Talladega adding SAFER barriers

Talladega Superspeedway will add an energy-absorbing barrier to three areas of its inside wall prior to its May 1-3 NASCAR race weekend. The high-banked track, configured much like Daytona International Speedway, will add SAFER barriers on its inside wall at the entrances to pit road, Turn 1 and Turn 3, track chairman Grant Lynch said Thursday in a statement.

"We are committed to making Talladega Superspeedway a safe environment for drivers as well as our fans," he said. Kyle Busch broke his right leg and left foot when he crashed into a concrete inside wall near the entrance of Turn 1 in February at Daytona.

He is out for months, with no timetable announced for his return. NASCAR mandated that the steel-and-foam energy reduction barriers be placed on the outside walls of all ovals 10 years ago. Tracks have added them in select other areas — often in reaction to crashes. Busch's crash resulted in NASCAR announcing it would re-evaluate its tracks to determine if more SAFER barriers are needed. ESPN.com