Gluck: Three ideas for making restrictor-plate racing safer

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Restrictor-plate racing sometimes feels like a problem without a solution.

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Restrictor-plate racing sometimes feels like a problem without a solution.

There’s no question Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway can be entertaining, but they’re also both significantly more dangerous than the other tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Racing in a pack at 200 mph means cars have the chance of getting airborne no matter what kind of tweaks and adjustments are made to them.

And when cars get airborne, very bad things can happen. The prevailing opinion among NASCAR fans after three cars got off the ground on Sunday is that since no one got hurt, there’s no need to fret over the race. But that way of thinking is short-sighted, because it reflects a philosophy of doing nothing until something horrible happens.

If NASCAR doesn’t make a big change, its luck will eventually run out. And that will be tragic, because it will have been avoidable.

At the same time, it’s not practical at this time for NASCAR to take events away from Talladega or Daytona, both of which are operated by International Speedway Corp. ISC is a public company controlled by the France family, and it just invested $400 million for a facelift at Daytona, which hosts the sport's biggest event.

So to simply eliminate races there? It’s not going to happen.

But perhaps there are experiments that can be done to find a happy medium between entertainment and carnage (though it would be decidedly unhappy for fans who found enjoyment from the big wrecks on Sunday).

Here are three ideas:

• Slow the cars down by 30 mph

What if NASCAR could keep pack racing, but it just looked slower? Perhaps engineers could change the restrictor plate size and add some aerodynamic elements to the cars in hopes of increasing drag.

There would still be the big packs and the Big One, but cars would have less chance of reaching takeoff speeds. They still might get upside down (that can happen at very slow speeds depending on the angle of the crash), but NASCAR could lower the odds of cars flying into the stands or catching serious airtime like Matt Kenseth did on Sunday.

Would the show really lose that much with slower speeds? Would there really be fewer viewers or fans at the track? If it helps make the sport safer, NASCAR should give it a try.

• Run infield road courses

The Daytona 500 is too big of an event to change at this point. It’s the crown jewel race, and messing with it might be the last straw for fans.

But what if the other three restrictor-plate races became infield road course races at Daytona and Talladega? It would be easier to stomach one plate race per year as opposed to four.

Daytona already has a road course — it’s used for the Rolex 24 and also includes part of the big track. And Talladega used to have a road course, so perhaps one could be rebuilt in a style similar to Daytona’s. The Talladega camping scene might be even better than it is now if there were a road course race in the middle of all the drunkenness and revelry.

Plus, road courses have been some of NASCAR’s best shows ever since double-file restarts were implemented. They have some of the most enjoyable racing, unexpected results and highest entertainment value.

What if NASCAR gave the Rolex 24 course a shot for its July Daytona race? It would not only be safer, but perhaps the racing would be better than in a plate race.

• Take the plates off and lower the banking

Admittedly, this idea would probably be the most costly. If NASCAR took the restrictor plates off the cars, speeds would skyrocket. The way to counteract that would be to lower the banking in the corners so cars wouldn’t be able to run around the track wide open.

Unrestricted engines and lower banking would make the race like a giant Michigan or Fontana — maybe even a Pocono — which isn’t an attractive proposition for those who like pack racing more than the intermediate track style of competition.

But spreading the cars out a bit more would be safer. Not safe — racing will never be that — but safer. And at the same time, it might get NASCAR back to its best side: actually racing, not just running in a pack and waiting to wreck.

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck