IRL drivers concerned about The Glen

Although on TV they are not saying anything (Dan Wheldon proclaimed on SPEED News Sunday that Watkins Glen is better than Spa, imagine that!), word we are getting from the IRL rumor mill is that the drivers who tested at The Glen are concerned about the safety. In particular the Armco Barriers, which are still everywhere. Given the track is fairly high speed, a major off can be trouble. We remember being at The Glen in 1973 when Francois Cevert was decapitated by the Armco in qualifying. It was not a pleasant sight. His Tyrrell teammate Jackie Stewart withdrew from the race. Recall that CART would not return to the track unless extensive safety upgrades were made.

It should be noted that Armco along the straights is not particularly troublesome as many new F1 tracks have them. It's in the turns where it is a concern, especially in the fast uphill esses at The Glen. F1 added a chicane in the esses in later years to slow the cars, but that Chicane is now gone and the cars fly through there. (Photo to left of Cup cars flying through esses surrounded by Armco courtesy of Dodge)