What happen at Hartwell Speedway last night? Heard a person passed away. Prayers.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

There are details in the news article. A car crashes into the infield barrier, climbed it, and went through the chain link fence. Three spectators were then hit by the car.

Between those details and viewing videos of races at that track, there is plenty of detail.

There's a fence, a barrier, I'm not fully informed at all.

To me, it sounds safer than a good portion of hot pit setups I've seen in my travels.

[Action10]

There's a fence, a barrier, I'm not fully informed at all.To me, it sounds safer than a good portion of hot pit setups I've seen in my travels.

Mass amounts of people on an infield, with no barrier between them and the racing surface, only watching the car they are there to crew for.....

[weatherman85]

Born and raised in Hartwell GA so I've been to the track a ton and know a ton of folks that frequent the track each week. The inside fence is just a regular chain link fence, not the catch fencing that you see at every track on the outside wall. I was told that it happened during the Open Wheel Modified feature which use 602 engines in the area. Something broke in the driver's steering column and he lost control. Hit the infield wall and then went up and over it into the chain link fence which isn't really going to stop anything. We all know motor racing, regardless of the type, has always been more reactive instead of proactive when it comes to safety. The only REAL way to prevent this is move the entire pits to the outside from the infield. Don't think this is a real option for Hartwell speedway currently without purchasing nearby land. They have an outside pit but mainly use it for the big rig late models. Not enough room for all cars and teams unless a poor turnout. Prayers go out to the families.

[WisWildManFan]

Not the same situation but safety related: Hats off to Lasalle Speedway for closing the turn 3 pit exit and eliminating the point. I witnessed Sammy Swindell and Billy Moyer hit that thing head on and were both lucky to walk away. To me there shouldn't be a turn 3 exit at any track. It adds about 30 seconds to a minute to let cars out the turn 4 entrance.

[mcarter815]

There's a fence, a barrier, I'm not fully informed at all.

To me, it sounds safer than a good portion of hot pit setups I've seen in my travels.

It's trivial to Google images of the Hartwell infield. It sounds safer because of how atrocious the safety is at some of these race tracks.

[dirtSLMracing]

It's trivial to Google images of the Hartwell infield. It sounds safer because of how atrocious the safety is at some of these race tracks.

One that comes to mind is the front straight pit wall at Cherokee. I have said this before and will continue to say it hoping someone will wise up and fix this before it kills a dozen people one night. Appears to be highway dividers so it is angled at the bottom which makes a ramp. I have no idea how anyone in charge there does not have enough brain power to see the danger.

It was near disaster last year. Check out the 7:00 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJqkM4UpmiA

[weatherman85]

Senoia is a bad one too. Doesn't have any type of fence on the inside wall. Dozens of people just standing right at the wall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjN10ZAF0xs

[intel8]

Rockford speedway when they put dirt on it a few years ago, that incredibly rough track and those speeds, and there we sit just feet from the track, that old rusty fence wasn't gonna stop much.

[153J]

The motivation for my comments.

1). There is no details for this tragedy in this thread.

2). Historically, in the rare event that there is a tragedy in DLM racing, racers are not given information about the accident with which they can improve their own program or learn something. Instead, they are forced to buy new, more expensive safety equipment with the correct sticker on it.

Fair enough , now i understand where you are coming from
I was not thinking about that side of it

[TDRacinŽ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ4_JIDXMUw

Still there.