In May 1987, Bobby Allison, after contacting debris from a blown engine, cut his right-rear tire while going through the tri-oval section of the track. The car was vaulted airborne. His car damaged a section of the frontstretch catch fence, but did not enter the spectator area. NASCAR imposed rule changes to slow the cars after the incident, with a 1988 rule requiring cars running there and at Daytona to again use restrictor plates. The most often cited reason is a fear that the increasing speeds were exceeding the capabilities of the tires available at the time, as high-speed tire failure had led to some terrific crashes at slightly lower speeds. The plates limit the amount of air and fuel entering the intake manifolds of the engine, greatly reducing the power of the cars and hence their speed. Similarly to restrictor plates, NASCAR changed the package for Daytona and Talladega to use tapered spacers, which are larger throttle bodies compared to the plates, and restrict less airflow, allowing larger horsepower, increased closing rates, and slightly higher speeds. This has led to an extremely competitive style of racing at Talladega and Daytona. Allison's crash was very similar to Carl Edwards's airborne crash at the 2009 Aaron's 499.