Speedway Motorsports Inc., owners of several race tracks in the nation, announced that they will be modifying their wheel fences at four of their tracks, one of those tracks being Atlanta Motor Speedway.

This decision comes with the growth of the Indy Racing League and after tragedies occurring during other races over the past few years.

The modifications will extend the total height of the fences from 15 feet to 20 feet and the extension over the track surface from three feet to six feet. The changes will be made by utilizing most of the existing wheel fence system. The changes will be made to Atlanta Motor Speedway before the Kobalt Mechanics Tool 500 July 16 and 17.

"This is the responsible thing to do," said Ed Clark, president and general manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway. "We feel that this is a quality improvement to an already well constructed encing system."