A lot of technology is used throughout a NASCAR race that spectators know about. However, technology is also overlooked that has helped the sport become safer and a better overall product. Today, we will discuss a few of the biggest technological advancements in the history of NASCAR.
Technology can provide us with a lot of details so we can get the best NASCAR odds by seeing things that we would ordinarily miss. Now let's jump into some of the greatest technology we have seen in this great sport.
SAFER Barriers
When legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt tragically lost his life when his No. 3 Chevrolet car hit the wall back on February 18, 2001, there was a drastic need for better safety for the drivers in the event of a crash. They are traveling at extraordinary speeds to win races, and the barriers were not giving the optimal support in an emergency.
Starting immediately after that, we began to see SAFER barriers begin to be all around the racetrack. The SAFER barrier is a square teel tubing backed up by energy-absorbing foam attached to the concrete wall around the track. With these barriers, the energy that is transferred from the car to the foam is tenfold more forgiving than hitting the concrete wall.
If you want to see an example in everyday life, walk into a wall with a pillow on it and then without. The feeling is a lot different with the extra layer of padding, and this helps protect NASCAR drivers from another tragic event.
HANS Device
A HANS device is a head and neck restraint used for safety, typically for motorsports. Following Earnhardt's tragic passing, NASCAR mandated that every driver had some head and neck restraint to help ease the blow of a crash.
A HANS device is shaped like the letter U. It goes over the shoulders and around the neck to limit the head's movement. It prevents the opportunity for a catastrophic injury by removing the force from the spinal column and has prevented serious neck injuries in the past and future.
This technology has saved lives and kept drivers safe for over 20 years.
GPS Satellites
During a race, cars are driving upwards of 100 miles per hour, and it could be extremely difficult to see them when watching a race to tell which driver is in the lead. GPS satellites track the position of the car and tell us in real-time which car is in which place, similar to using a GPS to travel from one destination to another in your everyday life when.
The GPS satellites have gotten better and better over the years to the point that they can now track where the car is within 20 millimeters of the actual position of the car. This helps with lap times and positioning to understand where each car finishes a race to determine points in their standings.
Conclusion
The state of safety in the world of NASCAR has improved in the previous 20 years since the crash that took Dale Earnhardt's life, as that was an eye-opening moment for the sport to prevent fatal injuries.
Since then, NASCAR has developed and also adapted excellent technology to keep the drivers of the vehicles in as safe of a position as possible to avoid major injuries from their driving.
Hundreds of different technologies are used to help improve the sport of NASCAR racing, so make sure to tell us which technological advances you believe have been the most important to the sport as well.