“Our sport is inherently dangerous”: NASCAR SVP reacts to Ryan Preece’s crash at Daytona

During NASCAR's visit to Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Preece's horrifying accident in the Coke Zero 400 served as a chilling reminder of the perils of the sport.

Preece in the #41 Ford flipped over almost a dozen times during the final stage of the race before coming to a halt. In light of the accident, NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, acknowledged the dangers that the drivers and the team members put themselves in every weekend.

Sawyer admitted that like any other motorsport, NASCAR was inherently dangerous. He added that the accident provided an opportunity to learn and improve as they strive to make the next-gen cars more resilient.

"Our Sport is inherently dangerous," Sawyer said on NASCAR SiriusXM radio. "Whether it's on pit road or behind the wheel of a race car it's inherently dangerous. But the good news is our drivers were able to get out of the vehicles and we can learn and move forward."

Prior to Ryan Preece's accident, Ryan Blaney was also involved in a horrifying accident in the final laps of the second stage. With a slight push from Ty Gibbs, Blaney's #12 Ford hit the barriers head-on, which was eerily similar to Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash in 2001.

Blaney was released after evaluation from the infield care center while Ryan Preece had to be taken to the nearby Halifax Health Medical Center for further evaluation.

The Stewart Haas Racing team announced that Preece was heading home to North Carolina the following morning on Sunday. The 32-year-old showed his grit as he promised to be back in the car.

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Sawyer reveals NASCAR looking into removing grass in the run-off after Ryan Preece's accident

There is a heated argument in the NASCAR community as to the presence of grass in the run-off area which sent Ryan Preece's #41 Ford Barrell rolling in the infield.

Ryan Preece airborne at Daytona

Elton Sawyer said that NASCAR was discussing with the facilities and the promoters to decide on whether the grass should be replaced with asphalt.

"We look at the facility and the SAFER barriers and where we put the tire barriers and where there's grass and where there's asphalt and how our vehicles get to those areas. All those things we look at." he said.

He reiterated NASCAR's commitment to providing the safest environment for the drivers and the fans.

"We [have] good collaboration with the facilities and the track promoters around the country just to make sure that we have the safest environment for our competitors and our fans. But yes absolutely that will be something that will be discussed."

The #41 Ford Mustang is already being evaluated at the NASCAR's R&D center in Concord, North Carolina, to review the accident.