{"id":3341,"date":"2025-08-12T13:47:46","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T13:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/?p=3341"},"modified":"2025-08-12T13:47:46","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T13:47:46","slug":"safety-barriers-in-drag-racing-are-we-doing-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/?p=3341","title":{"rendered":"Safety Barriers in Drag Racing: Are We Doing Enough?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 data-start=\"44\" data-end=\"103\"><strong data-start=\"47\" data-end=\"103\">Safety Barriers in Drag Racing: Are We Doing Enough?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"105\" data-end=\"142\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">In drag racing\u2014especially at the top levels where speeds exceed 300\u202fmph\u2014the barrier system around the track plays a vital yet often overlooked role in safety. While concrete walls (like Jersey barriers) remain standard, modern motorsport has advanced to energy\u2011absorbing systems like SAFER and TecPro barriers\u2014which raise questions about their potential utility in drag racing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"149\" data-end=\"189\">Barrier Types Used in Drag Racing<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"191\" data-end=\"541\">\n<li data-start=\"191\" data-end=\"272\">\n<p data-start=\"193\" data-end=\"272\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"37\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Concrete Walls (Jersey Barriers):<\/strong><\/span><br data-start=\"230\" data-end=\"233\" \/><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">The de facto. Heavy, durable, and relatively inexpensive. Built to contain the high-speed straight-line forces inherent in drag racing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3344 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ba1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" \/><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"191\" data-end=\"541\">\n<li data-start=\"274\" data-end=\"355\">\n<p data-start=\"276\" data-end=\"355\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"27\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Block\/Masonry Barriers:<\/strong><\/span><br data-start=\"313\" data-end=\"316\" \/><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Rarely seen today; prone to shattering and creating dangerous debris.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"357\" data-end=\"438\">\n<p data-start=\"359\" data-end=\"438\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"29\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Armco (Steel Guardrails):<\/strong><\/span><br data-start=\"396\" data-end=\"399\" \/><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Once used on ovals or road courses, largely phased out in drag racing because of risk of snagging cars and causing unpredictable flips.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3349 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ba2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" \/><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"191\" data-end=\"541\">\n<li data-start=\"440\" data-end=\"541\">\n<p data-start=\"442\" data-end=\"541\"><strong data-start=\"442\" data-end=\"460\">Catch Fencing:<\/strong><br data-start=\"460\" data-end=\"463\" \/><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Sometimes used for spectator protection, but rarely part of drag stripside safety due to high-speed car trajectories rendering them ineffective\u2014and possibly hazardous<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"1387\" data-end=\"1429\">What Other Motorsports Use\u2014and Why<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"1431\" data-end=\"1605\">\n<li data-start=\"1431\" data-end=\"1537\">\n<p data-start=\"1433\" data-end=\"1537\"><strong data-start=\"1433\" data-end=\"1451\">SAFER Barriers<\/strong>:<br data-start=\"1452\" data-end=\"1455\" \/><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Invented by Midwest Roadside Safety Facility and standardized in NASCAR and IndyCar ovals, these combine steel facing with polystyrene foam backing. They have eliminated driver deaths during high-speed wall impacts.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3345 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ba2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1446\" height=\"1084\" \/><\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1431\" data-end=\"1605\">\n<li data-start=\"1539\" data-end=\"1605\">\n<p data-start=\"1541\" data-end=\"1605\"><strong data-start=\"1541\" data-end=\"1560\">TecPro Barriers<\/strong>:<br data-start=\"1561\" data-end=\"1564\" \/><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Used in F1, IndyCar, and road racing circuits\u2014modular foam units that deform safely under impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3347 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ba5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1607\" data-end=\"1646\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Could these be adapted to drag strips? It&#8217;s technically feasible, but factors like shallow-angle impacts, car lift, and strip design create challenges. Yet many see them as a logical evolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are many reasons why a track wouldn&#8217;t change. The cost is a major reason, I have seen estimations that these barriers could cost over a million dollars. Another concern is that at high speeds the new walls could act like a spring board, absorbing energy and violently pushing the car and driver back in a different direction.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1908\" data-end=\"1949\">Standards and Regulatory Landscape<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"1951\" data-end=\"2076\">\n<li data-start=\"1951\" data-end=\"1992\">\n<p data-start=\"1953\" data-end=\"1992\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"37\" data-is-only-node=\"\">NHRA and other sanctioning bodies<\/strong> set minimum requirements for wall height, termination points, and stopping systems at track ends.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1993\" data-end=\"2034\">\n<p data-start=\"1995\" data-end=\"2034\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"40\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Enforcement and upgrades vary widely<\/strong>, especially at smaller tracks that may still rely on aging infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2035\" data-end=\"2076\">\n<p data-start=\"2037\" data-end=\"2076\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Unlike NASCAR or F1, drag racing has <strong data-start=\"37\" data-end=\"102\">no universal hurdle for retrofitting SAFER or TecPro barriers<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"2083\" data-end=\"2122\">Summary Table: Barrier Comparison<\/h3>\n<div class=\"_tableContainer_16hzy_1\">\n<div class=\"_tableWrapper_16hzy_14 group flex w-fit flex-col-reverse\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<table class=\"w-fit min-w-(--thread-content-width)\" data-start=\"2124\" data-end=\"3053\">\n<thead data-start=\"2124\" data-end=\"2249\">\n<tr data-start=\"2124\" data-end=\"2249\">\n<th data-start=\"2124\" data-end=\"2151\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Barrier Type<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"2151\" data-end=\"2202\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Pros<\/th>\n<th data-start=\"2202\" data-end=\"2249\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Cons<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody data-start=\"2376\" data-end=\"3053\">\n<tr data-start=\"2376\" data-end=\"2506\">\n<td data-start=\"2376\" data-end=\"2403\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Concrete Walls<\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2403\" data-end=\"2454\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Durable, predictable slide-off behavior<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2454\" data-end=\"2506\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Hard surface, no energy absorption<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2507\" data-end=\"2681\">\n<td data-start=\"2507\" data-end=\"2554\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Block\/Masonry Walls<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2554\" data-end=\"2617\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Cheap, some energy absorption\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2617\" data-end=\"2681\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Brittle, debris hazard<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2682\" data-end=\"2817\">\n<td data-start=\"2682\" data-end=\"2709\" data-col-size=\"sm\">Armco Guardrails<\/td>\n<td data-start=\"2709\" data-end=\"2767\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Some flexibility on angle impact<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2767\" data-end=\"2817\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Catch risk, unsuitable for drag cars<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2818\" data-end=\"2937\">\n<td data-start=\"2818\" data-end=\"2845\" data-col-size=\"sm\">SAFER Barriers<\/td>\n<td data-start=\"2845\" data-end=\"2890\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Energy absorbing, proven in high-speed crashes<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-col-size=\"sm\" data-start=\"2890\" data-end=\"2937\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Expensive, may not suit drag car design<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr data-start=\"2938\" data-end=\"3053\">\n<td data-start=\"2938\" data-end=\"2965\" data-col-size=\"sm\">TecPro Barriers<\/td>\n<td data-start=\"2965\" data-end=\"3009\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Modular, deformable, widely used in road racing<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-start=\"3009\" data-end=\"3053\" data-col-size=\"sm\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\">Requires redesign of runoff and wall setup<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div class=\"sticky end-(--thread-content-margin) h-0 self-end select-none\">\n<div class=\"absolute end-0 flex items-end\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 data-start=\"3060\" data-end=\"3103\">\u00a0Should Drag Racing Standards Change?<\/h3>\n<ul data-start=\"3105\" data-end=\"3472\">\n<li data-start=\"3105\" data-end=\"3187\">\n<p data-start=\"3107\" data-end=\"3187\"><span class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"7\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Yes<\/strong>, many industry experts\u2014echoed by drivers like Matt Hagan\u2014believe drag racing needs to <strong data-start=\"94\" data-end=\"130\">shift from reactive to proactive<\/strong> safety measures<\/span> <span class=\"\" data-state=\"closed\"><span class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\"><a class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium text-token-text-secondary! bg-[#F4F4F4]! dark:bg-[#303030]! transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/4546783\/auto-racing-barrier-deaths\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"><span class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between overflow-hidden\"><span class=\"max-w-full grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center\">TIME<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3188\" data-end=\"3316\">\n<p data-start=\"3190\" data-end=\"3316\">This could include <strong data-start=\"3209\" data-end=\"3228\">phased upgrades<\/strong> to energy-absorbing systems, better runoff design, and updated barrier placement rules.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"3317\" data-end=\"3472\">\n<p data-start=\"3319\" data-end=\"3472\"><strong data-start=\"3319\" data-end=\"3345\">Cost remains a barrier<\/strong>, especially for smaller venues\u2014but safety experts argue that long-term liability and reputational risk justify the investment.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-start=\"3479\" data-end=\"3497\">Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3499\" data-end=\"3885\">Drag racing thrives on raw power and precision\u2014but the risks are significant. As speeds climb and crashes intensify, the drag racing community must rethink its reliance on bare concrete walls. While such barriers have protected drivers in many cases, newer technologies like SAFER and TecPro systems offer clear energy-absorbing benefits that could reduce force load and improve safety.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3887\" data-end=\"4090\"><strong data-start=\"3887\" data-end=\"3965\">Concrete walls got us here\u2014but it might be time to build something better.<\/strong> What do you think?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Safety Barriers in Drag Racing: Are We Doing Enough? In drag racing\u2014especially at the top levels where speeds exceed 300\u202fmph\u2014the barrier system around the track plays a vital yet often overlooked role in safety. While concrete walls (like Jersey barriers) remain standard, modern motorsport has advanced to energy\u2011absorbing systems like SAFER and TecPro barriers\u2014which raise [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,1],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[55],"class_list":{"0":"post-3341","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-uncategorized"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ba2-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ba2-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Kline Whitley","author_link":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/author\/klinewhitley"},"authors":[{"term_id":55,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"klinewhitley","display_name":"Kline Whitley","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Me.png","url2x":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Me.png"},"first_name":"Kline","last_name":"Whitley","user_url":"http:\/\/www.DragCoverage.com","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3341"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=3341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}