Protection Points

Racing has come a long way from the days of leather helmets and steel guardrails—and the pace of change continues to accelerate. After Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash in 2001, NASCAR worked with scientists and safety experts to identify and prioritize the elements that go into protecting a driver in an accident. Here are three key advances that resulted.

SAFER Barriers

Compared with concrete walls, the Steel And Foam Energy Reduction barriers, also known as soft walls, cut the g-force of an impact by 40%. Martin Truex Jr. (1) was uninjured in this wreck—similar to Earnhardt's—at Talladega in April.

Head-Neck Restraints

The HANS and similar head-and-neck restraints—developed in the 1980s—were at first shunned by drivers, who felt they were too confining. Now mandatory, the devices, which are worn over the shoulders and are tethered to the helmet, prevent the driver's head from snapping forward or sideways upon impact, greatly reducing serious head trauma.

The CoT

Dubbed the Car of Tomorrow when NASCAR introduced it in 16 races last season, the newly configured vehicle is the full-time Car of Today. With a beefed-up roll cage, a driver's seat repositioned more toward the center, expanded crush zones and energy-absorbent foam panels lining the sides, the CoT encases the driver in a nearly indestructible cockpit.