Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano, who was concerned in a pit highway incident this previous weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, says that the monitor ought to widen pit highway as a result of “we’re flirting with catastrophe on that pit highway.”
Homestead, although, doesn’t rank among the many 5 Cup tracks with the narrowest pit highway, in keeping with Racing Insights information.
Logano was concerned in a pit highway accident when Josh Berry collected him after bouncing off Kyle Larson’s automobile on Lap 84 of the 267-lap race. Each Logano and Berry spun into unoccupied pit stalls in the course of the warning flag pit sequence.
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However what may have been issues Logano. Requested Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” about widening pit highway at Homestead, Logano stated:
“I don’t know what their plans are so far as renovations down there, however I’d put that because the No.1 precedence. Not due to the wreck on pit highway however due to the security threat for the pit crew. We’re flirting with it. We’re flirting with catastrophe on that pit highway. No one needs to see that. … Nobody needs to see that on TV, somebody getting crushed.
“The long-term influence, even when you’re OK, of an damage {that a} large previous inventory automobile comes operating at you. It’s one factor when there’s a automobile coming at you and also you see it and also you leap up within the air, it’s not good don’t get me mistaken, it’s nonetheless going to be actually dangerous, however when your again is to a automobile, like when you’re a tire changer, and also you’re in your knees and you might be low and a automobile comes sliding at you and you’ll’t see it coming and you’ll’t get out of the way in which. Oh my God.
“When you can stand up and goal for the windshield (to leap on) everybody is aware of that’s higher. However when you don’t see it coming and you’ll’t get out of the way in which? It occurs so quick. In the event that they’re already doing plenty of work, if they will make pit highway 10 toes wider (would) be a world of distinction.”
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Chase Elliott enters Sunday’s race at Martinsville sixth within the factors, however his Hendrick Motorsports teammates are 1-2-3 within the season standings.
Homestead-Miami Speedway is tied for seventh amongst NASCAR Cup tracks when it comes to the narrowest pit roads. That’s based mostly on the space measured from the sting of a pit stall to the outer line or wall.
World Extensive Know-how Raceway’s pit highway is the tightest within the sequence at 22 toes large.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway ranks second in Cup with a pit highway that’s 24 toes large. A member of Ryan Blaney’s pit crew was handled and launched from a neighborhood hospital after he was struck by Brennan Poole’s automobile on pit highway within the 2020 race when the sector received stacked up.
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The pit highway at Circuit of the Americas is 26 toes large to rank third in Cup, in keeping with Racing Insights. Tied for fourth is Darlington Raceway and Martinsville Speedway, which hosts the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Sequence this weekend. Each Darlington and Martinsville have pit roads which might be 28 toes large.
Dover Motor Speedway ranks sixth with a pit highway width of 29 toes. Subsequent is Homestead, Texas Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Every monitor’s pit highway is 32 toes large.
Homestead-Miami Speedway is owned by NASCAR. A NASCAR spokesperson informed NBC Sports activities on Tuesday that there are not any present plans to reconfigure pit highway.
A pit highway incident on the monitor led to NASCAR requiring pit crew members to put on a helmet after they went over the pit wall.
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Three of Ricky Rudd’s pit crew members have been injured within the 2001 Cup race at Homestead. Casey Atwood and Ward Burton collided as they exited their pit stalls, sending Burton’s automobile into Rudd’s pit stall whereas his crew serviced the automobile.
Burton’s automobile hit Rudd’s jackman and each tire changers, together with sending a NASCAR official onto the hood of his automobile. None wore helmets. One pit crew member was significantly injured and airlifted to a neighborhood hospital.
Forward of the 2002 season, NASCAR required pit crew members to put on head safety after they went over the wall.
Logano additionally mentioned pit highway velocity this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. At Homestead, the pit highway velocity restrict was 45 mph.
“Even when you decelerate the pit highway velocity, which might be the simplest factor to do, it nonetheless doesn’t actually repair the issue,” Logano stated. “Josh and I weren’t even as much as pit highway velocity once we went spinning round. I used to be simply getting going. It’s sort of a scary, sketch factor. I really feel like we’re flirting with catastrophe on that one. We’re undoubtedly taking part in with fireplace.”
