The Crash That Changed NASCAR Forever

[@johnharris6655]

You would think after the 1955 LeMans disaster, all racing circuits would have done more to keep debris away from fans. A car went into the stands and killed 83 people that day.

[@ericedison9654]

Not the car, the engine did and yeah, it was horrible

[@johnharris6655]

@@ericedison9654 Mercedes stop racing cars until 1989.

[@marshallfischer8686]

At LeMans in 55 there were no concrete barriers or catch fencing. All they had was a small amount of guardrail and some picket fence. So they did do more. There isn't much a way to stop car parts making it into the crowd when the crowd is that close to the track. But the catch fence at least stops the car from entering the stands.

[@xminusone1]

@@ericedison9654 The rear and front axles, engine and the entire drive train. The solution isn't always to slow the cars down. Nascar is boring enough without the cars going down to 60 mph. But it's simple and easy to understand. But never bring up any great technologies advancement like F1, Rally or the 24 hours Le Mans races. It's still entertaining but don't slow them down too much because it will be boring.

[@SvendleBerries]

Racing fans like danger, and they like being close to it. Just look at rally races and where the crowd is often found. Or where photographers go to set up shots.

[@GreatSunJesterLives]

“It’s safer to be spread out at 210 than bunched up at 190.”-Geoff Bodine protesting restrictor plates.

[@The_Joshuan_Empire]

"Although when they spin out at 210 in the grass it's safer to spin out at 190" -Me, explaining blowovers.

[@dezznutz3743]

@@The_Joshuan_Empire Thanks Captain Obvious. Who knew that wrecks were less dangerous and destructive at lower speeds, then at higher speeds?

[@TheMouseAvenger]

​@@dezznutz3743 *(snort-laughs)*

[@lecil2]

I agree.

[@alanjohnson911]

They have blowovers at 185.......167 mph is liftoff speec

[@brianclayton3898]

My dad was in the stands about 35-40 rows up behind the Allison wreck. He said it seemed like everything was in slow motion. His right rear tire was cut and blew out. The engine did not blow up.

[@theonionman]

That is what I saw watching this! Thank you for confirming my opinion.

[@brianbooher7318]

He cut a tire because the motor blew in the harmonic balancer come off the front of the engine and he ran over it

[@bostonrailfan2427]

the engine was fine until then, he struck debris or something causing the blowout leading to the wobbling then crash…

[@MichaelRei99]

Why didn’t other cars hit any debris. Hmmmm

[@brianbooher7318]

@@bostonrailfan2427 he ran over his own harmonic balancer when the engine locked up it sheared it off the front of the crankshaft threw it under the car an he ran over it

[@ridged8]

I think the crash at Indy, where the fan was killed in the stands also sent chills down the spines of the Daytona Brass. they saw their lives pass before their eyes that day. Lawyers are the ones who ultimately control nascar

[@callmesith1976]

would love to hear more about that im a local of indy

[@3Dsjk]

Do you possibly mean the last IRL race at Charlotte? Based on how the catch fence was damaged and the sets that were replaced, some people believe Tony Renna’s fatal practice crash at Indy could have been even more catastrophic if there were fans sitting there. If Bobby Allison’s crash resulted in the deaths of dozens of fans, on live television, ‘lawyers’ wouldn’t have been NASCAR’s biggest problem. If the 1955 Le Mans disaster had happened even 10 years later, with better TV cameras and color photographs, that might have been the end of motor racing as we know it.

[@BSNFabricating]

@@callmesith1976 It happened in the '87 Indy 500, just three weeks after this Winston 500. I don't remember the specifics, but the was a loose tire as a result of a wreck down in turn one...and the tire was hit by another car (if I remember right, it was Roberto Guerrero, who ultimately finished second in the race). The tire was launched over the fence and it hit somebody in the top of the stands.

[@soulslayergamer2318]

Something like that happens in Formula 1.

[@danfarris135]

My former boss was about 3 rows in front of that incident at Indy. He didnt see the tire fly by him and didnt know what happened until the rescue crews flooded the area.

[@tweetdriver]

Having driven my own car on the track at Talladega, and having done the NASCAR experience at Daytona, I can tell you one difference that could make Daytona more dangerous is that the track is noticeably narrower.

[@kailahmann1823]

Almost everybody missing a car that's stuck sideways in the middle of the track would be impossible at Daytona.

[@berntlindberg9856]

Vi vi😅

[@stevegrubb9348]

I was there. My group was sitting just past the start finish line high up enough to see the whole track. It wasn't my first time at Talladega. Back then you could go down to the fence and watch as the cars came at you all the way from the fourth turn. You could see the suspension working as the aero effects pushed the front end down and the cars set up for the first turn. It was spectacular.

[@RA-ws7it]

I was sitting in the section affected by the 87 crash during the 88 spring race. I remember feeling very surreal and somewhat weird. I also remember the talks of bad luck and haunted burial grounds under the track. I wrecked my beautiful van leaving the race once and broke down in our new GT Mustang the next race. When Davey died in the helicopter accident I decided not to return there. Something about that place gives me the creeps.

[@Sapphiregamer8605]

Yikes.

[@kendogthunder]

I was at this race. Albeit on the backstretch. I remember reading about I about the valley where the track is. Its said it is cursed for any white man to pass thru. As ancient burial grounds are in this valley.

[@SwedeSpeeder]

Ghosts aren't real. Edit: Davey died because the tail rotor on the helicopter HE was piloting, hit a fence (pilot error). When the tail rotor comes off a chopper, things get wild very quickly. Sadly, he passed away as a result. It wasn't ghosts or curses or anything "paranormal". It was simply bad luck. Hell, luck isn't even real. lol

[@pommiebears]

@@SwedeSpeeder I think you underestimate the universe. I do respect your approach though, as my dad is very much a “realist” as he puts it. I happen to believe some places are affected by the bad energy that has been before.

[@lethalhotbox3778]

Jesus glad ur okay sounds terrifying

[@mikechurch2359]

I was watching this race when bobby hit the fence NASCAR insurance said they had to slow the cars but back then the faster they went the more ticket sales went up. great video

[@lllllllllllll343]

I wonder if nascar could go with a 570 hp package at Daytona and talladega

[@ronniestanley75]

The difference is that back in the day, they pushed their cars to the limits and found them. Today, they push their cars to the limits of the rules.

[@dc-vw4qm]

That is the best ways of describing it I've ever heard

[@thales2501]

do you want drivers to die just because of some numbers?

[@wncryder]

@@thales2501 - At Daytona & Talladega they should race Big Wheels down pit road, in 4-stages to get from one end to the other.

[@diegocapasso7451]

More safe and avoid the Dominion problem of the F1, this Is the best part of nascar

[@chan13153]

dont forget about banning of the flag and the attempt to attact blacks, chinese, mexicans and arabs. Keep NASCAR white

[@RetroCarsForever]

Every motorsport seems to have this pattern...Cars get faster, a huge accident happens (that usually takes out some fans), and then safety comes in to throttle it down. WRC, F1, Indy...All have similar stories, this just happens to be NASCAR's.

[@JrGoonior]

NHRA castrated the Top Fuel guys, too! They are only allowed to run so much Nitro and they shortened the track 320 ft to 1000ft.

[@justink2101]

@@JrGoonior I love NHRA. Everyone hates the 1000 ft rule but it's neccessary on the tracks with short shut down runs like my home track Pomona. It is cool that they are approaching 340mph constantly now though, even at 1000 ft and 300 at the 8th mile! I wish they would go back to racing the quarter mile at tracks where it's safe to do so.

[@The_Joshuan_Empire]

​@@JrGooniorI mean with the higher speeds all they need to do is make a track that's really long so there's more slow down time than acceleration time and mod the rest to match. I mean like 2000 feet tracks so you have a extra 1000 feet to slow down

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

F1 is now faster though.

[@schwarg]

The Isle of Man TT is an exception. Records are broken on the circuit nearly every year and the speeds keep getting higher and higher. It is also one of the most deadly races in the world and the community surrounding it has a fierce devotion to preserve the heritage of the event by blocking any regulation and political interference.

[@WoddCar]

This crash was absolutely crazy, a few centimeters and nascar would be fundamentally different or gone at all

[@soulslayergamer2318]

I think not

[@prophswrld]

@@soulslayergamer2318 I disagree. If Bobby hadn’t have clipped the wall before getting into the fence, I believe that the car would have entered the grandstands and caused serious injuries- something not too dissimilar from the Le Mans disaster. The trajectory of the vehicle may have prevented it from entering the higher rows of the grandstands, but I believe that the car would have spun into the lower rows.

[@soulslayergamer2318]

@@prophswrld But i think nascar dont would be gone.

[@starpartyguy5605]

@@soulslayergamer2318 I don't think so. The show must go on. And Nascar needs money and races to survive. Indy didn't collapse when 1973 came and fuel and debris hit the fans and 2 drivers were killed (I think 2 were killed). If someone is making money, the carnage will not stop.

[@mumbles215]

If you sit by the track as they did, you assume the risk.

[@ryansheehan9462]

It’s horrifying to think what could have happened had his left front fender not hit the wall. I think those who say it could have been the end of NASCAR are probably right.

[@rodneywaugh8535]

It was the start of the long slow painful death that Nascar has been dealing with.... This was probably step one!

[@soulslayergamer2318]

I formula 1 the crashes Was worse

[@minnesotajack1]

I’m guessing it could have easily killed 50 people, all with the driver relatively unharmed.

[@mase8832]

You just need to see what happened at Lemans in 1955 to see what could've happened here

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@soulslayergamer2318 because they race in countries that don’t give two fs about fan safety

[@TinHatRanch]

I️ haven’t watched NASCAR in decades at this point. I’m surprised to find out the pole speed in the 22 Daytona 500 was 180mph. That just cements the fact it might be decades more that I️ won’t watch it.

[@chace7595]

The 212 is average speed not top speed. On the straightaway it was closer to 220mph to 230mph. They slow down in the turns so the speed increased on the straightaway.

[@brianbooher7318]

They run wide open Bill slowed down a little bit in the turns because of the tire scrubbing speed off in the corner but it probably wasn't two to three mile an hour so you're probably looking at 220 on the straightaways and 208 in the corner

[@michaeldonoho612]

I was there that day. Seated just past the finish line about 20 rows away from track. We left and watched the finish of the race on TV. I have been around racing all my life and this was a scary moment. I have never been back to a super speedway. I know it is safer now but my recliner and 70" TV work just fine for me. I still miss the rush when they start their engines! I hope I don't live too see it replaced with EV racing. Nascar fan for life.

[@5PercentTint]

Great delivery. Always liked racing. Met Gordon 24 three times when I was growing up but never understood the dynamics

[@zeronzemesh7718]

NASCAR was worried about safety, but they also realized that without restricting speeds, the superspeedway races could become boring. Even diehard Bill Elliott fans weren't going to sit and watch him run half a lap ahead of everyone else for 200 laps. You can't sell cheap beer to fans that are asleep.

[@brianbooher7318]

I find it quite interesting to see somebody just walk away from the field and run a high flap ahead of everybody that shows true domination and true skill this b******* they run today is just a bunch of Mama's Boys whose Daddy bought him a ride that you could basically buy a car off the showroom floor that would outrun the damn things they run today they ought to take Talladega and Daytona the bull loves them to the ground Phil France senior would roll over his grave if he seen what the hell had become a his two super Speedways That was supposed to be the biggest baddest track in the world which it was and now it's just a bunch of b*******

[@JBofBrisbane]

In Australia, Holden fans loved seeing Peter Brock win the Bathurst 1000 by six laps driving one of their beloved Holdens. But that was back when the race cars had to be based on roadgoing bodies.

[@DC322]

Allison had an engine failure which then had pieces of the engine shredded the tire which caused him to fly in the fence. 212 MPH was the highest speed for the cup car which was a sleek matching aerodynamic from the T-Bird, Monto Carlo Aerocoupe, Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2, Buick LeSabre and Olds Delta 88. If Allison's car went into the crowd that would be the end of Nascar as we know it.

[@StudioDaVeed]

Yep; harmonic balanced detached from the front of the engine and blew the right rear tire.

[@saragrant9749]

It also seemed like the tire not only shredded but that the debris itself lifted the car a little- and the flight was on.

[@ericedison9654]

It would have been beyond horrible if that car went into stands. Three hundred to five hundred people would have died and that's being conservative

[@richardgarriga6766]

It would have made the 1955 Le Man Tragedy a picnic.

[@ricklittle4617]

I say let the race car driver go even faster move the crowd back to a safer distance and improve the safety fence what’s next limit it to 55 mph?

[@pensacola07]

I was at Talladega that day and I can still remember this happening

[@RicCross]

Me too, I had turned my head to follow the leaders into turn one, heard the commotion, turned my head just bit back and was pelted by debris… Seemed like it took forever to get that fence fixed and get back to racing. So for years after that, that wreck clip would be in damn near every TV intro to NASCAR racing

[@bdaddy3997]

I was a Talladega a lot but don’t remember much!!!

[@svenmartin840]

I remember that day. I was watching the race and it was scary. And I'm more of a sports car racing fan. You should see it when it was back then. Because they were going down the Mulsane straight at 240 mph in the rain. And the guy says no we got to slow them down. That's why you see the chicane there. And that's why you see the flaps in the cars after Bobby's crash

[@alitlweird]

Howzabout a shoutout to the engineers who design and build those fences!

[@waynecvitan4714]

Thank you , as a West Australian this is a very informative insight into the changes that occurred. 😊

[@jacekatalakis8316]

Also worth pointing out the irst race with plates, the 1988 Daytona 500, had Petty's monster crash where he did, yes, get into the catch fencing while doing ballet on the car's nose in a crash that was every bit as horrific as Allison's one the prior spring

[@StudioDaVeed]

I believe it was also '88 when Dale Earnhardt in a Busch Grand National car at Dayton got loose out of turn four and basically repeated Allison's crash in a practice session. There is no video or photos but I have seen a photo of the aftermath with Earnhardt sitting on an ambulance stretcher catching his breath and in the background you see the torn up fencing and what remained to the BNG car. Neil Bonnet got into the fence at 'Dega in 1993 driving a Childess 'twin' to Earnhardt's color scheme.

[@StudioDaVeed]

Neil Bonnet 1993 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3bZmnhmYsqqjKM

[@henriquepaladino3779]

@@StudioDaVeed that Earnhardt crash was in 1989, I think there are some pictures of it

[@StudioDaVeed]

@@henriquepaladino3779 👍👍

[@brianbooher7318]

@@StudioDaVeed yes there is photos of him hitting the catch fence in 1989 at Daytona in practice I've seen the pictures you can see his car in the catch fence in the underside of its red

[@brianzamparelli9166]

So Bobby has one of the worst wrecks of all time and wants to leave the track and his wife says no, we’re gonna finish watching this race and cheer on Davey. The drivers weren’t the only ones with nerves of steel.

[@judyturner3850]

Davey was HER SON!! That makes a big difference! ❤

[@johnharris6655]

The problem is that the cars are so aerodynamic they are basically upside down wings to create downforce. when the car gets going backwards it gets lifted in the air. That is why cars today have those pop up panels on the roof to push the car back down on the track.

[@mpf1947]

Ironically, when NASCAR switched from plate spoilers to airfoil wings, the lift created by a backwards car would already be enough that the sudden drag of the roof flaps opening was enough to flip the car.

[@donaldfisher4115]

I was there. OV Hill South. Top row. The tire blew just beyond our seats. The scary thing is Allison’s car slid another 1,000 feet once it landed. I believe the track had just added additional cables on the catch fence.

[@robertrichmond3074]

I was in the infield. Knew there had been a crash but never really knew what had happened till I saw a replay the next day.

[@Foxracing1205]

Me, my dad, grandfather and brother were at that race. Just past the starting line about 15 rows up. Had some bolts hit my dad and we kept them.

[@saragrant9749]

This crash was definitely a game changer. I’m just glad no one died- it would have destroyed the sport. While restrictor plates may not be something I’m a huge fan of as it has led to some really violent pileups- it has certainly helped to keep the cars from going an unsafe speed.

[@MichaelRei99]

Well PC is destroying the sport now.

[@TheTurtleneck64]

@@MichaelRei99 You sure it isn't Mac that's destroying it?

[@FlashoftheBlades]

Bobby Allison himself said that a smaller engine and smaller carburetor would fit in better with the era’s automotive market, rather than a 700hp big-block straight out of the muscle car era with a restrictor plate that might tempt some teams to try to find a way to get around it.

[@ibbylancaster8981]

I was watching that race at home that day. Awesome Bill from Dawesonville was killing it. Those were the good old days of NASCAR

[@richardsmith5477]

I remember watching those crashes from back in the day and todays don’t even come close. Thank goodness!

[@majorhawker4776]

I remember watching it live on TV, after the crash they cut immediately to commercial and came back only showing Bobby's car and him getting out. I know they said some fans were injured but that was it, as I recall.

[@frankcastle5294]

You nailed it. Bob Jenkins and Larry Neuburg covered it live for ESPN. I watched the entire race.

[@timrussell1559]

Back in the mid 80s the best place to be at a rock concert was the first few rows, and the best place to be at a nascar race was the last few rows. Those were the days!

[@nuclearrabbit1]

Honestly, the danger was what drew a lot of fans to Nascar. The new format and reduced speeds have taken an obvious toll on the fan base.

[@jameskiehm546]

Personally, love the pack racing. I don’t want to see anyone hurt but it requires more strategy, allows others to lead races vs. the usual suspects, gets crazy in the final 30 laps and is an absolute crap shoot in the last lap. Most of the 36 cars stay in the pack instead of getting lapped numerous times. Cars are bumping, changing lanes, alliance’s are made between competitors and mistakes can cause the leader to fall to the back. Yes there are accidents at the end of the races but that’s NASCAR baby!

[@jasonbirch1182]

No. The hordes of "casual fans " that needed everything to be a day spa and not a racetrack led to a bunch of bad racetracks with nice amenities being the schedule. When they got bored and went off to ruin something else for the real fans the garbage left was good for no one and the real fans had moved on to something else.

[@rreevesb3]

The new format sucks

[@mantis10_surf85]

No sh*t Sherlock. NASCAR is BRUTAL to watch

[@mikepalmer1971]

All pro sports suck now days.

[@zecookieplaysgames]

honestly, everytime i see this crash i think about the strength of those catchfences man.

[@rodneywaugh8535]

Also thanks to this crash.... NASCAR mandated a minimum 2 catch fences at every track!

[@erika_itsumi5141]

Everytime I see this wreck, I think of FD4 Crash.

[@dochlldy]

Think about this,I believe they had just replaced that fence a few weeks before the race.The fence it replaced,was the original from when they first built the track.

[@ernestogasulla7763]

The sport was changed by the Car of Tomorrow probably more than by the restrictor plates. The old NASCAR was essentially reinforced street cars where each team had input on how were they built, the new ones are standard welded tube frames designed for specific impact loads. 180 mph is more than enough to kill driver and spectators if a 3,200 lbs. car jumps a fence.

[@simoneburini4036]

NASCAR cars have been based on purpose-built chassis since the 60s

[@ernestogasulla7763]

@@simoneburini4036 Nope. Generation 2 (67 - 80) were still road cars with a mandatory welded tube cage inside. Only with Gen 3 (after 1981) cars became full tube cages wrapped in skins resembling road cars.

[@Ed-ts4bj]

My brother and I were at the race with seats down towards turn four. We sat through the red flag, we missed seeing Bobbie’s car going airborne, couldn’t see the damage to the fence, it was years later until I saw the replay for the first time.

[@greghelms4458]

Crazy how back then we could just about walk all the way around the track right against the fence, while cars were on the track at speed. Actually bummed me out a bit when Charlotte seating was bumped up rows away from the fence. But I knew it was for safety. Watched a few nasties there.

[@Jacob_Spang]

I remember standing at the fence once at Bristol and rickey rudd hitting the wall out of turn two right in front of me. It almost took my breath away. So dam intense

[@stacymirba1433]

I've had my car up to a 120 mph and that honestly scared the hell out of me. Like you said in the video, my foot was telling my brain this is crazy. I did this on a one way bridge in the middle of the night with no other traffic, the fact they are going 200 mph or more with other vehicles around them blows me away.

[@CSAFD]

I have a 2004 ford mustang gt, i once put it up to 135Mph.

[@scottthewaterwarrior]

Fastest I've ever gone is 95 MPH in a 2002 Volvo XC70, that already felt plenty fast! Be cool to try and go even faster someday, but I don't think I'd be willing to outside of a track. Would need a different car too, Subaru Forester I got now ain't exactly aerodynamic and starts to feel a bit unstable at around 87.

[@MrJPort10]

I had a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP Daytona 500 pacecar edition, the one that came with a factory supercharger. I took it to the governor limit of 125 more than once and every time it was the same as you explained

[@timpurdy485]

As a viewer, honestly the best package I've witnessed was the 2000 thru 2001 package, while yes we lost dale in the 2001 500, the was some of the best racing I had seen in forever, just look as dales final win at Talladega! That racing was amazing!

[@HarleyQuinn-nl7zv]

Well, as for me, I not one of those people that says "NASCAR today is 10× better today then it was then!" or "I want NASCAR to be like it was when I was watching it in the 80s that was when NASCAR was real!" I am a true fan of NASCAR where I value,like and appreciate NASCAR of the past as well as today's. The guys that drove back then paved the way for all current drivers. If you truly Love something, you will love ALL aspects of it, bad, good or indifferent.

[@kmurphy739]

What changed nascar was the greed, and forgetting their roots.

[@ddoppster]

Some folks think death and its Specter, need to be there, for "authenticity" and "balls-out" racing. The same folks threw beer cans at Jeff Gordon, for not having a drawl, being from Cali, and being better than the Intimidator, for his last 4 years, or so. It's mostly code talk for regional bigotry, and Southern, innate hatreds and insecurities.

[@scubasteev]

That's a dumb conclusion/ delusion

[@yojoeski]

2 things. 1. NASCAR didn't need a major accident to destroy itself; their leadership did that on its own by purposely alienating and running off their core fanbase. 2. Has anyone considered the idea that Austin Dillon's crash could've been a Russell Phillips or Dan Wheldon type scenario had the car only rolled over halfway instead of a full rollover? If this doesn't happen, the roof of the car would've gone into the catchfence instead of the undercarriage of the car and would most likely have sheared the roof and top roll-cage off the car and either bludgeoned Dillon to death or possibly decapitated and dismembered him?

[@supersevenn]

your first point is utter total BS. the core fan base got old and became senior citizen which have diner at 4 and goto bed a 6. Not exactly the type that goes to many Nascar event and new fan of today are entitled opinionated little sh*ts. that's the problem

[@lllllllllllll343]

Carl edwards went into the fence on the roof

[@brettcase4129]

After Phillips crash they started to strengthen the roll cage. Then a,so have made continuous changes to the catch fencing.

[@roach2004able]

Building better fences and pushing the fans back would be better. Make the cars faster

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

I love how NASCAR thought cars going “too fast” was dangerous, so they added plates. Nowadays, plate racing is more dangerous. In my opinion, what they should’ve done was add roof flaps after the accident (instead of waiting till 1994) and not add plates.

[@DC322]

1993 when Horton went completely out of the track.

[@southeastcupseries]

Roof flaps probably weren’t an option and/or the insurance companies made it so they slowed down the cars

[@rdfox76]

Roof flaps weren't even *developed* until 1993, and not tested enough to adopt until '94.

[@tyrannicaltypomichaeltester]

Awesome Bill From Dawsonville Was my favorite. Bill vs Dale Was my favourite rivalry Best I've seen.

[@jimsellers1296]

I was there in the Anniston grandstand and witnessed this. The covered O.V. Hill was next to our seats. Birds gathered under the roof to get out of the heat. When this happened, it got so quiet, you could hear the birds chirping. There was not a sound from the crowd. This moment is permanently etched in my mind.

[@seththomas9105]

Indy Car/Formula One has had some horrific wrecks going into the stands. Le Mans, and the wreck at Indianapolis in the 50's are probably the most famous. Yet, they continue to race.

[@chuckhoffman8680]

I remember the crash that killed Bill Vukovich. I was just a kid. I never saw a video until it was on KZbin. Just horrific, especially with those open cars.

[@Hammerhead547]

Rusty Wallace actually tested an unrestricted cup car in 2015 and he hit speeds of 230 mph at daytona. He said that "the speed was exhilarating, but there's no way these cars can be safe racing at those speeds, not even at talledega".

[@mrs3533]

I was at this race and seen the accident from start to finish. NASCAR had just installed a new grandstand fence for the race. If they had the old fence , he probably would have came through. My fathers fried Gene Richards, an ARCA driver, lost his life in a crash at Talladega in July of 1982.

[@ChrisButler-d2e]

Sorry for your loss...at least he went doing what he loved, that's the only way to deal with death in racing!

[@karlfowler3742]

I was at that Talladega Race back in 1987. It was amazing to see those cars running so fast. It took them several hours to repair the fence and finish the race. We went back to our Camp and waited for the race to be finished. I loved watching Davey Allison Race. This was the beginning of the ruination of Nascar. It would never be the same after that day and it led to the Rasslin Races they have today.

[@OneandonlyShawn]

Bill Elliott is my wife’s grandmother 1st cousin. Seeing him in 1987 you can definitely see the relationship. Also nascar died with Earnhardt.

[@ephraimkaravan]

Bill Elliot is my great grand mother's sister's husband's cousins wife's uncle's granddaughter's husband

[@peronik349]

Very interesting video! You ask yourself the question: what would have happened if the car had hit the gate without hitting the wall first? The answer may be found in the disaster of the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Le Mans in 1955: 84 dead, 120 injured The enormity of these figures cannot hide the extent of the disaster!

[@Graderman3587]

My grandfather was at that race and sitting in the front row,lost his left eye and a lug nut from the car went in his stomach like a bullet,I still have the lug nut in a display, But that was a horrible crash for the time,they figured out how to make more speed but left the safety out

[@Lakhshamana]

...did he wear an eyepatch thereafter and slings pirate joke around

[@Graderman3587]

@@Lakhshamana no patch,He did have them sew the eye lid down and about a year later he got a cartoon looking eye tattoo 🤣 always seemed like he was watching

[@Lakhshamana]

@@Graderman3587 ... that's actually better than what I had thought lol

[@Graderman3587]

@@Lakhshamana he was 7' 8" tall and at 74 yrs old still looked like a Bowflex commercial, and with that screwed up eye you didn't know wether to run or laugh

[@LandersWorkshop]

Surely you mean 6'8 right?@@Graderman3587

[@dblgonzo]

I used to not miss a race at Talladega. Back when there was a July race the infield was a frying pan. I remember a car going over the wall and off the track between 1 and 2. They brought it back in right past our motorhome near the turn 2 tunnel. Cars were still getting airborne when they were spun aroung backwards. Then came the roof flaps.

[@ChrisButler-d2e]

Flaps only work for single car spins, as we've all seen in the gen 6 cars of 13-19.

[@ajwasp3642]

I was watching the race live. It took them forever to fix the fence.

[@TheRealDill93]

Remember what Earnhardt said. He hated plate racing. Even tho he was good at it. He said move the damn stand backs and let the boys race. Wonder if he really felt that way.

[@lllllllllllll343]

Yeah I’m wondering why nascar didn’t do that

[@deanna3418]

Yes, Dale really felt that way. 👍

[@in2rock275]

1987. I was there! We sat in the Moss Thornton section which is just past the start/finish line. When the car went into the fence, everyone ducked (like that would help). Small pieces of debris and tire showered us. Seems like it took around 3 hours to repair the fence before the race resumed. Never seen a more inebriated crowd. If you still had beer, it was going for $10.00 a pop. Around the 5:20 mark when you see the EMT's and stretcher, you can see me in the crowd. I'm the one with the hat on. (just kidding but true story)

[@ChrisButler-d2e]

The good ol days at talladega, when we could bring our own beer in the grandstands...think they stopped that after the patriot act kicked in!!

[@4wheelliving132]

I remember that race, and when I saw the title of this video I knew which wreck they were going to talk about. Back then these kind of wrecks were not uncommon

[@HoosierRooster]

In my mind Richard Petty's crash was the most spectacular and dangerous thing I ever saw down the front straightaway

[@williamallison3410]

Good video, two thumbs up. Maybe the grandstands should be even higher from the track. Love those 80s races.

[@speedy7892]

Kinda curious how fast these Next Gen cars could run unrestricted at the big tracks. I heard back in early 2000s they experimented with fuel injection instead of carburetor and the car supposedly clocked about 230+ and they decided that it was dangerous and stayed carburetor

[@UFC_Buffalo]

I don't know if I believe that... Carbs are controllable through computers these days and are nearly the same as fuel injection in the vein of performance.

[@speedy7892]

@@UFC_Buffalo I don't entirely know if they did test using injection and got that speed or not. Supposedly it was a undocumented test that no one recorded. Only thing I know is that they allegedly put a fuel injected race motor into a Dodge NASCAR car and it clocked I think a 230 something without any restrictions

[@Bob-tk2uv]

Awesome Bill from Dawsonville turned a lap at Talladega, 212.809. I believe his brother was his engine builder.

[@elviswatson2569]

I was there n the 4 th turn. I was 11. It was of the hottest 3-5 of waiting and sweating EVER. I feel sorry for the fans that were injured. I think that was the race someone stole the pace car. Someone do a video on that.

[@txbill2512]

Not a huge NASCAR fan but I believe the flaps on top of the cars to keep them from becoming airborne have played a big role as well in terms of driver and fan safety.

[@joeshelton1077]

I'm so glad NASCAR made alot of changes to those cars going way too fast at either Talladega or Daytona. I rather have safety first whether the fans like it or not, if any fan doesn't like all that, they don't need to watch anymore.

[@Jacob_Spang]

I'm all for safety but you will never know who the best drivers are with all the restrictions in place. Not watching, thanks.

[@scottysgarage4393]

NASCAR in the 80's was a race, interesting, exciting. Today it's barely worth watching.

[@SMOBY44]

That fan that lost an eye in that wreck wears it as a badge of honor to this day. The fear of anyone at all being injured, even a scrape or scratch has led to the downfall of a once great sport. I expect slot cars will replace actual racing by 2025.

[@chrisdevalcourt648]

Video game racing, like during covid shutdown!

[@SMOBY44]

@@chrisdevalcourt648 Not even close.🤣

[@MoeSlislack]

We went to see cousin Bill a lot back then. I remember seeing some major accidents at Daytona.

[@philiphied]

There is NOWAY you can argue that pack racing is safer, there are 10x more crashes when the cars are packed together. The 5 crashes in a row we commonly see today never happened in the 80s due to the more speed out field. The safest speed is what the drivers feel the cars can safely stay on the road. Safety for fans and the drivers can be handled with static defenses along the rail and spectators areas. You can't compare deaths from that point in time to today bc safety features have been extremely enhanced outside of speed reduction. But then again nascar doesn't even use production car models anymore so it's more of a cart style racing now then anything else.

[@cobra02411]

As a kid I watched that race live on TV... I remember it very well.

[@thomaspalmer6060]

What I remember about the crash was the engine blew up so bat the crankshaft came out and Darrel Waltrip hit it with the windshield.

[@ixlr8677]

no blow. balancer twisted off an got under right rear. u can see nose of car lift up a little when it happened.

[@Bangcat]

We live in an age where all the more is televised with less direct attendance. There's a lot of info as to where these impacts tend to happen, and plexiglass and other plastics could be put behind these fences for a 1,2, punch in protection. At this point and all the further safety precautions, and the fact that if one wanted for all the higher speeds, the stands can be all the further away from the track, that a variety of race class types, similar to bikes, should be introduced to NASCAR. We know people take their chances, and they should have those choices as drivers to weather they want to race those higher speeds or not. Currently myself I've found more entertainment in the Super Trucks racing that's been up and coming that send them ramping into the sky and have a rather low injury rate to this day. Granted they don't go quite as fast, but it shows that a lot has been learned. No one wants to see someone hurt, but crashes are going to happen, and there are some who want to go on out there. It's a grown, adult, driver's choice. We can either give them place to do it on the track with as many safety options in place while still offering them the option to take a machine as fast as possible, or we can wind up losing more simply to street racing and other un sanctioned venues. That's the real choice that remains. Give that choice supervised to take those limits up, or lose more to where it can't always be seen, and less help and safety can be offered. It's not that different than prohibition, folks. And that's what got NASCAR started in the first place when you think about it. Restrict sanctioned speed too much, people will only be looking for the next thrill ride born out of restrictions of what they know.

[@blaneycrabbe3390]

A very well-done video! Thank-You!

[@jdtractorman7445]

It's crazy how close he came to the flag stand.

[@amnobody117]

Good video and info!! It's good that the fans seem to get better protection today. I haven't watched this sport in decades, but this video brought back some memories.

[@acerosstine49]

I wish they were going that fast again in 2022 when I saw the the 180 mph pole I wasn’t even impressed almost stopped watching and the 192 mph at the race is boring as hell

[@popo864]

Oh I remember everything changed because of the crash that involved Cole Trickle and Rowdy Burns.

[@007vsMagua]

When I lived in Alaska I watched every Nascar race in the latter 1980's. I can't watch Nascar anymore, I liked it better back then. Without the daredevil aspect of the original sport, watching Daytona or Talladega now is like watching a car parade.

[@robertdavis8010]

Some of the best races I ever saw the cars weren't running but around 150mph. Competition makes good racing, not super speed nor horsepower. If everybody is running around 500hp,then it's good racing. A close finish is what people talk about at the water cooler on Monday.

[@larryjohnson7591]

This was a well put together video. Thank YOu.

[@aegrotattoo9018]

I'm sure all the NASCAR management were having visions of Mercedes Benz at LeMans back in the 50's ...... that would have killed NASCAR for sure.

[@briantaylor9285]

INSANE crash. NASCAR dodged one that day.

[@greengelacid2061]

I'm not a Nascar fan, but this was really entertaining...

[@glorybound7599]

I was at Talladega when Tiny Lund died in a crash in turn 2. It was an eye opening experience for an impressionable young teen as to how dangerous the sport really was. Plate under the carb lead to very boring races.

[@glennpiller9417]

Nothing has gone faster then Nanny NASCAR going down the tubes!

[@allenchristopherson4162]

Those were some fast T-birds. 😎

[@tools6106]

To run nascar at Indy, they raised the wall 24” and removed several rows of seating! The answer was not cutting power it was reconfiguring the turns and softer barriers. A longer turn makes the turn in less steep and reduces the angle of impact, the steeper angle of impact killed #3

[@marclewis1199]

I’d say the number 1 crash to me that changed history in nascar is Dale sr. Nobody has died since that day on the track. They’ve had some serious injuries like park and nadue. But in my mind that crash that day at Daytona has saved a lot of lives.

[@HayTatsuko]

Mandating the HANS Device was a big step, for sure, as was implementing SAFER Barriers and numerous in-car safety changes. It's a damned shame that Ironhead had to make an early exit for these things to happen. Same as it's a bloody shame Jules Bianchi had to die after a nine-monthslong coma from brain trauma for F1 to adopt stronger protection for their drivers - the halo that now surrounds the driver and has saved several from what would likely have been serious or fatal injuries.

[@marclewis1199]

@@HayTatsuko 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@maxpaul11]

I miss the days of real Nascar! The car you drive is on the track with a roll cage and safety requirements!

[@jeanettewest]

It went from exciting racing to watching grass grow.

[@penelopelgoss2520]

My dad was a HUGE racing fan and we would travel up and down California to the various races throughout the years. But, alas, it changed, he changed and he lost interest. It was similar with ice hockey. We made into the late 2000s and he stopped. His new sport... Women's Volleyball, Stanford Alumni and football. After the Chargers moved to LA all he watched were Stanford University games especially with California teams. Seems like so much has changed. Where's the excitement gone? 😮

[@whatigottaroll]

Agreed! I remember watching Elliot do the 210.

[@1969EType]

I agree Bobby's wreck was catastrophic but, Dale Earnhardt's deadly crash changed safety more than any other NASCAR event. We have SAFR barriers, Hahn's devices, improved custom seats, helmets, etc. 21 years later and Dale is the last NASCAR fatality. Le Mans and F1 cars also run well past 200mph with no restrictor plates although they limit speeds with their aero rules. I would like to see NASCAR run without restrictor plates, frankly...

[@LandersWorkshop]

They had helmets back then bro.

[@1969EType]

@@LandersWorkshop Sure they did…and what we have learned since is, helmets are just one piece of an overall safety package that all work together to save drivers’ lives.

[@KellieLeigh48]

Another banger from NFJJ

[@a1scooter1]

Saying Bobby was uninjured isn't exactly true. He drove a late model for us 2-3 weeks later and he was still in pain from the wreck. Slightly injured would be more accurate.

[@bigwillie5717]

And this is precisely why I and thousands of others no longer watch NASCAR or have any interest in it. I was a teenager throughout the 80’s and loved the non-restricter plate races, the 210 mph top speeds, and cars not so different from that which you could buy off the showroom then after-market the hell out of it at home (minus a roll cage, etc…). NASCAR is so out of touch with the America public now…because it’s now basically F1 with a familiar Detroit sheet metal cover. In my day…all my friends wanted a Buick Regal Grand National or a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe or a Monte Carlo SS all because those cars were the closest thing on the showroom floor to that which was being driven at Talladega or Daytona. Make the cars real again like the original intent of NASCAR and for God’s sakes, get rid of the restricter plates and let them race!!! If everyone has the same top speed, what kind of competition is that??? And as far as safety? Driver and fan beware…or set the stands further back. Either way…neither the drivers nor the fans had any problem with the speed or safety (albeit lack thereof) back then. The competition was at its height, the stands were full, and the TV broadcasts were ratings bonanzas.

[@Turbo4Joe363]

Good video! Thanks for reminding me of how great NASCAR used to be. Exciting racing and fun races... Cool drivers with unique personalities... Cars that you could identify what make and model they were... No frickin' Turdyota Camrys with their 'create-a-V8'.... I haven't watched a NASCAR race since the COT BS. ZZZzzzzzzz

[@sfranklin9073]

You said it all perfectly. Thank you.

[@simoneburini4036]

You complain about the Toyota V8s but you seem to forget that, just like Toyota, the other manufacturers don't base their NASCAR engines on the regular V8s you see on the road

[@Turbo4Joe363]

@@simoneburini4036 Chevy, Ford and Dodge all built MILLIONS & MILLIONS of Small block/Big block pushrod V8s for their passenger cars. That is what they originally raced in NASCAR events before it became a boring, 'COT' cookie cutter, Turdyota joke. You probably like restrictor plate racing and now these ridiculous staged races....SMH Can you explain why modern NASCAR's popularity is SO low? They're tearing huge sections of seats out of the racetracks in an effort to make the races look well attended. Its such a sad spectacle.

[@simoneburini4036]

@@Turbo4Joe363 why do you think that I like stages and restrictor plate racing? I almost never watch restrictor plate races, and I wish NASCAR got rid of stages. This has nothing to do with my point. My point is that you complain about Toyota but the other manufacturers do the same thing. I don't give a crap if Ford, Chevy and Dodge use V8s in their road cars. Why? Because those engines have nothing in common with the ones that are used in NASCAR. Not a single component. So they're different engines. Period. You act like they didn't stop using modified version of road car engines DECADES before Toyota entered the Cup Series.

[@Turbo4Joe363]

@@simoneburini4036 Maybe its just because I HATE Turdyota and the oblivious sheeple who get behind the wheel of those boring road going appliances, then they dawdle along in the fast lane, causing HUGE traffic jams and continous accidents. NASCAR should make the Camrys run the entire race with their turn signal blinking....for added reality.

[@lospoutsos8719]

This is a show. People pay to be entertained and the drivers are performers. I say make it faster, move the crowds back, make the fences stronger/higher and make the cars as safe as possible.

[@ChrisButler-d2e]

Someone once said that we should put the granstands in the infield...but there are many crashes that go that way too. It is a show, but it used to be a show that did race, not so much now!

[@runrafarunthebestintheworld]

Yet there are old fans that hate present day Superspeedway racing at Daytona and Talladega even though a driver almost died in 1987.

[@stephenholloway6893]

NASCAR fans complain about everything these days. Yet there's no solution to please everyone. Just either the minority or majority. If Bobby didn't have his crash, odds are that eventually someone else would have and the end results would probably end up tragic for either said driver, or the fans.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

The problem is that plate racing made everything even more dangerous. Wanna know what they should’ve done after the wreck? Add roof flaps

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

@@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT Add roof flaps and cut displacement at the superspeedways if they're worried about the power. That said, most categories of racing rely on intake restrictors of some sort at this point so they'd probably be used now regardless.

[@ryansheehan9462]

My problem with the current restrictor plate racing is that it turns into a demolition derby every race. 10-15 years ago plate racing was fantastic because the guys could run two and three wide all day but still have most of the cars still running at the end of the day.

[@poboy942]

This newer generation of fans are all a bunch of sissys just like the new generation drivers they dont have the back bone of a squid...If you were alive to see real racing back then , all this new racing is just garbage ..its like watching the busch race back then these cars are so slow..the best drivers in the world are in those cars yet they cant even get close to the talent level of back then

[@jackthebagger7589]

we were in the infield that day , made for a long day because even tho' we needed to leave , no one in the infield was allowed to go for some reason .

[@Barry.Ellis.]

Nascar is the racing equivalent of WWE wrestling. It’s a show that is well choreographed.

[@k20a_dave]

the 80's spectators were just something else. what was happening in rally was also out of mind nothing of this would happen now with people so close to racing

[@tomhansen6115]

I've seen the video of the car going into the crowd at Le Mans thank God that didn't happen at Talladega