As thrilling as it can be to drive over 200 miles per hour while battling formidable competitors for prestigious titles, it’s also extremely dangerous. The risk that NASCAR drivers take on when they climb into the cockpit of a juiced-up stock car is just as incredible as their skill behind the wheel. But sometimes that skill is not enough to prevent what inevitably happens multiple times in a racing season – the dreaded high-speed wreck.
Though wrecks are unquestionably scary at times for fans, they can also be quite captivating when the drivers involved are able to walk away unscathed. Fortunately, with the increased safety measures and improved hardware of today’s NASCAR, most wrecks don’t result in serious injury and with some of the crazy crashes that have occurred over the sport’s history, that fact is pretty amazing. Here is a look back at 3 of the most memorable non-fatal wrecks of all-time.
3. 37-Car Pile Up at Daytona 1960
Incredibly, this 1960 wreck at Daytona is still the largest in NASCAR history, but even more incredible is that no one was hurt beyond minor cuts and bruises. Of course, what helped is that these guys weren’t really going that fast more than 50 years ago.
Still, the fact that all 37 drivers walked away is simply unbelievable, especially considering that the sport hadn’t put as much of an emphasis on safety that it does today.
2. Rusty Wallace Flip and Roll at Talladega 1993
Rusty Wallace had a tough 1993. This wreck at Talladega was actually the second major crash he was involved in that year, but this one looked a whole lot worse. Luckily, Wallace was okay, but after flipping through the air and rolling several times, he was likely pretty shaken up.
Shortly after this wreck, NASCAR added roof flaps to cars, which would automatically open when a car was spun and effectively prevent airflow from forming pressure that would lift the car. This is why we don’t see as many nasty flips like this as we did 10 years ago.
1. Clint Bowyer Finished the 2007 Daytona 500 Upside Down
Not only did the 2007 Daytona 500 feature one of the most electrifying finishes in recent history (Kevin Harvick won by the way), but it also included one of the craziest wrecks, in which Clint Bowyer slid across the finish line on his roof.
After flipping back over, Bowyer was able to escape the wreckage as his front end caught on fire, but unfortunately for him, his 18th place finish would not count.
Obviously, there have been plenty of other crazy crashes in the history of NASCAR, but these three never fail to amaze us. They also go to show that you never know what’s going to happen on any given NASCAR weekend and that’s why you won’t want to miss any of the high-octane action this year and you don’t have to with Fandeavor.com’s incredible NASCAR packages! Check ’em out today!