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"Guys have hit them a bunch and walked away from it," said Pocono Raceway owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli. "Everything seems like it's gonna work. We've heard no complaints about it."
The system, designed by Dr. Dean Sicking of the University of Nebraska, is made up of steel tubs and pads of hard foam. They are affixed to existing concrete walls and are meant to absorb some of the energy when a car hits the wall.
"It's a very simple system," Mattioli said. "I think that's what makes it good is the simplicity."
The process at Pocono Raceway began about two months ago when the track was surveyed. Once the specific materials are ordered, the steel tubing is bent to fit the radius of the track's corners. The material is then shipped and installed. Extra material is provided to the track in the event it is damaged during a crash.
"About two weeks ago we got a call that they were ready," Mattioli said. "Now, they are here and ready to go."
The SAFER wall will stick out about two to three feet from the existing wall. The exact length of each wall and cost of the project was unavailable.
Sicking, who heads The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, began the SAFER wall project in 2000.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the first track to install the system, doing so for the 2002 Indy 500. Many other Indy Racing League and NASCAR tracks have already installed the system or are in the process of having it in place. All NASCAR tracks are expected to be using the system by next season.
"Actually, the ones they have at Indy now are three generations old," Mattioli said. "I think we're on the third generation. They see things and they improve it."
Recently, Sicking and The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility were named the recipient of the 2004 Pocono Raceway Bill France Award of Excellence.
The award, first presented in 1977, is given annually to the person, corporation or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the sport of NASCAR.
