New SAFER barrier installed along LVMS backstretch

Construction crews spent much of this week installing SAFER barrier along the inside wall of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway back straightaway. "Speedway Motorsports is committed to driver safety at all of its speedways," said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. "Following this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup event, we consulted with NASCAR officials and our own engineers. We all agreed that installing the barrier on the backstretch was the proper course of action." During this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup event at LVMS, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon made contact with the wall in the area that is now protected by the SAFER barrier. The final panels of the barrier were put in place Thursday morning. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Brendan Gaughan was the first NASCAR driver to see the changes first-hand. "I'm glad Las Vegas Motor Speedway has made this addition," Gaughan said. "This speedway has made tremendous improvements to enhance both the fan experience and driver safety over the past several years. This is a great example of its commitment to the competitors." The new SAFER barrier covers 1,700 feet of the inside backstretch wall. SAFER barriers now cover 7,800 feet of the retaining walls around the 1.5-mile superspeedway.