldn’t fly, the list goes on. Bill as Preston kept me on subject, this is about safety, I noticed you didn’t credit the engineering of pit road to an improvement in safety, which as the original article suggest has gotten worse and is affecting race outcomes. The idea a 55 mph car is less deadly is false and is a red herring. Preston’s point however at least makes sense, it may give a crew member or driver a chance to avoid a incident. Good Luck this weekend. Rumor has it McMurray will return drive numero uno next year. Im not in favor or getting rid of jackmen or women, fuel cans, or lugnuts remember im the one who does not like pit road closures and pit speed limits. Especially how they will effect the sport in time.