DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Since the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, NASCAR has taken sweeping steps to reduce the risk of head injuries. And when a driver does get hurt, NASCAR officials have established more comprehensive protocols to identify, track and treat concussions.

While NASCAR officials are proud of the progress they’ve made on safety, they know nothing is guaranteed at 200 mph.

“It’s an inherently dangerous sport,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing operations. “We’ve got to be the best, on the front end and, we think, on the back end.”

Under NASCAR’s policy, any driver who is involved in a significant crash must go to the infield medical center. Even drivers who are able to drive their wrecked cars back to the garage area may be ordered to get checked out.

“If you hit the wall, you can probably bet you’re going to be at the care center,” O’Donnell said. “We’re not the most popular people all the time.”