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Edwards: Need changes at Talladega

Carl Edwards says he hopes NASCAR takes action over safety at Talladega after meeting with officials on Thursday to discuss the issue

Edwards and team owner Jack Roush met with officials at Daytona to review the last-lap incident that saw his car crash against the catch fencing after getting airborne, leaving six fans with minor injuries and one 17-year-old with a broken jaw.

He believes part of the problem lies with the cars racing so close at such high speeds, creating the big packs where the slightest contact can create chaos.

"I'm not an engineer, so I didn't tell them, 'This is how it has to be,' but the bottom line is unless you take the banking out of that race track or we don't go race there, you've got this big problem trying to keep the cars apart, keep them slow, and that's the battle,'" said Edwards.

"There's history there and the fans enjoy that, but there's also the real problem of having a group of cars run like that, so it's something they've worked on for a long time with restrictor plates, and they've worked on the safety stuff, but there are still things to be done.

"I don't know exactly what it's gonna be, but I'm hoping that there's something we can do."

Edwards doesn't believe bump-drafting to be the issue causing safety concerns at Talladega and he says that even if the races are exciting at the 2.66-mile high-banked track, both drivers and fans are being exposed to higher risks than at other tracks.

"If you take all the bump drafting out of the deal you're still gonna have wrecks and stuff like that at Talladega because everybody is together," Edwards added. "It puts everybody in a tough position.

"We've given the fans something that's so exciting and so entertaining, but there's more risk there. We talked in depth about it yesterday. We looked at it from all different angles. The coolest part is NASCAR has an open mind."

Last Sunday, following his crash, Edwards warned that changes are needed for Talladega before a crash results in a fatality. A few days later he says he sticks by his words even if he said them in the heat of the moment.

"That's how I felt and that's what I believe," he said. "I also believe that there are things that can be done. We're all in this together - NASCAR, me, the owners, all the other drivers.

"No-one wants to see anybody get hurt, but I think what I said needed to be said and that's how I felt at the time, and I hope people respect that."

Edwards has been one of a number of top drivers to voice their concern over safety at Talladega following last Sunday's race.

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