For those people who are not racing fans a restrictor plate is:

an aluminum plate that is placed between the carburetor and the engine's

intake manifold with four holes drilled into it. The plate is designed to

slow down the flow of air and fuel into the engine's combustion chamber, making horsepower and speed very low. (Restrictor Plate)

Restrictor plates are used at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway. The two tracks are high banked, (degree of banking in the turns) D-shaped ovals that measure 2.66 mi. and 2.5 mi. respectively. These devices used to slow the cars are used at these tracks due to the extreme speeds reached by the cars, which is made possible by the high banking in the turns. These plates came into use in 1988 after Bobby Allison's stock car went through a chain-linked fence barely missing hundreds of spectators at over 200

http://nascar.about.com/library/blplate.htm

Some people say that restrictor plate racing is "exciting for the fans." (Restrictor Plate Debate) After watching both restrictor plate races and non-restrictor plate races; I must say that I personally, a fan, like unrestricted racing better. The fans enjoy watching drivers with a visibly faster car work to pass someone on their merit as a driver, not the merit of their aerodynamics department. I say that these guys are saying they are the greatest drivers in the world, they do not need a babysitter in the form of a restrictor plate. Let the drivers prove themselves. I must agree with Earnhardt's statement, "if you're not a racecar driver and not a racer, stay home" (Associated Press)

The death of Earnhardt brings back the safety issue. What about the fans? At the time that Allison's car left the track and entered the grandstands there was very little between the track and the fans. Other than a metal guardrail and a chain-linked fence there was nothing there. Now there are reinforced cement barriers with fences on top. The fences are made of meshed wire, which is reinforced by woven steal cable that can be up to six inches thick. These stronger barriers were put to the test in a truck series race at Daytona days before Earnhardt died. Geoff Bodine, driving a racing truck based on the frame of a racecar, lost control of his machine and went barreling into the fence at 165 mph. The fence held the fireball that the truck had become; protecting the fans and leaving Bodine with minor

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1038
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)