On the last lap, Regan Smith leads Brad Keselowski toward the checkered flag. Keselowski can't get around him, Smith chops him, and "the big one" occurs. Over a dozen cars end up crashing across the start/finish line.
All drivers walked away without major injury. However, at least 15 (maybe 17 according to some sources) were injured. A couple were seriously injured, one confirmed with head trauma. Kyle Larson's car got airborne and went into the catch fence. His engine literally went right through the catch fence and ended up in the stands. A tire flew over the fence as well and landed about ten rows up.
Everybody is pointing the finger at who or what is responsible. CNN blames Keselowski for starting the wreck. NASCAR analysts confirm it was Smith's fault (and he said he would block like that again). Fans on twitter say the fence should be stronger or that the fans should be moved back.
Point the finger wherever you want, but one thing is clear: something needs to change.
Let's first look back to the race last week, the Sprint Unlimited, an exhibition event to kick off the 2013 season. On the last lap of the race, Kevin Harvick executed two textbook blocking maneuvers to hold on to the win. He was praised for his "great blocks" on that last lap.
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| (Photo: Heather Tucker, USA TODAY Sports) |
Similarly, the trailing cars have the same blame. Tony Stewart two years ago said right before the last race of his championship 2011 season that "I'd wreck my grandmother to win a championship." And you know what, I believe him, because even grandma could survive a wreck in a stock car. But what is clear is that drivers do not care about the well-being of their fellow competitors. If they are not fast enough to pass the car in front, they'll make them crash to get them out of the way. Real classy.
Maybe the cars are TOO safe? I mean, drivers have ZERO respect for each other out there. Maybe it's because they feel like the cars are so safe that they will be alright. The last death in a stock car was Dale Earnhardt in 2001, and that wasn't exactly a "bad" crash. Jeff Gordon had a crash a few years ago where he flipped over four times in the "big one." He was quoted after the wreck: "That was fun!"
There's issue number one: The drivers don't respect each others' safety. They think it's fun to be a part of the big one because they feel safe. They bump each other at over 180 mph because they know they can survive the crash. That doesn't occur in other motorsports events, which is why something needs to change in stock car racing.Dan Wheldon's death in IndyCar was enough to awaken racers worldwide about the danger of the sport, or so I thought.
Can the fence be better? Absolutely. Racing series have been working on new options. Three time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti tweeted: "it's time for @indycar @nascar other sanctioning bodies & promoters to work on an alternative to catch fencing. There has to be a better solution." He competed in both IndyCar and NASCAR, so he knows. Will Buxton, F1 analyst, responded that an avalanche catch fence was installed at F1 Sepang track in 2012. He also said that an "NHL style plexiglass has been considered, especially for ovals, but tech isn't good enough compared to fencing yet."
The same thing happened in the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Mike Conway's car got airborne into the catch fence. The result, for him it was a broken leg. For the fans, minor injuries, but it could have been much worse. Conway's tire and engine both went through the fence and under the stands. The same thing happened nearly three years ago, so why does it take an identical incident now before it becomes an issue?
Next, let's analyze the fans. Yes, the FANS are to blame here. A video quickly went viral of the wreck from the grandstands. One fan yells "Oh here we go!" in an excited voice as soon as the "big one" begins. Everybody is all excited as nearly every driver out there is crashing across the start/finish line. Then all of a sudden you see fans waiving toward the track, not in excitement but in panic. The video then zooms in on a tire sitting in the stands right where fans are yelling for help.
That video has since been blocked by NASCAR for copyright infringement. I'll stay away from that topic.
Fans in the stands were EXCITED when their drivers crashed. Are you serious? Twitter was exploding with prayers for the fans, but for each post asking for prayers, there was another that said how awesome the finish was and how excited they were for the race tomorrow.
So the fans want big crashes, and that's what NASCAR has been giving them. And that's why NASCAR officials are most to blame in this whole thing.
That's what the fans want to see. That's what NASCAR has provided. They have put their drivers in danger as a result. And now their neglect has led to serious fan injuries (hopefully none fatal).
Many fans are hoping the Brickyard 400 will be cancelled because "it's just single file boring racing." The attendance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway declining rapidly over the past few years is proof of that. Real racing for them is having 43 cars within a few feet of each other. Skilled racing involves using a draft and allowing cars to spread out a bit. Fans don't want skilled racing, and that's what NASCAR has provided.
The safety of racing fans is being compromised. The facilities can be improved, the cars can be improved, the driver's mentalities can be improved. However, until NASCAR listens to reason and eliminates pack racing which breeds these terrible crashes, then there truly is no hope for stock car racing.
One Speed reporter said it perfectly: "When (the fans) become part of the race, that's wrong."
Sadly it takes the severe injury and possible death of FANS to make NASCAR wake up.
Oh, they take zero responsibility in their press conference. Never mind. THAT's what's wrong with sports.
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