n NASCAR: physical.Last September, NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. driver Jason Keller Jason Keller is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Brewco Motorsports Ford in select Busch Series races, sharing the ride with Ward Burton, and the #11 Force Protection Inc Chevrolet for CJM Racing. lost control of his vehicle and slammed into the wall of the Richmond International Raceway Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series. . Amazingly, Keller walked away from the crash with only a few bumps and bruises. How? Fortunately, a new wall had recently been installed at the track: a Steel And Foam Energy-Reduction (SAFER) barrier. Foam blocks inside the SAFER barrier were crushed by the car's force (push or pull) as it hit the wall. When the blocks collapsed, they absorbed most of the kinetic energy kinetic energy: see energy. kinetic energy Form of energy that an object has by reason of its motion. The kind of motion may be translation (motion along a path from one place to another), rotation about an axis, vibration, or any combination of (energy of motion) of the crash. Many racetrack walls are made of concrete. "With concrete, all the energy is absorbed in vehicle crush," says Dean Sicking, an engineer of the SAFER barrier. The result: a larger force on the car--and the driver's body. To keep drivers safe, NASCAR officials have pledged to install SAFER barriers at 'all U.S. racetracks by 2005. |
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