In a high-octane world filled with speed and thrill, NASCAR takes one thing more seriously than anything else – safety. This is a fact well-known to Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, who recently voiced his fury about an ARCA team’s shocking disregard for safety regulations.
The ARCA Menards Rule Book mandates that everything must meet certain NASCAR-approved specifications. Nevertheless, a rising star on the racing track seems to have overlooked this fundamental rule, arousing Kraft’s ire.
Racing in the NASCAR circuit, where cars jostle each other at speeds reaching 200 miles per hour, is far from a walk in the park. The sport has had its fair share of spine-chilling incidents, such as Ryan Newman’s horrifying crash at the Daytona 500 in 2020 or Josh Berry’s car flip in the same year. These incidents underline the importance of adhering to safety measures – something a young racer seems to have ignored.
The individual in question is Nathan Goodrick, a new recruit with a background in dirt racing. Goodrick recently took his maiden ride around a paved oval track. However, rather than celebrating this milestone, Kraft zeroed in on the blatant safety violations during the event.
Following a post by Rise Motorsports about Goodrick’s trial at Hickory Motor Speedway, Kraft responded, “I dunno what’s worse. Making laps without a HANS device, and the window net down. Or posting the video showing that you made laps without them. Wow.”
Ever since the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt in February 2001, the Head And Neck Safety (HANS) device has become a mandatory safety requirement in NASCAR. Despite possible usage of an improved HANS device by Goodrick’s team, Kraft was taken aback by the missing windshield, stating, “Driver may have a hybrid head and neck restraint on. But the team also decided to skip a windshield bracket as well. No telling what we can’t see that unsafe.”
Wallace himself is no stranger to the dangers of the sport. In 2024, during the Chicago Street Race, he was penalized with a hefty $50,000 fine for hitting Alex Bowman during the cooldown lap, a move that was deemed more dangerous due to the No. 48’s window net being down.
Furthermore, Wallace experienced a near-fatal incident seven years ago at Pocono Raceway when the brakes on his No. 43 Chevrolet failed. He was hurtling towards a wall at over 150 miles per hour, thinking he might not survive. The fact that he walked away with minor injuries is a testament to the effectiveness of safety measures such as the HANS device, other car innovations, and the SAFER barrier.
Rise Motorsports, however, chose to focus on Goodrick’s potential, praising him as one of the best test drivers to have sat behind the wheel of their #31.
Yet, as Kraft and other NASCAR insiders will attest, talent is worthless without the observance of basic safety rules. His driver’s past near-death experience is a stark reminder of the importance of safety in the sport.
The ARCA Menards Series must address this young racer’s safety violations promptly. In a sport that has seen its fair share of tragedies, such blunders should not be tolerated in the 21st century.