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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The SAFER Barrier used to protect race car drivers is set for its European debut.
The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction Barrier will be used at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France in June.
NASCAR and IndyCar tracks in the United States have used the safety barriers for more than a decade. The SAFER Barriers were developed after the deaths of drivers Dale Earnhardt in 2001 and Adam Petty the previous year.
The barrier was developed by UAB mechanical engineering professor and researcher Dean Sicking. UAB announced the plans on Thursday.
Sicking says this is the first time a racing facility has performed an independent evaluation of two competing barrier systems. TechPro barriers had been installed at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2014.
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