Who decided to paint the walls?

Question

If you see pictures from the early ninties and earlier, the walls at most tracks were plain. Why do they paint them white now? (or blue at homestead and phoenix)

Answer 1

so the drivers can see them better.  unpainted walls are too close to the same color as the track, and at 180 mph, it's not so easy telling grey wall from grey track...

Answer 2

Oh some female prolly thought they looked plain without paint. I like the way it shows up the tire marks. It allows fresh new tire marks each new race.

Answer 3

Gives the driver a better prospective of how close he is

Answer 4

It shows where the wall ends and the track begins. Simple but true.

Answer 5

Joey LoGonzos

Answer 6

John Darby made that decision !!

Since they do alot of nite racing now?? It helps the drivers to see them better !!!

Answer 7

Makes the track look cleaner for television.  Thats why they paint the walls after Saturday races so everything looks nice for TV.

Answer 8

It has to be a Nascar thing - I agree with the ones that say it gives the driver a better feeling of the distance he may be from the wall.

Answer 9

Proable to keep it simple and not distracting...

Answer 10

yeah and before that they were guardrails

its called money