NASCAR competition officials are examining possible changes they could make to pit road at World Wide Technology Raceway in the wake of a large O'Reilly Auto Parts Series crash.
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According to NASCAR Digital Media, a competition executive confirmed on Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway that officials will visit the 1.25-mile Illinois track next week to see if they can possibly alter pit road.
This is the second-smallest pit road on the schedule as it measures 25 feet from the outer wall to the inner wall, where pit crew members wait to perform stops. Pit road at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is smaller at 24 feet.
It remains unclear if NASCAR will be able to make any changes, but they will put in effort after a massive crash unfolded on Sept. 12 and put several crew members in danger.
This incident occurred after Carson Kvapil won the opening stage at World Wide Technology Raceway. He led the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series field down pit road in preparation for tire changes, but only a few returned to the racing surface.
The cameras then showed a sudden multi-car crash unfold behind Kvapil and other drivers. Several cars sustained significant damage; multiple others spun and put pit crew members at risk.
The No. 88 of Rajah Caruth and the No. 87 of Nick Sanchez both slid into the No. 19 of Brent Crews as the crew worked on a four-tire pit stop.
The side of Sanchez's car hit Jackman Matt Wilps and rear tire changer Bryan Backus, but they avoided serious injury due to the angle and a semi-protective triangle formed by the three cars.
This incident created a traffic jam on pit road, and it forced the track crew to work on extensive cleanup efforts.
This is not the first time that NASCAR has focused on making changes in the wake of a crash at a track.
Back in 2023, Daytona International Speedway paved a section of the infield after Ryan Preece violently flipped. Preece's Ford Mustang slid across the pavement in a multi-car incident, and then it went airborne after going onto the grass. It flipped nearly a dozen times before coming to a rest.
Another example of NASCAR making changes is Nashville Superspeedway. Ryan Blaney's Ford Mustang slammed into a concrete barrier at the Tennessee track during a race in 2023. This happened to be one of the few spots not covered by the energy-absorbing SAFER barrier.
A senior NASCAR official called it unacceptable that this section of the track did not have the SAFER barrier, and they said that changes would happen. The next time that NASCAR traveled to Nashville Superspeedway, the concrete wall featured the SAFER barrier.
