10 most important NASCAR crashes

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foehammer111

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http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/motorsports/4280752.html

Popular Mechanics posted this article a couple weeks ago. It highlights the 10 most important NASCAR crashes that changed the sport.

#10 - Michael McDowell (Texas 2008)
The CoT's first major test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iQFoRoaKfs&feature=player_embedded

#9 - Michael Waltrip (Bristol 1992) & Mike Harmon (Bristol 2002)
Close the gate at Bristol!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVlj7F8OJCY&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEv6bxTwNmA&feature=player_embedded

#8 - 37 car wreck (Daytona 1960)
This showed that NASCAR needed new safety regulations at Super Speedways like Daytona.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eb3Sf6Kf1I&feature=player_embedded

#7 - Richard Petty (Darlington 1970)
Because of this crash, NASCAR made window nets mandatory, and would ultimately move the sport away from it's strickly stock roots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JetOceQyR28&feature=player_embedded

#6 - Rusty Wallace (Daytona & Talladega 1993)
After Rusty flipped at both Super Speedways in the same year, NASCAR introduced the roof flap to keep the cars from going airborne.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE1-C-QCnlg&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLdvjpFYcIs&feature=player_embedded

#5 - Ricky Rudd (Atlanta 1990)
After a crew member was killed instantly in this horrible pit road accident, NASCAR implemented pit road speed limits, and banned pitcrew members from holding signs to identify pit stalls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4jhhXBFLVE&feature=player_embedded

#4 - Bobby Allison (Talladega 1987)
Bill Elliot qualified for this race with a record speed of 212.809mph. Then on lap 22 Boddy Allison blew a tire coming to the tri-oval. The car went into the fence, and several fans were hurt. Because of this, restrictor plates were added to the cars for the Super Speedway events.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnvd7-hZRE&feature=player_embedded

#3 - Glenn "Fireball" Roberts (Charlotte 1964)
On the 7th lap of the World 600, Roberts crashed while trying to avoid another wreck. The fuel tank exploded, and Roberts was pulled from the car with burns on 80% of his body. After a long battle for his life, he died over a month later. NASCAR required drives wear fire suits, the cars had to be equipped with onboard fire extinguishing systems, and the fuel cells were changed from steel to rubber.

#2 - Donnie Allison & Cale Yarborough (Daytona 1979)
The race that put NASCAR on the map. A last lap crash, and a fist fight. All on live TV with flag-to-flag coverage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXbHQtZH8dE&feature=player_embedded

#1 - Dale Earnhardt (Daytona 2001)
Dale Earnhardt's death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 was the single event that brought huge changes to safety. After this NASCAR starting research to develop the CoT, required drivers wear the HANS device and closed face helmets, and tracks installed SAFER barriers. It rose Earnhardt to saint-hood among NASCAR fans, and showed that no one is invulnerable in our sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsjoHkQae48&feature=player_embedded
 
I watched all of those videos with the exception of the Ricky Rudd one which was removed for some reason. Some pretty serious wrecks. I was at Daytona when Earnhardt died and again, when I watch that crash, it just doesn't look that bad, especially after seeing the other ones. I'll always believe that had Dale been sitting more upright like most of the other drivers, he'd still be with us today. His death brought about many great safety changes, but had he survived, I wonder how many of them would be with us today. We have seen before and recently how the COT handles the big roll over crashes, but Rusty survived two incredible ones in one year and that was with the older cars.
 
Why did they get rid of the roof flaps in the CoT? I'd thought they would've kept that on the cars to prevent them from being air borne.
 
That was sobering. I am no expert but I think several things contributed to Sr's death, including his head dang near hanging out the window.
 
SpeedPagan said:
Why did they get rid of the roof flaps in the CoT? I'd thought they would've kept that on the cars to prevent them from being air borne.
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The CoT has roof flaps. Just like the old car had.

It only helps in crashes where the car spins backwards. The roof flaps open when the air hits them, and it creates instant downforce on the back of the car.

It didn't help in the Logano, or McDowell crashes because the cars rolled sideways. In the Edwards Talladega crash the roof flaps actually helped push the car back down onto the track. Until Newman's car hit Edwards and launched it to the moon that is.
 
buckaroo said:
I watched all of those videos with the exception of the Ricky Rudd one which was removed for some reason.
Click to expand...

I suppose it was remove because it showed the crew member actually being crushed between the cars. I guess YouTube thought it was too violent.
 
foehammer111 said:
I suppose it was remove because it showed the crew member actually being crushed between the cars. I guess YouTube thought it was too violent.
Click to expand...

Wasn't that Bill Elliotts rear tire changer that died in that crash?
 
With the exception of Roberts and Sr they all walked away. The COT was a knee jerk reaction to Sr's death. Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty all died of head injuries and Na$car did squat. It wasn't until an icon died that they got shook.

Then how many years did it take before SAFER barriers where installed?

Get rid of the COT and that stupid "fast and furious wing", put the foam between the cage and body on the right side, bring back the spoiler and valance and keep the improved seat.
 
SST55 said:
With the exception of Roberts and Sr they all walked away. The COT was a knee jerk reaction to Sr's death. Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty all died of head injuries and Na$car did squat. It wasn't until an icon died that they got shook.

Then how many years did it take before SAFER barriers where installed?

Get rid of the COT and that stupid "fast and furious wing", put the foam between the cage and body on the right side, bring back the spoiler and valance and keep the improved seat.
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The crewman for Elliots team didn't walk away. He died. He was an everyday Joe that changed pit road speeds forever.
 
Right you are. But I was speaking of on track incidents and neglected that pit road crash. Sorry.
 
Tont Stewarts crash in the 2001 Daytona 500 was a much overlooked incedent compared to what happened later on.

If you have visited Hendrick Motorsports campus you for sure have seen Ken Schrader's mangled wreck of a racecar on display.

Amazing how even back then they still managed to walk away unscathed!
 
MAGICMILER said:
If you have visited Hendrick Motorsports campus you for sure have seen Ken Schrader's mangled wreck of a racecar on display.
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Also, if you visit RCR's museum, you'll see the car that Dale Sr. wrecked, looked it over and got back in it and raced it. How many times did that car roll?

Through the years, we have seen some pretty horrible looking wrecks in NASCAR. Some have died while others didn't receive a scratch. Also, it doesn't matter what the accident looks like, because as has been said many times before, when you compare the accident that took the life of Dale Sr. to many of those other wrecks, especially those where the cars have become airborne, you just never know.
 
SST55 said:
With the exception of Roberts and Sr they all walked away. The COT was a knee jerk reaction to Sr's death. Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty all died of head injuries and Na$car did squat.
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Well the sad fact is that(and this is NOT my opinion) but Nascar didn't think that those drivers were as important as Dale Sr.
 
SST55 said:
With the exception of Roberts and Sr they all walked away. The COT was a knee jerk reaction to Sr's death. Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, Kenny Irwin and Adam Petty all died of head injuries and Na$car did squat.
Click to expand...

Sorry, SST55, but that's 100% not correct.

In fact, I'd make the case that NASCAR had more of a "knee jerk" reaction because of Irwin and Adam Petty's deaths than they did with Earnhardt.

For example: after Earnhardt died, other than making the HANS device and closed helmets manditory, most of the changes were slow to progress. Tracks didn't install SAFER barriers until seveal years later, and most still don't have them on the straights or inside walls. The CoT took 6 years before it was actually on the track.

In contrast: after Adam Petty died, NASCAR made engine kill switches manditory, and turned the September race at Loudon into a restrictor plate race. Really now, a restrictor plate at a 1 mile flat track where speeds barely get above 150mph? Now that's a knee jerk reaction.

Honestly, the old car needed to be improved. It was long overdue, and some models were at a very clear aero disadvantage. I don't like everything the CoT has done to the sport, but I think the advantages clearly out weigh the disadvantages.

Sure, the CoT platform still needs improvement, but you can't deny that it's made the sport better (closer finishes) and safer for the drivers. I think that's something Earnhardt would be proud of.
 
Lucky dog was from DJ sitting in the middle of the front stretch. Bill Elliott refused to race back to the yellow because DJ was a sitting duck. I remember Mikey WalDrip bashing Bill for slowing down and holding people up.
 
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