New footbox protection making debut at Talladega

About the only change to NASCAR Sprint Cup cars since their last trip to Talladega Superspeedway is the addition of 20 pounds. The addition of the weight, theoretically, could have a small — very small — impact on whether a 3,300-pound stock car gets airborne, one of the concerns of drivers as they left the track in May. The changes aren't made to keep the cars on the ground but to protect the drivers who hit the wall. The weight is part of a new construction of the footbox area, which includes a new design plus foam and is meant to protect a driver's lower extremities.

Kyle Busch missed 11 races when he broke his right leg and left foot in an Xfinity Series accident at Daytona in 2015. The new floorboard chassis requirements go into effect in 2017 for restrictor-plate tracks and 2018 for all tracks. Teams have the option to use it at Talladega this weekend. The four Joe Gibbs Racing cars, the Furniture Row Racing car and the Roush Fenway Racing car of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are among the cars with the changes. More at ESPN