Speedway Motorsports Inc., owners of several race tracks

in the nation, announced that they will be modifying their

wheel fences at four of their tracks, one of those tracks being

Atlanta Motor Speedway.

This decision comes with the growth of the Indy Racing

League and after tragedies occurring during other races over the past

few years.

The modifications will extend the total height of the fences

from 15 feet to 20 feet and the extension over the track surface

from three feet to six feet. The changes will be made by utilizing most

of the existing wheel fence system. The changes will be made to

Atlanta Motor Speedway before the Kobalt Mechanics Tool 500

July 16 and 17.

"This is the responsible thing to do," said Ed Clark, president

and general manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway. "We feel that

this is a quality improvement to an already well constructed

encing system."

Once the modifications are made at the tracks, the

facilities will have the tallest wheel fencing with the furthest extension

of any major motorsports arena in the nation.

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