Kyle Busch will not race in the Daytona 500. Busch has sustained a right lower leg compound fracture and left mid-foot fracture. A return date has not yet been determined. He has been admitted to Halifax Hospital. He is awake and alert. Driver Matt Crafton will replace Busch for the Daytona 500 tomorrow.

Let’s look at one positive: The HANS device did it’s job. Thankfully we have those these days!

In all honesty, however – iff you really consider the nature of the sport – 42 different, 3,500 lb stock cars – running around wide open at 200+ MPH for 3.5 hours – and they do it three times a weekend (Trucks, NW, Cup), it really is amazing that we don’t see more injuries. I think we take it for granted how safe our sport is now, but objectively speaking it is just screaming for disaster.

Yes, the safer-barrier should have been installed, but we think, and need to realize that the Speedway and NASCAR really do have drivers best interest in mind.

Even if the sport has greedy intentions, a driver dying is bad for business no matter how you look at it.

With that said, it’s completely inexcusable that tracks do not have SAFER barriers everywhere. Especially a track that has been making such a big deal out of it’s $400 million renovation. Every single year we see drivers hit bare concrete walls.

NASCAR and the tracks need to be proactive instead of reactive. This is straight up unacceptable.

We’re just glad Kyle doesn’t have life threatening injuries.