When it comes to crashes, we all are in awe when we see millions of pieces of carbon fiber shattering and vehicles flipping. Crashes are a part of racing that happen in the most strangest of ways and when its not expected, its what makes a race exciting at times. Crashes determine outcomes and affect the entire racing community as a whole.

This weekend a crash of immense proportions occurred during qualifying for the Texas Sprint Cup race. The driver is Michael McDowell and his steed is a Toyota COT. Combine with a 200mph speeds and some speedy dry, and you end up with a bad recipe. Luckily he came out unscathed, but it just goes to show us how far racing has come in terms of safety.

Video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BRbmgtxCJdY&feature=related

This crash ranks up there with Robert Kubica's and Joey Hand's crashes. While it isn't the worst I have ever seen, it is pretty spectacular.

That's quite impressive how well that car's crumple zones absorbed the impact. And that new barrier seems to be doing quite a good job of keeping the drivers safe. I'm glad to see that he stepped out of the car unscathed. As much as I HATE NASCAR, it's good to see someone get out of a car after hitting a wall and flipping at 150+ mph.

On another note, this is my 500th post!!!
w00t!!!
:D
\\:-D/

Thats just amazing that he walked away after all that.

Stock cars have always been the safest race cars ever...here's a few examples of just how safe they are. Both drivers were ok.

Rusty Wallace - Talladega...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLdvjpFYcIs

Rusty Wallace - Daytona 1993...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE1-C-QCnlg

Richard Petty - Daytona 1998...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnYk4Hfzs_c

God some of the comments on YT are just so childish & arrogant.

And Koenigsegg , you shouldn't hate any form of motorsport. Maybe it's not your thing but to hate it is a little harsh yes?

Stock cars have always been the safest race cars ever...here's a few examples of just how safe they are. Both drivers were ok.

Rusty Wallace - Talladega...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLdvjpFYcIs

Rusty Wallace - Daytona 1993...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE1-C-QCnlg

Richard Petty - Daytona 1998...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnYk4Hfzs_c

God some of the comments on YT are just so childish & arrogant.

And Koenigsegg , you shouldn't hate any form of motorsport. Maybe it's not your thing but to hate it is a little harsh yes?
Now that I think about it, they absolutely MUST be the safest cars, because oval racing is perhaps the fastest motorsport ever. I'd imagine they would be good demolition derby cars.....

I commented on that first video. I clicked reply to the guy who said F1 sucks, but it just put my comment at the top. But you'll know which one's me! ;)

LOL, I read your comment and posted a response comment to it...

Seriously though, can I come with you guys to Montreal???
I'm in F1 withdrawal (I haven't been to a circuit in FOREVER)

I'll fit into a suitcase and stow away in the trunk...
:D

The general idea of NASCAR is not to see who is the fastest, but who is the least susceptible to highway hypnosis. It gets kind of to the point where you hear someone whispering in your ear, "you are getting veerrry sleeepy...you are getting veerry sleepy." It is the strongest-willed who wins. That is why there are no right hand turns, to pick out the mentally fittest.

Yuu said his steed is a TOYOTA COT? I thought only American cars were driven in nascar? **please forgive my ignorance i dont know jack about nascar**

Ok yea i remember hearing about that on ESPN a few years back now. thanks for reminding me. That was one horrible crash. It's amazing what technology has done to improve safety. A few years ago he probably would have been killed

Well as much as I HATE NASCAR its nice to see that the safety devices that they have put in the car hold up quite well. It's good to see him climb out of the car with minimal injuries. IMO this is the second worst crash I've seen in a race car the first being Kubica in the Canadian GP in '07.


Koenigseggfan... I totally agree with you how NASCAR sucks but I saw an insert on Fifth Gear where they show what goes on behind the scenes and how much they do for the fans... if you compare this to F1, it makes F1 seem snobby but F1 still kicks it's ass!

It's nice to hear that the driver is ok.

The safety of these cars are really good!

...where is the right hand turn. Now I know that some divisions of stock cars do racing on road courses but I have missed that on several occasions. That I would actually sit down and probably want to watch.

Typical, ignorant drive-by Nascar slam. Lucky if he sits down/wakes up for a road race

NASCAR Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup has been running a couple of road courses (right turns!) for decades!

43 of the heaviest (3600 lb/1635 kg) race cars that EVER turned both directions for any duration will do so with 800HP on 12"/305mm tyres 6/22 @ Sears Point [Infineon] CA and 8/10 @ Watkins Glen NY.

The joon Infineon race will be on Fox broadcast. If you got shoes you probably can scare up a coathanger. Odds are you can pick it up.

The August race is on ESPN. A bit more hi teck; but maybe by then you can get cable.

Sue Me.

Why do you feel you have to be an a-- like that? Once again I have been wrong about something and it's going to happen again. Congratulations on pointing out my mistake! I wouldn't have a big problem with this if it was done in an educating manner instead of bashing me. Good job! Pat yourself on the back get your favorite beverage and have a cookie.

I have never had a great wealth of knowledge about NASCAR as I have never sat down and watched a partial race let alone a full race. Point taken they have been racing on road courses for awhile didn't know that, thanks for telling me. Now for your snide remarks about the coat hanger - very clever there. Attempting to demean me by saying "Odds are you can pick it up?" pure genius there. How long did that take? You need to go cool off.

If you don't know shitthe about Nascar; why are you continuing to post about it. SHUT UP.

Sue Me again.

Wow that's crazy. I still don't get why Toyota is in nascar...it's Japanese jeez...Honda could join along with Hyundai too :rolleyes: something like this would never happen in WRC or F1...only these stupid arse retards in Nascar would do this (no offense to any Nascar lovers:D)

If you don't know shitthe about Nascar; why are you continuing to post about it. SHUT UP.

Sue Me again.
Easy mate, it's time to chill.

I kinda see where Koenigseggfan is coming from - 9/10 times it's just on 'in the background'. But that's my opinion, and my choice.

At the rate you opine; it would take a week to educate you to lube a tractor.

Sue Me Cubed.

PS. S H U T U P A N D L E A R N!

Yes, I know.
Wow that's crazy. I still don't get why Toyota is in nascar...it's Japanese jeez...Honda could join along with Hyundai too :rolleyes: something like this would never happen in WRC or F1...only these stupid arse retards in Nascar would do this (no offense to any Nascar lovers:D)
Well, you F1 guys have to put up with Toyota, Super Aguri, and TWO teams that make their cars out of energy drink containers. Then you have Force india, etc. Something like that would never happen in NASCAR.

And the WRC is recieving dwindling support from manufacturers - Citroen's slowly dissappearing behind Red Bull, Ford's hiding behind Abu Dhabi, and Subaru it basically stuck in the WRC. Mitsubishi's gone, and the only new team of note in the last 5 years is Suzuki...and look where they're at.

At the rate you opine; it would take a week to educate you to lube a tractor.

*WTF?*

Sue Me Cubed.

*WTF?*

PS. S H U T U P A N D L E A R N!

learn from who? it could help if you were more civil, and offered some insight into the sport, if you are implying he should learn from you.

......Nascar is teh sukk..

......Crashes are Teh cool

Until nascars starta chargin up their lazers..
they can shoop tha woop for all i care.

I'm out

If any of you saw the NASCAR road racing at Cananda in 2007, you'd be surprised how damn exciting it is to watch. It's actually more exciting than F1 in some moments...

But I still hate oval racing.....

AWD...So is shopping at Wal-Mart...Everything shines...if just for a little bit..

But i'd rather go play football than shop at wal-mart. yadadafeelme?

Koenigseggfan... I totally agree with you how NASCAR sucks but I saw an insert on Fifth Gear where they show what goes on behind the scenes and how much they do for the fans... if you compare this to F1, it makes F1 seem snobby but F1 still kicks it's ass!

Yeah, it ALMOST seems like F1 is VERY snobby, and actually hates their fans. Thank god that isn't the case....;)

Oooo but before we start Motorsport Wars '08, realize that that was just a joke, even if there is truth behind it. Just like how Nascar can get a little boring. I will say this about Nascar though, at least you can see what's going on, they never go behind trees to where you can't see them again for only a brief few seconds and then are gone again for minutes.

Oh and I'm not a Nascar fan, I just find fault in everything and hate on everything that is cool.

Funny how the loudest voice standing up for NASCAR is easily the smartest among those arguing. And they said stocks were for toothless hillbillies.

Having actually taken the time to sit down and watch a half a NASCAR race on cable, I side with Steve. If you don't know about it, don't talk trash about it, because your opinion is worth as much as having an asshole on your elbow.

This is simple to sort out....
Someone.... please create a poll, someting along the lines of: NASCAR is Cool.... and Nascar Sucks or Nascar or F1..... I know that they're not exactly comparable because of the different they're differnt types of racing but from a viewers point of view lets see which is better...

I would but im running late....

This is simple to sort out....
Someone.... please create a poll, someting along the lines of: NASCAR is Cool.... and Nascar Sucks or Nascar or F1..... I know that they're not exactly comparable because of the different they're differnt types of racing but from a viewers point of view lets see which is better...

I would but im running late....

Really, REALLY, that would just compound that problem. How in the world is a poll with those options supposed to solve anything?

Essentially, by your reasoning, you either like F1 and hate NASCAR, or like NASCAR and hate F1. What about those who like both? Taking a poll of a limited number of people isn't going to solve 'which is better', no way in hell.

Instead, may I suggest we all just get along with our lives and continue liking and/or disliking what we do, but try not to make other people believers of what you believe. I echo the statements made by those who say you shouldn't be making statements about sports you have limited knowledge over.

KFan, you mentioned that you 'ask where the right turn is'. Does every form of motorsport need a right and a left? Hell. drag cars go completely straight, I may as well ask where the turns in general are.

I like NASCAR, and would probably love it if I saw it more often. The idea of cars getting within inches of each other at incredibly fast speeds is brilliant to think about. And in all honesty, despite my love for F1, it does get boring. Beaming the covergae through the TV looses a great majority of the excitment that it brings, and there are the obvious discrepancies in the pace of the leading car compared to those behind them and you end up getting a pre-determined finish 2/3s into the race. Which is why I love it more so because of the engineering feats that are involved.

I don't like F1..F1 is snobbish...and i'm fairly sure if i were to attend one i'd look out of place and get awkward stares because i'd wear baggy clothing and listening to rap on my ipod and rooting and hollaring as the cars pass.

I don't like Nascar...When I go to a nascar event(i've been to 6) i always get into a fight because atleast a dozen people throughout the day have called me a "n***er"



I'll stick to SCCA crap thank you

I don't like F1..F1 is snobbish...and i'm fairly sure if i were to attend one i'd look out of place and get awkward stares because i'd wear baggy clothing and listening to rap on my ipod and rooting and hollaring as the cars pass.

I don't like Nascar...When I go to a nascar event(i've been to 6) i always get into a fight because atleast a dozen people throughout the day have called me a "n***er"



I'll stick to SCCA crap thank you
HAHAHAHHAHA..... that must suck. :p

If I ever had the chance to ever attend an F1 weekend, I'll be an uber happy camper. I've always wanted to go but being in the west side of canada isn't going to help me reach Montreal in a fair budget.

I don't like F1..F1 is snobbish...and i'm fairly sure if i were to attend one i'd look out of place and get awkward stares because i'd wear baggy clothing and listening to rap on my ipod and rooting and hollaring as the cars pass.

I don't like Nascar...When I go to a nascar event(i've been to 6) i always get into a fight because atleast a dozen people throughout the day have called me a "n***er"



I'll stick to SCCA crap thank you

OK then...

I'm going to avoid going to a NASCAR race, not that I've considered going.....

I don't like F1..F1 is snobbish...and i'm fairly sure if i were to attend one i'd look out of place and get awkward stares because i'd wear baggy clothing and listening to rap on my ipod and rooting and hollaring as the cars pass.

You'd be surprised at what kinds of people go, although I can only talk about the Australian GP. Sure, you get the guys who wear the racing merchandise (myself included, though only shirt is enough for me), but they account for about 50-60% of the whole crowd. The rest are just in casually whatever-wear.

Doesn't matter if you holler as the cars go passed either, no one is going to be hearing you when the car goes passed. You hear engine, and engine alone.

^It was the same in Italy. Except it seemed like 90% of the people in race ware were in the same shade of red.

More on topic here, judging by some of the post by those who are saying I hate Nascar or the like probably haven't seen a full race. If I lived in America I would probably try and watch the entire season, but over here the 4am races where you never know which race you are going to get is a bit off putting.

^It was the same in Italy. Except it seemed like 90% of the people in race ware were in the same shade of red.

More on topic here, judging by some of the post by those who are saying I hate Nascar or the like probably haven't seen a full race. If I lived in America I would probably try and watch the entire season, but over here the 4am races where you never know which race you are going to get is a bit off putting.

Yeah, and F1 usually takes place in Europe, so the races are at ridiculous times for us to watch them as well.

I actually love both Nascar and F1, I just hate the fans...cept Timbit, he's cool.

It doesn't matter what sport it is, there are always going to be fans you just cannot stand (in my case Celtic fans). My sister's a massive F1 nut, she has the McLaren Cap, t-shirt and she made her own Lewis Hamilton pillowcases with his face inside a heart, I kid you not. She's a good reason for me not to like F1 but I still do. Appreciate the sport, ignore some of the idiots it appeals too. I.E, my sister.

Those who dumb NASCAR down and use the whole "left turn" set of comments don't understand the sport in the least. My family has a successful history in the sport, I've toured shops, met the drivers and even driven stock cars. I know that it's just as complex and challenging as F1, or any other racing series you can throw out there.

Any posts criticizing NASCAR in NASCAR related threads will be deleted from this point on. There are a lot of fans of the sport on this site, and they have the right to be able to discuss their sport without opinionated and uneducated persons making offhanded comments.

If you don't like it, don't feel like you have to tell everyone else.

(And for the record, NASCAR is not my favorite type of motorsport to watch)

I am just going to settle this debate now. All racing sucks. I dont care if your in a car, on a horse or using your feet . . . . . racing is for cry babies. If my blind, deaf, arthritic granny can throw her impala through dead mans curve on Route 90 in Cleveland at 2000 MPH then its not a sport.

Real men play table tennis. Now thats a sport to get sand in your vagina over

**ps: the views in this post should be read very seriously and make you so mad you poop your pants**

Well, I am really not even going to try to defend this problem people have with NASCAR, I get enough crap about it in school, there are about 3 NASCAR fans including me. A lot of you are just ignorant and that is the bottom line. I like EVERY type of racing, but I still revert back to watching NASCAR the most. In fact, I haven't missed a race on TV in about 5 years. So 36 x 5 = 180. And I still haven't lost love for it.

When I made this thread, I told myself, the SCF community will be smart enough not to revert to bashing a race series, but once again it has happened. Guys, your immaturity is showing. This thread is about a spectacular crash and the fact that safety in racing is so far along that the driver got out with just a slight limp.

But whatever, this is the type of crap that prevents me and others from opening any type of thread to discuss NASCAR.



Just dumb.

I am just going to settle this debate now. All racing sucks. I dont care if your in a car, on a horse or using your feet . . . . . racing is for cry babies. If my blind, deaf, arthritic granny can throw her impala through dead mans curve on Route 90 in Cleveland at 2000 MPH then its not a sport.

Real men play table tennis. Now thats a sport to get sand in your vagina over

**ps: the views in this post should be read very seriously and make you so mad you poop your pants**

That's probably the most unintelligent thing IV ever heard.... you go get into any race car and win a race.... lets see how easy it is then... different sports require different skills and FYI tennis isint the only one...

I am just going to settle this debate now. All racing sucks. I dont care if your in a car, on a horse or using your feet . . . . . racing is for cry babies. If my blind, deaf, arthritic granny can throw her impala through dead mans curve on Route 90 in Cleveland at 2000 MPH then its not a sport.

Real men play table tennis. Now thats a sport to get sand in your vagina over

**ps: the views in this post should be read very seriously and make you so mad you poop your pants**
You do know table tennis is a much more of an asian sport. LOL

Not saying it's bad, (it's a great sport) but eh.... it's a sportsCARforums.

That's probably the most unintelligent thing IV ever heard.... you go get into any race car and win a race.... lets see how easy it is then... different sports require different skills and FYI tennis isint the only one...

Sarcasm detector not working today?

I'd love to get a ride in a NASCAR car one day. I think they sound amazing, and going at 180-200mph would quite possibly make me brown my pants.

That's probably the most unintelligent thing IV ever heard.... you go get into any race car and win a race.... lets see how easy it is then... different sports require different skills and FYI tennis isint the only one...


depends..

is Said race car a GT-R if so the computer is programed to go into "Win race mode" where it will win the race...regardless of the odds..

BTW bosse, i'm not saying(for the record) i don't like nascar, not my cup of tea..but honestly unless its rally or pro-football(american) i just cant watch sports on TV..i have to be there..or take part in it.

and i can't really "be there" or "take part" in nascar events..especially in hillbilly arizona.

so my judgement is coulded to say the LEAST..but there's a small chance i'd EVER get to enjoy a nascar race in the flesh

Sarcasm detector not working today?

I'd love to get a ride in a NASCAR car one day. I think they sound amazing, and going at 180-200mph would quite possibly make me brown my pants.

Timbit: To me there's a difference between being sarcastic and being lame... IMO sMi.rnoff is being totally lame

I thought Vodka boy was actually being really intelligent. He boiled down all of the stupid comments that ALWAYS get made on this thing, and then stated his opinion which was so obviously off base and no one was going to agree with it, and it was funny.

If you couldn't figure that out...then, well sorry? I thought it was pretty obvious it was just a joke.

Vodka boy?!?! this single hair sprouting from my chest makes me a MAN!!!

I'm glad at least some people realize the sarcasm and humor in my comments.

The closest I have come to winning a race in car is a go-kart. unless you count the day my brothers miata clobbered my neon.

And anyone who thinks my comments are lame hasnt read half the stuff in this thread ;)

all racing has its good and bad points. I think nascar is boring as hell to watch. so is golf, baseball and mens vollyball ** i love womens beach vollyball though...**

doesnt mean they are bad sports, i love all those sports when I am the one playing them. I'm pretty sure I would find a turn exciting no matter what direction I turn as long as I am going over 90 mph

If I flew off the handle at an intelligent post (missed it); I apologize.

I can go to a car show or a Rod Run and appreciate workmanship (usually on something offbeat); but I am a nonconformist. I don't share the same tastes as the majority. I don't care for what most people do to '32 T-Buckets, '75 'Maros, or Honda "R-Types". I still don't go to Ext. & Int. Mods and slam people for it.

Like bossesjoe, I have gone on record many times to say Nascar is not MY favorite motorsport. I have also stated that my oldest friend and my own brother only watch the 2 road races. I have also quoted an ESPN survey of F1 drivers in the '90's: 75% liked Nascar for the CLOSE COMPETITION! Lord knows it's in short supply in too many series on too many weekends.

After the big crash that spawned this thread; I figured Texas would be a good race. Dale Jr. had the pole. I was at a laidback afternoon music performance (http://www.myspace.com/jupiterwatts) Sunday at a club that was once a garage (half the front is a rollup door). Between sets I got the bartender to put the race on the tube. It looked boring, except for jeffie's crash. I listened to the race on radio on the way home to watch the last 20 laps. Until the final caution, the big question was how many seconds Carl Edwards could win by. Only 10 of 43 cars finished on the lead lap after 334 laps/500 miles. That's a boring race.

Sorry about your Nascar experience, driftster. What race was this? I can't speak for 'Dega (90 miles/a dozen years); but at my last Atlanta (25 miles/8 years?) races I saw quite a number of black race fans. They wore their driver's colors and jumped up and hollered at a good move like everybody else. Nobody gave them any crap. Proper ettiquette(sp?) precluded jumping up and yelling (F-word!) obscenities at a pass by a certain driver you hated.

This is survival behavior. One could reasonably assume there was a fan of said driver nearby who was bigger, redder, meaner, and probably drunker than you. There might even be a lesbian bricklayer gordon fan capable of kicking your butt.