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NASCAR Addresses Speedway SafetyBy KRISTEN STERNBERG | NIE Educational Consultant The racing accident that killed stock car legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr. sent NASCAR officials hurrying to find ways to make stock car racing safer. This year, NASCAR has implemented several new regulations to improve racing's safety record. With its new rules, NASCAR hopes to achieve the right mix of safe conditions and exciting racing. In addition to satisfying NASCAR officials, however, racing rules must also be viable to stock car drivers and racing fans. With so many groups to please, it's not surprising that the new "rules package" is under fire. What are the new regulations, and what's causing all the controversy?
Rear spoilers are one part of the new regulations. Car manufacturers have had to adjust the height of their spoiler blades. The new size (6 1/4 to 6 1/2 inches) increases traction, making it less likely for drivers to lose control of their cars. While the new standards for rear spoilers seem acceptable to some, major car manufacturers complain that they are not fair for everyone. They fear the rule may result in cars being unequal on the track. To address this, officials are conducting racing trials to see how the cars perform. As a result, spoilers on some models have been adjusted by 1/4 inch. It may not seem like much, but that 1/4-inch adjustment can have a huge impact upon a car's performance! A big issue in the regulations controversy is a piece of equipment, called a restrictor plate. A restrictor plate is a flat piece of aluminum inserted into the racecar's engine. It has four holes drilled into it to control the air/fuel mixture. Restrictor plates reduce the flow of air and fuel into the engines' combustion chambers, to limit their horsepower and speed. Some people want to see restrictor plate holes enlarged, while others want to see them removed altogether. Will these devices make racing less exciting for its fans? Cars may still achieve speeds of over 180 miles per hour, which to many spectators is thrilling enough. Others, however, say that limiting speed and movement will take away from the suspense of a race, because cars won't be able to make sudden moves, like passing other cars. Do the restrictor plates give a driver more or less control? Check out a recent Daytona Beach News-Journal feature to see what one writer had to say about driver control. How do drivers feel about the new rules? There's no doubt that racing can be dangerous. Concerned drivers routinely adopt new safety measures, such as the head/neck restraints most now wear as a response to several recent, deadly racing accidents. However, some have speculated that drivers may become more aggressive if they feel they have to make up for restrictions in speed. Drivers themselves are divided on the issue of restrictor plates. Some feel driving will be made safer, while others say drivers may take a more dangerous approach to racing. (Follow the link to right mix of safe conditions and exciting racing, as provided above, for more about the possibility of increased driver aggression.) Can there be a balance between exciting competition and a driver's safety? To learn more about this issue, take a look at the newspaper activities and web links provided below. Try these interesting activities using The Daytona Beach News-Journal1. NASCAR is an acronym formed by using initials from the longer title, "National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing." Acronyms, along with their cousins, initialisms, are usually written in uppercase letters. Examples of initialisms are TV (from television), and ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The difference between acronyms and initialisms is that with acronyms, the letters are pronounced as words. (NASCAR becomes a 2-syllable word.) With an initialism, each letter (initial) is sounded out separately.
Now, set an automatic timer for 10 minutes, or ask someone to let you know when 10 minutes have passed. Use the newspaper to find other acronyms and initialisms. Write down each one as you find it. Then count how many are 2 letters (as in TV), 3 letters (as in DNA), 4 letters, 5 letters and so on. Which length occurs most often? What is the average length of the samples you found? (Sunshine State Standards LA.A.1.2.2, LA.B.2.2.2, LA.D.1.2.1) 2. Search The News-Journal to find one photo of a racing car and one of a regular car, such as your family might own. Glue the photos onto a sheet of large paper. On the paper, list 5 differences between the two types of cars. Are the differences visible to the eye? Show a friend what you learned. (Sunshine State Standards LA.A.1.2.2, LA.A.2.2.5, LA.A.2.2.7, LA.B.1.2.1, LA.B.2.2.1, LA.B.2.2.6) 3. Check The News-Journal routinely to read and clip articles, photos, statistics and other racing-related items. Start a scrapbook of auto racing events. Share your scrapbook with others from time to time. (Sunshine State Standards LA.A.1.2.2, LA.A.2.2.5) 4. Use your newspaper to find exhibit schedules and events listings for some of the many area museums devoted to autos and automobile racing. Ask a friend or family member to visit one or more of them with you. Pick up free brochures to share what you learned at the museum with others. (Sunshine State Standards SS.A.1.2.1, SS.A.1.2.2) 5. During the Daytona 500 and other racing events, The News-Journal routinely publishes special newspaper pages called "Racing Extra." Plan to "take a break" from your own routine—sit back, open the Racing Extra or Sports section, and do some reading just for fun! (Sunshine State Standards LA.A.1.2.1, LA.A.1.2.2, LA.A.2.2.4) A copy of Florida's Sunshine State Standards can be found at intech2000.miamisci.org/. Check out these links to learn moreFor headline news and events information, a glossary or racing terms, photo galleries and lots more, be sure to visit the official NASCAR web site. You can also read about great races in NASCAR history and, if your computer permits it, see some action videos. www.nascar.com
Catch up on latest racing news and headlines at this site provided by Daytona International Speedway. www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/ Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s death created a stir in the news media. Take a look at these News-Journal web pages about this racing legend. You'll also find a special section of links to other stories on NASCAR safety, along with other, related news. www.news-journalonline.com/speed/special/earnhardt.htm Find photos and bios of the late Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and other racing heroes or check out some fan clubs. Follow the link to NASCAR 101 to find out how kids like yourself got started racing. You'll also find a NASCAR glossary, along with explanations of the points system and the 8 racing flags. nascar.about.com Here's an entire magazine devoted to speed racing. You'll find exciting news, photos and more when you visit SPEED. www.news-journalonline.com/speed/ Find racing records such as the fastest speed ever recorded, check out a list of racing rules from 1904 or read articles relating to racing history at this site. Don't miss the section of History Links, where you can link to many museums devoted to auto racing around the world. www.autoracinghistory.com/ Auto racing is not the only place where speed is important. Take a look, for example, at the role that speed plays in the winter sports events now taking place in Salt Lake City. www.nbcolympics.com The Newspaper Association of America's web site contains links to many newspapers in the U.S. Visit the site and check some of them out to see if they have recently published any articles on this topic. To access the newspapers at the site, select a state. Click on the "Internationals" button to view choices from other countries. The Daytona Beach News-Journal NIE Program, published February 18, 2002 |
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