Hollywood stuntman Stanton Barrett has been in his share of crashes.

Until last weekend, though, his wrecks were limited to carefully choreographed movie scenes.

Barrett, a part-time driver in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series, slammed his Chevrolet into the fourth-turn wall Sunday at California Speedway. He wound up in a hospital for evaluation, but had no serious injuries and was released later that day.

Fortunately for Barrett, his Chevrolet hit a wall where a SAFER barrier was installed this year. The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system cushions absorb the impact and reduce G-forces to the driver. The barriers have been installed or are expected to be put in by the end of this season at all NASCAR tracks where they were recommended.

“I definitely commend NASCAR and California Speedway for the SAFER barriers,” Barrett said. “It felt like a tire was going down and that’s how things got started. I didn’t have any control after that.

“I started shooting up the track, and for some reason as I headed toward the wall, I remembered they were there. I thought, Hey, maybe this won’t hurt as bad,’ It still hurt, but not as bad as concrete.”

Big win

Longtime NHRA Funny Car star John Force marked his 55th birthday with his first win of the season and 110th of his career.

The victory Monday in Bristol, Tenn., extended to 18 the number of consecutive years in which Ford has won at least one NHRA tour event. It also was Force’s first victory at Bristol Dragway, the only track on the circuit at which the 12-time series champion had not previously won.

Force moved within 42 points of division leader Del Worsham with some help from his rookie teammate Eric Medlen, who reached the semifinals. Before losing, Medlen beat Worsham and Tony Pedregon, the driver he replaced on Force’s team.

Dr. Waltrip

Three-time NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip will deliver the commencement address Saturday to the graduating class of Kentucky Wesleyan College in his hometown of Owensboro.

Waltrip, who did not go beyond high school, will then be presented with an honorary doctorate.

“Not only has Darrell Waltrip reached the pinnacle of the motorsports world, but he had also conceived and founded a ministry to racing families,” Wesleyan president Wesley H. Poling said. “His commitment to his sport and to the personal faith of his fellow sportsmen is exemplary, and we are proud to recognize his achievements.”

Waltrip, who retired from full-time racing in 2000, is now Fox’s lead analyst for NASCAR.

New career

Indianapolis 500 champion Gil de Ferran will spend most of May commenting on the activities at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

De Ferran, who retired last season after a victory in the IRL’s finale at Texas Motor Speedway, will be an analyst on several ESPN and ESPN2 Indy 500 programs this month.

“This should be another great challenge for me,” de Ferran said. “Hopefully, from my very recent experience as a winning Indy 500 driver I will be able to provide the viewers a unique perspective.”

The Brazilian competed from 1995-03 in open-wheel racing in the United States, winning championships in the CART series in 2000 and 2001. He finished second in the 2001 Indy 500 – to Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves – and the 2002 IRL championship to Sam Hornish Jr., who replaced him this season at Penske.