Crash Visuals |
Crash Visuals |
Crash Visuals |
Crash Visuals |
At
least 30 NASCAR fans were injured Saturday each
time a car sailed in
the fence at Daytona International Speedway, and
big chunks of debris -- such
as a tire -- flew in
to the grandstands. No fatalities were reported in
the accident about
the last lap of
the Nationwide Series race.
The crash began because field closed in around the finish line, and rookie Kyle Larson's car came upon the wreck and went airborne into the fence that separates the track from the seats.
Large chunks of Larson's car landed within the grandstands, and one of his tires did actually fly in the fence and land midway up the lower section. The automobile itself had its entire front sheared off, using the burning engine wedged by having a gaping hole inside the fence.
Speedway President Joie Chitwood said 14 fans were treated on-site, and 14 others were delivered to hospitals. Chitwood didn't give any updates on their own conditions.The quantity of those transported written by Chitwood was slightly under that distributed by local officials.
Halifax Health spokesman Byron Cogdell said 12 citizens were transported to Halifax Health Infirmary in Daytona Beach and six others were taken up Halifax Health Hospital of Port Orange. All were in stable condition, Cogdell said.
Lindsay Rew, a spokeswoman for Florida Hospital Memorial Hospital, said its Daytona Beach hospital had one fan there who was in excellent. She said three others they had been expecting were diverted to a new hospital.
No fatalities were reported at either hospital. Cogdell said two different people come to the Halifax in Daytona Beach arrived in critical condition, and one of these had life-threatening injuries, both were upgraded to stable condition.
The accident happened the day before the Sprint Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 -- NASCAR's version in the Super Bowl. Daytona workers might be seen repairing the larger part of fence where Larson hit, plus the wall that's damaged inside the accident.
"First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with this race fans," Chitwood said. "Following the incident we responded appropriately in accordance with our safety protocols, along emergency medical personnel on the incident immediately.
"We're in the process of repairing the ability and are good to go racing tomorrow."
As emergency workers tended to injured fans and ambulance sirens wailed in the shadows, a somber Tony Stewart skipped the regular post-race victory celebration.
Stewart, who won for that 19th time at Daytona and seventh in time the final nine season-opening Nationwide races, is at no mood to celebrate.
"The thing is what taking place for the frontstretch right this moment," said Stewart, the three-time NASCAR champion. "We've always known, and also since racing started, it is a dangerous sport. But it's hard. We assume that risk, but it's hard if the fans get caught up in it.
"So up to we want to celebrate right this moment in addition to being almost as much ast this can be a big deal to us, I'm more worried about the drivers and the fans that are in the stands right now because that was ... I could see all of it inside my mirror, also it didn't look really good from which I became at."
The accident spread in the upper deck and emergency crews treated fans on levels. There were five stretchers that appeared to be carrying fans out, as well as a helicopter flew overhead. A forklift was utilized to pluck Larson's engine out of the fence.
Chitwood waited by steps as emergency workers attended to those who work in the stands. Over the track, fans pressed against fencing and used binoculars looking to watch. Wrecked cars and busted parts were strewn throughout the garage.
"It's a violent wreck. Just seeing the carnage about the racetrack, it's truly unbelievable," driver Justin Allgaier said.
It would have been a chaotic finish with a race that's stopped for up to 20 mins five laps from the finish with a 13-car accident that sent driver Michael Annett to a hospital, where his Richard Petty Motorsports team said he would be held overnight with bruising to his chest.
The race resumed with three laps to visit, along with the final accident occurred with Regan Smith leading as they headed out from the final utilize the checkered flag. He admittedly tried to block Brad Keselowski to preserve the win.
"I attemptedto throw a block. It's Daytona, you need to go for the win here," Smith said. "I do not know how you can listen to it different besides concede second place, i wasn't ready to do that today. Our responsibility is usually to organize them in position to win, also it was, and it failed out."
As the cars began wrecking all over Smith and Keselowski, Stewart slid through for that win, but Larson plowed into Keselowski and his car was sent airborne into the stands. When Larson's car found an end, it had been missing its entire front. The 20-year-old, who made his Daytona debut immediately, stood apparently stunned, on the job his hips, several feet faraway from his car, before finally making the required trip to the concern center.He was quoted saying his first thought was using the fans.
"I hope all of the fans are OK and many types of the drivers are right," Larson said. "I took one or two big hits there and saw my engine was gone. Just hope everybody's okay."He explained he was along to the ride in the last-lap accident.
"I was getting pushed from behind, I felt like, and by time my spotter said lift or go low, it was past too far," Larson said. "I is at the wreck and then felt as it was reducing and that i appeared as if I could see the soil. Had some flames come in the cockpit, but luckily I was okay and might get rid of the vehicle quick."
It appeared fans were lined right down the fence when Larson's car sailed up and with it, but Chitwood indicated there were a buffer. He was quoted saying there'd be no changes towards the seating prior to the Daytona 500.
"We don't anticipate moving any one of our fans," Chitwood said. "We had our safety protocols in position. Our security maintained a buffer that separates the fans from the fencing area. With the fencing being prepared tonight to the safety protocols, we expect to go racing tomorrow without having changes."
Larson's car appeared to hit the place that the cross-over gate -- a piece which can be opened for individuals to travel both to and from the infield to the grandstands -- is located in a fence. Previous accidents where drivers hit crossover gates were severe, however the gates were inside the wall rather than a fence for Mike Harmon's accident at Bristol in 2002 and Michael Waltrip's in the same track in 1990.
Still, NASCAR senior vp Steve O'Donnell said it would be studied.
"I think we glance only at that after every incident," O'Donnell said. "We've learned during the past certain protocols set up today are due to prior incidents. Again, our initial evaluation continues to be ongoing. However it is certainly something we'll investigate. Whenever we can enhance it, we'll certainly put that in play the moment we can."
Larson had been scheduled to race his sprint car later Saturday night in Ocala, Fla., and even seemed restless to get there through the late stages of the Nationwide race. He removed with the event following a accident.
"Honestly, the race itself pales as compared to the injuries sustained by the fans," said Chip Ganassi, the c's owner who's Larson in the driver development program. "Our thoughts and prayers visit every one of the fans which are injured on account of the crash. As for Kyle, I am happy that he is OK."
Keselowski watched a replay of the final accident, and said his first thoughts were with the fans. When it comes to accident, he agreed he attempted to create a winning move and Smith experimented with block.
"He felt like that's what he to complete, and that is his right. The chaos includes it," Keselowski said. "I made the move and the man blocked it, and also the 2 of us got together and started the chain events that caused that wreck. First of all, just want to make sure everyone in the stands is OK and we're thinking of them."
Keselowski said the incident could cast a pall about the Daytona 500.
"I think until we understand just the statuses of everyone involved, it's hard to lock yourself in to the 500," Keselowski said. "Hopefully, we'll know soon and hopefully everyone's OK. If that is the case, we'll staring focusing on Sunday."
The crash began because field closed in around the finish line, and rookie Kyle Larson's car came upon the wreck and went airborne into the fence that separates the track from the seats.
Large chunks of Larson's car landed within the grandstands, and one of his tires did actually fly in the fence and land midway up the lower section. The automobile itself had its entire front sheared off, using the burning engine wedged by having a gaping hole inside the fence.
Speedway President Joie Chitwood said 14 fans were treated on-site, and 14 others were delivered to hospitals. Chitwood didn't give any updates on their own conditions.The quantity of those transported written by Chitwood was slightly under that distributed by local officials.
Halifax Health spokesman Byron Cogdell said 12 citizens were transported to Halifax Health Infirmary in Daytona Beach and six others were taken up Halifax Health Hospital of Port Orange. All were in stable condition, Cogdell said.
Lindsay Rew, a spokeswoman for Florida Hospital Memorial Hospital, said its Daytona Beach hospital had one fan there who was in excellent. She said three others they had been expecting were diverted to a new hospital.
No fatalities were reported at either hospital. Cogdell said two different people come to the Halifax in Daytona Beach arrived in critical condition, and one of these had life-threatening injuries, both were upgraded to stable condition.
The accident happened the day before the Sprint Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 -- NASCAR's version in the Super Bowl. Daytona workers might be seen repairing the larger part of fence where Larson hit, plus the wall that's damaged inside the accident.
"First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with this race fans," Chitwood said. "Following the incident we responded appropriately in accordance with our safety protocols, along emergency medical personnel on the incident immediately.
"We're in the process of repairing the ability and are good to go racing tomorrow."
As emergency workers tended to injured fans and ambulance sirens wailed in the shadows, a somber Tony Stewart skipped the regular post-race victory celebration.
Stewart, who won for that 19th time at Daytona and seventh in time the final nine season-opening Nationwide races, is at no mood to celebrate.
"The thing is what taking place for the frontstretch right this moment," said Stewart, the three-time NASCAR champion. "We've always known, and also since racing started, it is a dangerous sport. But it's hard. We assume that risk, but it's hard if the fans get caught up in it.
"So up to we want to celebrate right this moment in addition to being almost as much ast this can be a big deal to us, I'm more worried about the drivers and the fans that are in the stands right now because that was ... I could see all of it inside my mirror, also it didn't look really good from which I became at."
The accident spread in the upper deck and emergency crews treated fans on levels. There were five stretchers that appeared to be carrying fans out, as well as a helicopter flew overhead. A forklift was utilized to pluck Larson's engine out of the fence.
Chitwood waited by steps as emergency workers attended to those who work in the stands. Over the track, fans pressed against fencing and used binoculars looking to watch. Wrecked cars and busted parts were strewn throughout the garage.
"It's a violent wreck. Just seeing the carnage about the racetrack, it's truly unbelievable," driver Justin Allgaier said.
It would have been a chaotic finish with a race that's stopped for up to 20 mins five laps from the finish with a 13-car accident that sent driver Michael Annett to a hospital, where his Richard Petty Motorsports team said he would be held overnight with bruising to his chest.
The race resumed with three laps to visit, along with the final accident occurred with Regan Smith leading as they headed out from the final utilize the checkered flag. He admittedly tried to block Brad Keselowski to preserve the win.
"I attemptedto throw a block. It's Daytona, you need to go for the win here," Smith said. "I do not know how you can listen to it different besides concede second place, i wasn't ready to do that today. Our responsibility is usually to organize them in position to win, also it was, and it failed out."
As the cars began wrecking all over Smith and Keselowski, Stewart slid through for that win, but Larson plowed into Keselowski and his car was sent airborne into the stands. When Larson's car found an end, it had been missing its entire front. The 20-year-old, who made his Daytona debut immediately, stood apparently stunned, on the job his hips, several feet faraway from his car, before finally making the required trip to the concern center.He was quoted saying his first thought was using the fans.
"I hope all of the fans are OK and many types of the drivers are right," Larson said. "I took one or two big hits there and saw my engine was gone. Just hope everybody's okay."He explained he was along to the ride in the last-lap accident.
"I was getting pushed from behind, I felt like, and by time my spotter said lift or go low, it was past too far," Larson said. "I is at the wreck and then felt as it was reducing and that i appeared as if I could see the soil. Had some flames come in the cockpit, but luckily I was okay and might get rid of the vehicle quick."
It appeared fans were lined right down the fence when Larson's car sailed up and with it, but Chitwood indicated there were a buffer. He was quoted saying there'd be no changes towards the seating prior to the Daytona 500.
"We don't anticipate moving any one of our fans," Chitwood said. "We had our safety protocols in position. Our security maintained a buffer that separates the fans from the fencing area. With the fencing being prepared tonight to the safety protocols, we expect to go racing tomorrow without having changes."
Larson's car appeared to hit the place that the cross-over gate -- a piece which can be opened for individuals to travel both to and from the infield to the grandstands -- is located in a fence. Previous accidents where drivers hit crossover gates were severe, however the gates were inside the wall rather than a fence for Mike Harmon's accident at Bristol in 2002 and Michael Waltrip's in the same track in 1990.
Still, NASCAR senior vp Steve O'Donnell said it would be studied.
"I think we glance only at that after every incident," O'Donnell said. "We've learned during the past certain protocols set up today are due to prior incidents. Again, our initial evaluation continues to be ongoing. However it is certainly something we'll investigate. Whenever we can enhance it, we'll certainly put that in play the moment we can."
Larson had been scheduled to race his sprint car later Saturday night in Ocala, Fla., and even seemed restless to get there through the late stages of the Nationwide race. He removed with the event following a accident.
"Honestly, the race itself pales as compared to the injuries sustained by the fans," said Chip Ganassi, the c's owner who's Larson in the driver development program. "Our thoughts and prayers visit every one of the fans which are injured on account of the crash. As for Kyle, I am happy that he is OK."
Keselowski watched a replay of the final accident, and said his first thoughts were with the fans. When it comes to accident, he agreed he attempted to create a winning move and Smith experimented with block.
"He felt like that's what he to complete, and that is his right. The chaos includes it," Keselowski said. "I made the move and the man blocked it, and also the 2 of us got together and started the chain events that caused that wreck. First of all, just want to make sure everyone in the stands is OK and we're thinking of them."
Keselowski said the incident could cast a pall about the Daytona 500.
"I think until we understand just the statuses of everyone involved, it's hard to lock yourself in to the 500," Keselowski said. "Hopefully, we'll know soon and hopefully everyone's OK. If that is the case, we'll staring focusing on Sunday."