Newman critical of safety at Watkins Glen

Ryan Newman was very critical of Watkins Glen International when interviewed outside of the medical center at WGI. On lap 56 Newman made contact with a Armco barrier & tire wall that sent him back out into traffic. He was then hit by Michael McDowell who's car went awkwardly backward into the Armco barrier, damaging a section of the barrier. This caused a red flag that lasted 1 hour 21 minutes to repair the barrier.When interviewed after leaving the medical center Newman said "It's just a very antiquated racetrack and the safety is not at all up to NASCAR's standards, It's a shame that we have to have accidents like that to prove it." ESPN spoke with NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton, who stated "It's a constant improvement process, and as you know, many of the places we go to, the facilities, are multi-purpose, and we're only here one weekend a year-and it's busy throughout the rest of the year. Watkins Glen has made great advancements. You remember Turn 1 and 2 and all that, moved grandstands and fencing and SAFER barriers, and that's worked quite well for us. But not all places are places for SAFER barriers. There are different types of systems to help slow cars down."