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NASCAR rushes through safety changes

NASCAR has rushed through a number of new safety measures for its flagship Winston Cup series in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the accidents that claimed the lives of Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty

Irwin, a former Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, and Petty, son of Kyle and a rising star in the Busch Series, were both killed at New Hampshire International Speedway in almost identical circumstances, just two months apart..

Initially, a sticking throttle was believed to be a factor in both accidents, and although NASCAR has ruled that out in the case of Petty's Busch Series accident, the technical changes announced today involve throttles and ignition systems. They will be in place for this weekend's Brickyard 400.

To prevent throttles from sticking open, each of the car's two throttle shafts must have an independent travel stop to stop the throttle plates from opening beyond the vertical. As a back-up measure, all cars must also carry a thumb-operated ignition cut-off switch, mounted on the steering wheel.

Qualifying for the Brickyard 400, the biggest event on the Winston Cup schedule outside of the Daytona 500, begins on Thursday, with the race on Saturday.

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