Stuff happens fast at 200+MPH!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have a habit of climbing in bed around 10:30 p.m. and last night was no exception. I did have the forethought to record the end of the Coke Daytona 400 ( I like the name Firecracker 400 better). When I watched the end of the race this morning, I was really amazed at that last lap wreck! A 3500 lb. car getting into the air and flipping into the fence. It was impressive that the driver got out and waved to the crowd. That was truly a testament to the advances in the safety gear in those cars these days.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Stuff does happen fast. Tell me how fast he needed to change his underwear - - Me - I would have been there before contact with the fence...........and that was only 2 - 3 seconds after contact..........

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Can you imagine how he felt.......you go air born......flip....hit the fence.....land upside down......slide down the track to infield....come to a stop......about now when you are considering wiping the sweat off your forehead thinking "That was close"....the other car hits you spinning your around a couple more times.......

[julian abram]

Amazing that Dillon walked away, car totally torn apart. Made Dale Earnhardt's deadly crash in 2001 look like a fender bender. Also years of improvement in the retaining wall and fence saved a bunch of spectators from being killed by Dillon's car.

[Larry Frank]

I can not believe that the fence held the car on the race track. I hope the spectators were not badly hurt by some of the debris.

[Brian Tymchak]

I got to wondering, if that crash had happened mid-race, (and more specifically, less than half way) vs last lap, that they would have had to red-flag the race until the catch fence was repaired. I wonder how fast they can repair a fence like that? I guess they would finish the race the next day?

[Randy Red Bemont]

These race cars are designed to take an impact like that and usually let the driver walk away unharmed. If you ever get to see a chassis for these cars up close you will see how well made they are. NASCAR inspects every chassis and certifies that it is race ready.

Red

[Bruce Page]

It was quite a weekend for Dillon, he won the Xfinity race the night before. I wonder how many G's he experienced going from 190+ to 0 in about 30'. The young man is lucky to be alive. I wish they could figure out something to put a stop to pack racing and slow the cars down.

[Steve Kinnaird]

I have been going to Daytona races since 1983.
But as the ticket prices kept climbing I decided to watch from home.
I was there when Dale Sr. was killed. The impact looked so minor, but the lack of head restraints at that time is what killed him.
NASCAR has become safer every year. But Daytona & Talladega will remain the "Big Crash" tracks until they find a way to slow the cars but still have the ability to separate. Those two options just don't work together.
The crash reminded me of the crash Geoff Bodine had in the Daytona 250 Truck Race in 2000.
Geoff is a friend of my wife's family and that was a very scary moment.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Watched him in an interview - - he really did not know what was going on when he hit the fence - too fast, too disorienting - -all he was thinking was "OK, this is about to be over - just hang on".

One of many amazing things about that crash - that car went from about 180 to ZERO when it hit the fence. That right there is some excellent engineering.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Realistically, Dillon's car did not go from 180 to 0 upon impact with the fence, it traveled a 1/4 mile before reaching zero. I will give you the car was also rotating in all three axis in the process and I'm sure it was a violent and not so fun ride. Now Michael Waltrip's wreck at Bristol in 1990 is some serious deceleration. Remember this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzxcuV5rmA4. NASCAR estimates Micheal decelerated from 120 to 0 in 6 feet.

[Paul McGaha]

It was one of the more violent wrecks I've seen. Glad the safety equipment worked and the guy is ok.

The following is a wreck of Richard Petty's, It's at Daytona in 1988, I've always considered it one of the worst wrecks that I've seen. Car torn to pieces. Richard walked away from that wreck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnYk4Hfzs_c

[Steve Kinnaird]

It was one of the more violent wrecks I've seen. Glad the safety equipment worked and the guy is ok.

The following is a wreck of Richard Petty's, It's at Daytona in 1988, I've always considered it one of the worst wrecks that I've seen. Car torn to pieces. Richard walked away from that wreck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnYk4Hfzs_c

I was there and saw Brett Bodine with no where to go.
The catch fence did it's job then too.

[Pat Barry]

NASCAR does a great job of engineering the cars and the tracks for safety, but accidents are and always have been part of racing. Slowing the cars down is not going to happen. People want to see those guys going 200 - it wouldn't be the same nor draw any where near the audience if they were only going 150. And, when you look back, they have been doing 200 at Daytona for several decades. The restrictor plates is what is keeping the speed down to 200 as it is now.

[Paul McGaha]

Realistically, Dillon's car did not go from 180 to 0 upon impact with the fence, it traveled a 1/4 mile before reaching zero. I will give you the car was also rotating in all three axis in the process and I'm sure it was a violent and not so fun ride. Now Michael Waltrip's wreck at Bristol in 1990 is some serious deceleration. Remember this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzxcuV5rmA4. NASCAR estimates Micheal decelerated from 120 to 0 in 6 feet.

Man, that was a heck of a wreck. Truly was a wonder Michael Waltrip was ok after that wreck.

PHM

[Bert Kemp]

I worked at NHIS for 5 years and spent many hours in the garages looking at the cars when the shell is up or off you can really see the cage these guys sit in and how well its constructed, and when their buckled in their almost part of the car.The only parts of their body that moves is hands and lower legs and feet. Head moves very little, just enough so the can see but not much more.

[Bruce Page]

Man, that was a heck of a wreck. Truly was a wonder Michael Waltrip was ok after that wreck.

PHM
Michael Waltrip has never been OK.. :rolleyes::)

[Steve Kinnaird]

Michael Waltrip has never been OK.. :rolleyes::)

It's hard to argue that ......

[Kent A Bathurst]

Realistically, Dillon's car did not go from 180 to 0 upon impact with the fence, it traveled a 1/4 mile before reaching zero.

Andy - you cannot write poetry with a calculator, my friend. But still - you wanna give me the real number? ;)

[Myk Rian]

Realistically, Dillon's car did not go from 180 to 0 upon impact with the fence, it traveled a 1/4 mile before reaching zero.
Well, no. The rest of the field went 1/4 mile. Dillon's car barely made it past the pit lane exit.
For those that haven't seen it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeWs7p8ICfk

[Pat Barry]

Well, no. The rest of the field went 1/4 mile. Dillon's car barely made it past the pit lane exit.
For those that haven't seen it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeWs7p8ICfk

How many G's did he get subjected to there?

[Paul McGaha]

NASCAR is the only form of racing that I watch. I think the main reason for that is that most of the wrecks don't lead to deaths or really serious injuries. I agree with Pat that NASCAR does do a good job with safety. I'm sure they'll learn what they can from this wreck and try to make the next wreck more survivable.

PHM

[Anthony Whitesell]

It is said the accident happened at the start finish line. I recalled where his car stopped. As you point out happened closer to the pit exit. So 180mph to 0 in a little more than 70 feet (width of track and apron at that section of the track and then some).