Wall Street Journal
columnist Holman W. Jenkins Jr. laid some of the blame for a Feb. 23 crash at Daytona International Speedway, in which 28 NASCAR fans were injured when driver Kyle Larson’s car flew into the grandstand, on the France family, which controls NASCAR.
In a Feb. 27 opinion column,
Jenkins cited NASCAR’s style of aerodynamic pack racing, known as restrictor-plate racing, which makes racing more exciting but is more dangerous. Jenkins pointed out that although auto racing has grown in popularity, no one else has attempted to replicate restrictor-plate racing.
Jenkins acknowledged NASCAR’s efforts to make its races safer since the death of star Dale Earnhardt in a restrictor-plate race in 2001 through advances in equipment and auto design. But he noted that drivers are taking more risks.
Jenkins pointed out that NASCAR’s two biggest tracks, Daytona and Talladega, are both controlled by the France family. “It’s hard to believe another track owner would have received the indulgence these tracks have,” he wrote. (Source:
Wall Street Journal,
Feb. 27, 2013.)
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