New SAFER barriers narrow Martinsville track

Martinsville

The push to anchor SAFER barriers to every square foot of unprotected concrete in the Sprint Cup Series has been an ongoing crusade this season aimed at benefiting drivers. The addition of 1,600 feet of the energy-absorbing walls at Martinsville Speedway also could benefit fans who enjoy the 0.526-mile oval's reputation for engendering contact.

"First of all, (NASCAR drivers) appreciate the SAFER barriers," Carl Edwards said. "The fans should appreciate it (at Martinsville) because it's going to make it more narrow than it was. It seems driving down the straightaway trying to pass cars even in practice, it just seems really tight. As narrow and tough as this place was, it's just going to be narrower and tougher."

The track erected SAFER barrier over the summer along the exterior of the frontstretch and backstretch, removing about 30 inches of racing surface from each of the 800-foot straightaways. Jeff Gordon said he apparently scuffed the right side of his #24 Chevy in practice, but a reduction of the racing surface wasn't as significant as initially feared when looking at an updated photo of the track. "I looked at it, and my eyes got big, and I thought, 'Wow, that's a pretty big change,' " Gordon said. "It wasn't as big a deal as I thought it would be."

Martinsville already had SAFER on the interior of the frontstretch and backstretch and the outside of the turns, leaving the interior turns (which have curbing) as the only sections without the barrier. NBC Sports