By alley - Aug 18, 2014, 12:28 PM ET

Report: Majority of 520 U.S. auto racing deaths in last 25 years occurred on short tracks

ABOVE: Requiring use of systems like the HANS Device has made major league racing safer.

The recent death of driver Kevin Ward Jr. in an incident at a sprint car race involving NASCAR star Tony Stewart has focused major national media attention on the danger presented by short track racing. According to a report on Sunday by the

Charlotte Observer

, more than 520 deaths have occurred in U.S. auto racing in the past 25 years – and two of every three deaths over the past three years occurred at short tracks.

Driver dies at racing school at Wall Stadium Speedway in New Jersey

NASCAR – which

modified its rules regarding drivers confronting one another during races in the wake of the Ward tragedy

– has not had a fatal accident at any of its top races since the safety changes that followed the death of Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500 in 2001. These changes included making the use of head-and-neck restraints mandatory, better impact-absorbing walls and revisions to the racecars.

Ryan Truex suffered a heavy crash during practice for this past weekend's Sprint Cup race at Michigan, from which he escaped with a concussion

.

The Observer report states that of at least 523 racing deaths since 1990, 53 percent have been at short tracks, which account for the majority of all U.S. racing. The Observer noted that since there is official report of fatalities at racetracks, its list may not include all deaths.