Horrifying crash at Daytona exposes risks to fans (photo)

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130224/DA4KPP4G2.html

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - The risks of racing extend beyond the drivers.

Fans can wind up in the danger zone, too.


Kyle Larson's car (32) gets airborne during a multi-car wreck on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/David Graham)


A horrifying crash on the last lap of a race at Daytona International Speedway injured at least 30 fans Saturday and provided another stark reminder of what can happen when a car going nearly 200 mph is suddenly launched toward the spectator areas.

The victims were sprayed with large chunks of debris - including a tire - after rookie Kyle Larson's machine careened into the fencing that is designed to protect the massive grandstands lining NASCAR's most famous track.

FULL story at link.

[antigop]

1. I will never, EVER, understand the appeal of NASCAR. nt

[geologic]

2. That's just one of many things--

that you will never, EVER, understand...

[antigop]

3. I have better things to do with my time than watch cars race around a track. nt

[geologic]

7. You "have better things to do with your time than watch cars race around a track",

but you got lotsa time to post about having better things to do with your time
than watch cars race around a track--
Okay, we got it...

[magellan]

8. Who's this "we" you speak of?

antigop did nothing but express their opinion. Not sure why you felt it necessary to jump all over them for that, twice, and then talk as if everyone else reading this thread is behind you, but it begins to appear you've got nothing better to do than to look for a fight.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

53. x2

[indie9197]

11. I get the impression that if you like NASCAR or probably NHRA

you will not be treated with tolerance here on DU. Oh, well.

[0rganism]

13. really? Not from what i've seen

Looks like geologic was the intolerant one in this sub-thread. antigop expressed an opinion, geologic belittled him(?) for it, they went back and forth.

Meanwhile a couple posts down JesterCS expresses that s/he enjoys attending car races.
Oh well, indeed.

[antigop]

41. Thank you...yes, my post was an opinion. Whatever people want to do with their time/money is their

business....unless it's illegal, harmful, etc.

[antigop]

38. It took all of 20 seconds to type my posts and it didn't cost me any money. nt

[B Calm]

10. NASCAR lost it's appeal years ago!

When they started allowing one driver to push another driver around the track!!

[Are_grits_groceries]

17. Really?

It's called drafting and it only works well at the supertracks like Daytona and Talledega.
Try that at Bristol and other venues and see where you end up.

[Kolesar]

36. Your screen name is a song title

You probably knew that.
I decided to surf up some Wet Willie when I heard "Keep on Smilin'" on WXRT and there it was.
Here is a music feed that I never heard of until this morning:
http://www.jango.com/music/Wet+Willie?l=0

[B Calm]

57. I know what it's called,

but to me it's not an individual out to win a race on his own driving skills.

[tabasco]

48. Your post indicates

a lack of intelligence and maturity.

[AngryOldDem]

16. There's a lot of things I don't understand the appeal of.

Hence the old chestnut, "To each his own."

[antigop]

37. Hey, whatever floats someone's boat. I just won't ever understand the appeal. nt

[alphafemale]

19. But, plenty of people do

Many right here on DU, as a matter of fact. I enjoy auto racing, but more at the level of local dirt track stock car races and seeing it in person.

It's not as fun on TV. I'm not likely to attend one of the NASCAR races, either. But over 150,000 people today will be there.

Plenty of people love auto racing.

[antigop]

39. Whatever floats your boat. I will never understand the appeal. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

50. I "don't understand the appeal" of taking the time to post I "don't understand the appeal"

of something I don't like. (FTR-not a NASCAR fan but I don't look down on its fans either because I have nonappealing things I like as well)

I guess this didn't go how you wanted it to. But thanks. I came to see the pictures of the crash and to post "Hey, you take your chances at any event." but this was far more fun.

[antigop]

51. It's called...stating one's opinion. nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

52. But why take the time if you "don't understand it?"

Unfortunately, and perhaps that wasn't your intent, it ends up sound more like, "Hey, look at me, looking down upon you..."

[antigop]

54. I'll repeat.. it's called...stating one's opinion. People do it all the time on DU. nt

[tinrobot]

43. Let's waste as much fuel as possible by driving in circles.

... and while we're at it, lets put advertisements all over the cars so people are motivated to consume more.

Not the sport for me.

[petronius]

4. Damn - hope everyone recovers comfortably

Someone in another thread posted a newsreel of that 1955 Le Mans disaster; I'd never heard of that before...

[Baclava]

32. auto racing is a minor sport in the US - you should see F1 in Europe, it's huge

or Rally racing around the world - that's where fans can really get up close, inches away and no fences




Rally car strikes Irish crowd; 2 killed, 7 hurt

May 27, 2012(CBS/AP) DUBLIN - Police say two people have been killed and seven injured after a race car went out of control on a rural Irish road and crashed into a crowd of about 30 spectators.

Sunday's accident highlighted the regular dangers posed to drivers and viewers alike by Ireland's annual high-speed contests on hedge-lined, narrow country roads.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57442309/rally-car-strikes-irish-crowd-2-killed-7-hurt/

[Bombero1956]

5. like hitting a little white ball with a metal club?

or how about hitting a little yellow ball over a net to where the other person isn't. See any sport can be simplified to make it sound stupid.

[The Straight Story]

6. Damn car nuts who love their cars. Ban Automatic and semi-auto cars

I mean, we didn't have cars back in the 1700's right?

So who really needs to own one now? Horse and buggy was fine back then, should be now.....

[JesterCS]

9. I like nascar myself, and indy car

Going to a race is quite fun. Plus I don't drink, so it's great to laugh at at the drunks.

[BainsBane]

12. I'm sorry people were hurt

but this is about as shocking as the crocodile hunter being killed. A bunch of cars driving as fast as they can around a track, crashes are going to happen.

[Helen Reddy]

28. BainsBane....

I just now realized that minutes have gone by staring at that geometrical, wavy, whatchamacallit.

Hypnotised.

Take me to your leader.

[Kolesar]

29. Looks like my inlaws making a second trip to the buffet table...eom

[Helen Reddy]

31. lol! you are a rascal! n/t

[BainsBane]

55. LOL

I kind of like it too.

[marions ghost]

15. The fans got their money's worth

--isn't part of the excitement the chance for crashes & near death experiences?

It's about living dangerously vicariously.

Some of us would rather watch Nik Wallenda walk over Niagara Falls. I certainly would. But it's the same fascination with watching people who are willing to risk death for our entertainment & appreciation of their skill.

The rest of the time Nascar is so incredibly boring.

[Shankapotomus]

18. NASCAR is typical Right Wing Entertainment

Whatever the activity, something is being abused. Whether it's the environment (NASCAR and fumes), animals (hunting, rodeo and calf roping), people (talk radio, UFC, football, COPS, etc), something has to be used, abused, insulted, marginalized, assaulted, imprisoned or outright killed for Righties to be entertained.

[alphafemale]

21. What is the sport of making broad generalizations with rigid, preset assumptions.

I'll take "Stereotyping" for $800, Alex.

[Shankapotomus]

24. Good one!

I can't fault you for it!

However, constantly adding clarifiers to my posts is never as much fun.

[ileus]

25. It's true, only Righties watch sports.

Think of baseball, land abuse, animal and tree abuse...and then you have beer and hotdog abuse. It's a tragedy I tell ya...


I recommend motocross for an earth friendly experience.

[Shankapotomus]

26. Now hold on there...

I never said Lefties watched the same sports for the same reasons.

But I should have clarified that before I got responses. I was being lazy.

[Kolesar]

30. Brought to you by Sunoco, makers of CO2, nitrous smog, and drilling brine! ... eom

[lynne]

20. You can get injured watching most any sport -

- baseball seems to have had a rash of injuries. The following article references three patron injuries at one baseball stadium.

http://www.kshb.com/dpp/sports/baseball/royals/third-fan-injured-during-game-at-kauffman-stadium

I used to go to stock car races as a teen and enjoyed it. However, I did see one member of a pit crew severely injured when he was not only run over, but the car then backed over him the second time. They held fundraisers for that guy for a long time.

Any time you attend any such event there is the possibility of injury. I hope that everyone recovers.

[alphafemale]

22. Don't most injuries occur at home anyway? nt

[lynne]

23. You're correct. Probably less likely to get injured -

- by attending NASCAR or a baseball game than by staying home!

[ewagner]

27. I prefer

SCCA...sports cars on a road track testing the reliability and endurance of the car AND the driver where you turn BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT and also have turns to test your low-speed as well as high-speed skills as a driver.

[A HERETIC I AM]

35. If you want to see TRUE "Stock Car" racing......

Last edited Sun Feb 24, 2013, 04:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Go to an SCCA Club event.


A HERETIC I AM <--- Licensed SCCA Flag and Comm official in the 1980's. Attended as an official over 60 events. (Again, redacted for exaggeration. I said 120. It's closer to 60. I apologize for the error)

[ewagner]

45. Went to a weekend SCCA driving school

back in the late 60's....haven't had a the funds, time or opportunity to pursue it.. used to go to Sebring every year...go to club races at Road America whenever I can (it's only about 90 miles from here)....my dream is to run a MG-Midget or A-H Sprite (bugeye if I win the lottery..lol) at Road America....may sound like a small dream to some but it's my idea of heaven!

[A HERETIC I AM]

46. Most of my SCCA experience took place at what used to be called Moroso Park, in West Palm Beach, FL

Now it's Palm Beach International Raceway.

I will never forget this one guy who raced what I think was a "D Sports Racer" that he built himself. The body panels literally looked hand hammered!

His car was underpowered and slow, but every time he went by my corner station he had this HUGE, shit-eating grin on his face. Running in last place and having a blast!

I worked in Indy Car from 1989 through 1996 and went to Road America each of those years and several times for test sessions with one or two teams. I always loved the place. The longest natural terrain road course in North America.

I don't think you have a small dream at all, and you have my hopes that you someday can buy your Bug-Eye.

If I ever won the lottery, I would buy one of those large custom motor coaches and get back into Flag and Comm. I'd go to every SCCA regional and National I could get to. Perhaps someday, I'll cover your spin into the grass with a local yellow!

What always struck me as so wonderful about those events, particularly the local club events, was there would be maybe 200 participants and perhaps 40 spectators, but EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM was there to have a good time. They were all there for the same reason and it was a rare thing indeed to ever hear a cross word or a heated argument.

Here's a pic of Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan standing in the passenger door of the truck I used to drive, taken at a test session at Road America. This was the summer of 1989.


4 time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears inside the trailer at the same test;

[ewagner]

49. The jealousy is running rampant!!!!!!

I never got to an indy-car trial at Road America...only got to see them on TV...reminded me a lot of formula 1...

I got to see Jim Hall's first run of his Chapperel at Sebring....got to see Dan Gurney burn up the team Ferrari's in his Lotus Ford at the 24 hours of Daytona..and then withdraw so the team of Ford GT-40s could win....

I would never, ever, ever, ever spin my Bug-eye out on the grass!!!! So you'd never have to bring out the yellow!

[KharmaTrain]

33. The Hazards Of The Sport...

I don't think it's any different than going to a baseball game and a bat goes flying into the crowd and hits someone...or a basketball game where players get pushed out of bounds and end up taking out several rows of spectators. IRC, there's some small print on the ticket that warns that you could be endangered. It's sad this happened, fortunately no one was killed and that there will be lessons learned from this crash that will prevent something similar from happening again...

[A HERETIC I AM]

42. There is a considerable difference between a 2 or 3 pound baseball bat .......

traveling maybe 30 or 40 MPH and a 35 pound tire/wheel assembly traveling 100 + MPH.


Besides an entire car going into the grandstands, a flying tire is one thing promoters fear most.

And FWIW, the warning on the ticket about racing being dangerous etc. etc. is worth about as much as the cardstock it's printed on.

[KharmaTrain]

44. True About The Ticket...

Someone getting hit in the head with a bat or a flying car tire is tragic no matter what the speed...my point is attempts are made to keep spectators safe but that isn't always going to be the case. Those who attend any sport should always be aware of what's going on. While the promoters do have nightmares about what just happened I'll bet the track and NASCAR's laywers will have their hands full as well. Sadly television producers see gold in this...I'm already seeing clips on FB showing the crash. It kinda goes along with George Carlin's definition of racing..."three hours of left turns and everyone's waiting for the right one..."

Cheers...

[A HERETIC I AM]

47. Agreed.

[steve2470]

34. Commentary: A nightmare finish

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130223/NASCAR/130229866/0/FRONTPAGE?p=1&tc=pg

Some of you might find this interesting.

[rhiannon55]

40. I used to go to the stock car races

with my (now ex) husband. The exciting part was when the guy said "Gentleman, start your engines!" and the engines all roared to life. It was always downhill (metaphorically) after that. The fans actually wanted cars to crash to break up the boredom.

[AsahinaKimi]

56. Too damn close.