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Daytona 500 starts up

by The Canadian Press - Story: 87902
Feb 24, 2013 / 9:02 pm

Fans feeling unsafe after the horrific crash at Daytona International Speedway were able to change seats for NASCAR's biggest race.

Track President Joie Chitwood said Sunday workers successfully repaired a section of fence, 54 feet wide and 22 feet high, that was shredded Saturday when Kyle Larson's car went airborne on the final lap of a second-tier race and crashed through the barrier that separates cars from fans. Large pieces of debris, including a tire, sprayed into the upper and lower section of the stands.

The crash injured more than 30 people, raising more questions about fan safety at race tracks.

Halifax Health spokesman Byron Cogdell said seven people with crash-related injuries remained hospitalized Sunday in Daytona Beach in stable condition. The six people brought to a different Halifax hospital in Port Orange with crash-related injuries had all been discharged by Sunday morning, Cogdell said.

A spokeswoman at Florida Memorial Medical Center would not release information Sunday on the patients brought to that hospital.

Chitwood, meanwhile, said if any fans are uncomfortable with their up-close seating for Sunday's Daytona 500, officials would work to move them. The race started as scheduled.

The Canadian Press


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