NASCAR has announced it will make changes to a section of the inside SAFER barrier at Talladega Superspeedway after a crash involving Christopher Bell.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver spun after a push from teammate Denny Hamlin, and his No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE headed toward the inside wall. It collided nose-first with a section that jutted out toward the racing surface.
Speaking on this week's episode of the "Hauler Talk" podcast, NASCAR Communications' Amanda Ellis confirmed that changes are on the way before the fall playoff race at the 2.66-mile track.
"That wall will be adjusted, or essentially, corrected," Ellis said. "Before we return in the fall, they are going to take that lip out and straighten it out and straighten out the wall, as well, that leads into that and fix that area.
"There's an additional area of the track, too, that in our recapping the weekend and looking at all the areas that will also be fixed before we return to Talladega in the fall."
"That is a HUGE hit."
Here's another look at the crash for Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher at Talladega: pic.twitter.com/Jgo97gfJ7z
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 27, 2025
As NASCAR Communications' Mike Forde added, NASCAR Senior VP of Racing Development John Probst has referred to this particular section of the wall as a wreck magnet. It is the spot that drivers inevitably find when crashing at Talladega.
Bell is only the latest example of a driver slamming into this section of wall, which Forde says sticks out by 5 degrees. Several competitors across the three national series have hit the same spot over the years as part of a crash.
The angle is something that multiple fans and drivers alike have mentioned while watching national series races. Many recently asked why the angle still remained after seeing Bell crash nose-first into this section.
This wall is in place because it resides in front of an access road. NASCAR stages its safety crews on this access road so that they can easily make it to the wrecks occurring at the superspeedway.
The access road will remain, but the wall and the SAFER barrier in front will change ahead of the Round of 8 playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.