Ford incurred a cut right rear tire, apparently from debris. Landing, the car rolled an estimated 12 times, winding up on its roof in a crumpled heap. As the smoking remains of Sadler's car sat on Turn 2, and workers rushed to pry him out, his chances of survival appeared in question. Yet he emerged with only a puffy right knee, and some contusions and scrapes. But the reality is that individual teams generally go beyond what is mandated, to give their drivers an enhanced sense of safety.
Some teams pad the bar to the left of the driver's head.
Others use netting designed to keep the head stabilized. Most drivers prefer a full face mask, which helps one's safety but severely limits peripheral vision, requiring more help from spotters. You don't want to do harm with the cure. At Daytona Beach, Fla., last February, Geoffrey Bodine's vehicle in the truck series was hit multiple times and sheared off more than 100 feet of catch fence before exploding. Nothing was left of the vehicle but a mangled cage, yet Bodine survived.