Jack, you're right about the Tedesco's putting money in PRP and everyone in the racing community needs to thank them for that. You mention the difference about hitting a concrete wall the steel rails and the steel rails being a easier ''hit'' The difference is that the steel rails have a tendency to bend with the hit and launch a race car over the rails. We already have the safety items in place to protect the drivers in case the car hits a concrete barrier. But we need to be able to contain that car to keep it within the 2 barriers and have it scrub off the energy there rather than getting into the stands or cars on the lower return road. I also know that the cost of the barriers is a huge outlay for the track, but on the other hand if a car gets into the spectators and lives are lost, I think you can say goodbye to the track.
We have to remember that PID and all the other tracks of that time had steel rails which were state-of-the-art for those times. But now cars are so much quicker and faster we need to get the tracks into the 21st century. As far as Mercer, well we all know Mercer is Mercer and they raced there up until a few years ago without any type of fencing. Luck plays a big part in this sport and Alex sure had his share of luck.