At least 10 racers and five onlookers have been airlifted to hospitals after a horrible crash during the Daytona race today. Car and engine parts went above protective fencing and into the crowd.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/23/us/florida-daytona-crash/index.html
Quote from: Cheshire Cat on February 23, 2013, 05:46:22 PM
At least 10 racers and five onlookers have been airlifted to hospitals after a horrible crash during the Daytona race today. Car and engine parts went above protective fencing and into the crowd.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/23/us/florida-daytona-crash/index.html
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The driver whose car was shredded walks away, as do nine other drivers
NEW: A local hospital is treating people injured at the crash, a spokesman says
The multicar crash happens at the end of a Nationwide Series race in Daytona speedway
Debris, including an engine, ends up airborne -- some reaching the stands' second level
Huge Wreck Mars Nationwide At Daytona http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fQxnvFCu8M
This happens rather often, it usually doesn't make this much news, other than when Earnhardt died. They've extended the fence multiple times, but I guess it ought to go a bit higher.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on February 23, 2013, 06:52:41 PM
This happens rather often, it usually doesn't make this much news, other than when Earnhardt died. They've extended the fence multiple times, but I guess it ought to go a bit higher.
Parts of the car went through the fence not over it.
You sure about that, those things are pretty sturdy.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on February 23, 2013, 08:33:54 PM
You sure about that, those things are pretty sturdy.
From the look of all the videos, pieces went both over & through the fencing. http://deadspin.com/5986464/todays-nascar-nationwide-race-at-daytona-ended-with-kyle-larsons-car-going-through-the-security-fence-and-torn-in-half
^Around 1:40 in shows the fence.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on February 23, 2013, 08:33:54 PM
You sure about that, those things are pretty sturdy.
You would think so Chris, in fact I once lived near the track and have seen it before. This wasn't the first and sure won't be the last but when these type of accidents happen at nearly 200 mph, those tires, engines, and misc. debris come through those fences like a bullet through tissue paper.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on February 23, 2013, 08:33:54 PM
You sure about that, those things are pretty sturdy.
Yep. I can't even imagine being there.
Here's an amazing view from the stands, check out the tire at the end of the video:
http://www.youtube.com/v/mDiKZi3j-K8?version=3&hl=en_US
Direct link to video:
http://www.youtube.com/v/mDiKZi3j-K8?version=3&hl=en_US
WOW :o You've just shown me and I still can't even imagine. To feel it happen, smell it afterwards, and really see it and hear it. Absolutely mind-boggling.
I also do not understand the appeal of NASCAR for spectators, but that's another discussion entirely.
Oh now I gotcha it was smaller pieces of shredded metal, yikes must've been like flying razor blades. Lucky nobody was killed. I have watched a couple races but not from the stands. I'm not that into it, just being born in Daytona it was pretty well unavoidable getting dragged to one or two.
I had a free company ticket last year and sat out there for about two hours. I was kind of happy it got rained out because I had no desire to burn an entire day watching cars go around in a circle.
Not sure I can think of a dumber "sport" than NASCAR.
Quote from: ben says on February 24, 2013, 10:31:32 AM
Not sure I can think of a dumber "sport" than NASCAR.
You got to be joking ??? How about these Sports?
Volleyball
Badminton
Boxing
Water Polo
Darts
Crochet
Horseshoes
Bocce Ball
Archery
Fencing
Curling
Cricket
Shuffle Board
^ALL of those require some sort of physical prowess beyond using a foot to push a gas pedal....
Quote from: ben says on February 24, 2013, 12:01:11 PM
^ALL of those require some sort of physical prowess beyond using a foot to push a gas pedal....
Ben stop embarrassing yourself driving at speeds up to 200 mph drafting on the back of the car in front of you doing 190mph takes a lot of skill!
Quote from: ben says on February 24, 2013, 12:01:11 PM
^ALL of those require some sort of physical prowess beyond using a foot to push a gas pedal....
Obiviously you just don't understand the physical, tactical, teamwork envolved in the sport. Try not to be so closed mineded.
Quote from: If_I_Loved_you on February 24, 2013, 12:19:14 PM
Quote from: ben says on February 24, 2013, 12:01:11 PM
^ALL of those require some sort of physical prowess beyond using a foot to push a gas pedal....
Ben stop embarrassing yourself driving at speeds up to 200 mph drafting on the back of the car in front of you doing 190mph takes a lot of skill!
A lot of things require skill. Surgery, baking, writing, reading, playing an instrument...that doesn't make them "sport"--not to mention 'skill' is just one component of sport. The main requirement of 'sport', by definition, is physical exertion...which seems to be lacking in driving a car, that is, unless you count using the gas pedal or holding the wheel.
I had not actually thought of crochet as a sport. It only involves a hook and some yarn. I guess it could be competitive if you tried hard enough. Croquet, however, involves wooden balls and mallets. (Sorry If_I_Loved_You...I couldn't resist!) LOL
Boxing...have to agree. Getting paid for something which, if performed while drunk on a street corner at 3 AM with another drunk would land you in jail. Of course, I guess you could say the same thing about NASCAR if you were driving that fast at 3 AM. After all, the roots of NASCAR was with moonshiners outrunning revenuers, and then getting together to see if they could outrun each other. :-)
I'll watch NASCAR on TV if it's on Fox. It's especially entertaining for me during the last 30 or so laps. I'm sick of the perception of NASCAR just being entertainment for only a bunch of country hillbilly simple folk. With these race venues that are often in big cities (ATL, Vegas, Phoenix etc), the huge Fortune 500 companies, and star fans like freaking 50 Cent, and Ludacris stopping by to take in a race in the infield, yeah backwater for sure... Sure, the roots of NASCAR was all for the good old boys, but that's not 100% the case anymore.
I don't have anything against NASCAR. Its big money. Heck, I wish we had something like the ISC up here in Jax. Give them another 10 years or so and International Speedway Blvd will look completely different.
I've been to a 500 and a few other races...been in the stands and in the field. Let me tell you that Nascar is every bit as much of a sport as many of the others. It's tiring enough doing a 500 mile road trip in your comfortable car going 70-80 mph with a few fast food/stretch stops, let alone a nail biting DANGEROUS 500 miles taken on a closed and super-inclined track at 200 mph inches and often touching other cars going the same speed. The teamwork involved is very difficult to understand, but it is there.
There's also some sort of vehicular race track in lots of cities, and most people in America seem to have some sort of interest in car racing, whether it's stock cars, Sprint Cup (Nascar), Formula 1, street/drag racing, etc. Nascar is certainly growing in popularity as evidenced by the iconic stature of Danica Patrick, Nielsen's media ratings, increasing ticket prices, etc.
Back to discussion - when you're in the stands you are "right there" and can actually "feel" the cars go by. I can believe that this happened, but I cannot believe that this happened. If they raise the fencing and make it more impermeable, it will destroy the ambiance of watching the cars live in person (which I never watched Nascar on TV until my first 500 in person...WHOA). Then again, safety first?
Gosh. I-10 and Simms. I have nothing against car races either. Just not my thing. Boxing on the other hand. I just don't get. People beating each other to a pulp. But lots of people enjoy this and call it entertainment. As for me, I don't understand the attraction.
Back to Daytona. Is everyone going to be ok?
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on February 24, 2013, 07:04:58 PM
I had not actually thought of crochet as a sport. It only involves a hook and some yarn. I guess it could be competitive if you tried hard enough. Croquet, however, involves wooden balls and mallets. (Sorry If_I_Loved_You...I couldn't resist!) LOL
Boxing...have to agree. Getting paid for something which, if performed while drunk on a street corner at 3 AM with another drunk would land you in jail. Of course, I guess you could say the same thing about NASCAR if you were driving that fast at 3 AM. After all, the roots of NASCAR was with moonshiners outrunning revenuers, and then getting together to see if they could outrun each other. :-)
I'm in my 50's and growing up in the 70's I wasn't much of a NASCAR fan. But I like to watch it on TV now and maybe someday I will go to a NASCAR race in person. My kind of auto racing is "The 24 Hours of Daytona" I grew up watching Peter Gregg #59 wow what a professional race car driver! I was sadden of his suicide back in December 1980. "One should Never act as if they know what another is going thru unless they can wear his or her shoes?"
New reports indicate that 28 people were injured as a result of this crash. Some of them seriously. Reports also say that both an engine and tire actually went through the fence and into the stands. There are still a number of individuals in the hospital and are all reported as stable.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/Speedway-to-review-crash-that-injured-fans/-/475880/19077466/-/5k2a98/-/index.html
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on February 24, 2013, 10:07:34 PM
Gosh. I-10 and Simms. I have nothing against car races either. Just not my thing. Boxing on the other hand. I just don't get. People beating each other to a pulp. But lots of people enjoy this and call it entertainment. As for me, I don't understand the attraction.
Back to Daytona. Is everyone going to be ok?
Did I even call anyone out in particular on MJ? No. I'm not trying to forcefeed anything down nobodies throat, if it's not your thing, then it's not your thing. I was just talking about the general perception of NASCAR by alot of the prudish uppity general public is that it's all star & bars bearing hillbillies, and that isn't the case. Is it okay to have an opinion on MJ, because sometimes I think that we must all be boring robots, and agree with everything in unison.
As far as the topic at hand, it looks like everyone (track side fans) will be okay, so not much to talk about there, other than improving that catch fence. Hopefully my post won't be deleted by an anonymous moderator for having an opinion.
It appears the Daytona track had an engineer design the current safety fence in response to a serious accident at another track some time back. The current fence was thought to have been engineered to preclude this type of accident. My guess is we will see additional modifications to the fence design and several lawsuits. Some of the fans had quite serious injuries and there is a good chance not all of them will be okay with that. Twenty eight people seriously injured does not translate to a safe environment for fans, no matter what the sport.
I remember other serious injuries to fans by hockey pucks at professional sports arenas, one killing a child in the stands and another where a monster truck ran up into the stands killing a child and injuring several others. All resulted in changes to safety precautions and ended up in lawsuits. I think fans attend a sports event with the reasonable expectation that they will be safe and that is not always an accurate assumption.
Quote from: I-10east on February 25, 2013, 06:32:16 PM
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on February 24, 2013, 10:07:34 PM
Gosh. I-10 and Simms. I have nothing against car races either. Just not my thing. Boxing on the other hand. I just don't get. People beating each other to a pulp. But lots of people enjoy this and call it entertainment. As for me, I don't understand the attraction.
Back to Daytona. Is everyone going to be ok?
Did I even call anyone out in particular on MJ? No. I'm not trying to forcefeed anything down nobodies throat, if it's not your thing, then it's not your thing. I was just talking about the general perception of NASCAR by alot of the prudish uppity general public is that it's all star & bars bearing hillbillies, and that isn't the case. Is it okay to have an opinion on MJ, because sometimes I think that we must all be boring robots, and agree with everything in unison.
As far as the topic at hand, it looks like everyone (track side fans) will be okay, so not much to talk about there, other than improving that catch fence. Hopefully my post won't be deleted by an anonymous moderator for having an opinion.
"Is it okay to have an opinion on MJ, because sometimes I think that we must all be boring robots, and agree with everything in unison." I-10east you don't have to agree with everyone or anyone? But you may be labeled a "Troll" which isn't really that bad. The first time I was labeled a "troll" it really ticked me off? But then after awhile I thought about it and noticed how some of my postings were just that. I also put a lot of MetroJacksonville posters on my "Ignore List" so when I post. I don't have to view what they say unless I click on their posting. 8)
^^^That's okay if I'm labeled as a troll, or is on some ignore lists. The posts that someone deletes usually involves somebody making a brand new redundant thread that's been talked about over and over again; Apparently 'trolls' like myself know how to use something that's called a 'search feature'. If someone wanna talk about something old, fine pull up an old thread and not make a new one; Even most newbies know that on forum sites.
Debbie, wasn't writing in response to you in particular :) (We are generally of the same perception about everything).
28 people, and some seriously!!! That's sad. Hate to be of this opinion, but I don't think we can fully expect our safety to be guaranteed by others. There is insurance for anything and everything, so at least that's good for both those on the receiving end of accidents and those whose assets or actions will be laid to blame for those accidents. I don't think you can blame Nascar for this very rare freak accident any more than you can blame Nascar for having bars on the premises that serve people who get rowdy and punch others in the face, breaking noses and teeth in the process (anyone been to a soccer match abroad??).
You are correct Simms, there are no guarantee's in life and there is insurance and lawsuits. ;) I am expecting Daytona raceway will see some of those. Personally, I try to avoid events of any type that have large metal objects on wheels climbing over cars or racing around a track, specifically because of the chance of accidents and the noise level. I have no problem however with others who do like this sort of thing. Each to their own. By the way, my uncle was an award winning stock car racer back in the day, his son loves the sport, me not so much. lol
Quote from: If_I_Loved_you on February 25, 2013, 05:31:56 PM
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on February 24, 2013, 07:04:58 PM
I had not actually thought of crochet as a sport. It only involves a hook and some yarn. I guess it could be competitive if you tried hard enough. Croquet, however, involves wooden balls and mallets. (Sorry If_I_Loved_You...I couldn't resist!) LOL
Boxing...have to agree. Getting paid for something which, if performed while drunk on a street corner at 3 AM with another drunk would land you in jail. Of course, I guess you could say the same thing about NASCAR if you were driving that fast at 3 AM. After all, the roots of NASCAR was with moonshiners outrunning revenuers, and then getting together to see if they could outrun each other. :-)
I'm in my 50's and growing up in the 70's I wasn't much of a NASCAR fan. But I like to watch it on TV now and maybe someday I will go to a NASCAR race in person. My kind of auto racing is "The 24 Hours of Daytona" I grew up watching Peter Gregg #59 wow what a professional race car driver! I was sadden of his suicide back in December 1980. "One should Never act as if they know what another is going thru unless they can wear his or her shoes?"
In general I prefer road course racing to "roundy-rounds". I've been to several driving school series over the years, including both personal sports car and open wheel cars on some very fun tracks.
However, I must say that my most enlightening racing school was at Bristol Motor Speedway. Short half mile oval, which would seem kinda dull at first, eh? After all, some folks drive faster on the highway than the speeds even the pros get to at Bristol. BUT... laps at Bristol, with even 5 cars on track, were the most focused and
busy track laps that I've done. Constant turning, constant focus on where/when to safely pass, constant mirror checking - and again that was with a handful of cars on track at any one time. It was very fun, but definitely took more exertion than the road courses I'd driven. I gained a completely new perspective on what it must take to be on a course like that with 42 other cars and drivers within inches of each other for 500 miles.
^^^Yes!!! And to add...I would think anyone who has driven through LA would have an appreciation at minimum for racing, especially of the Sprint Cup or IndyCar Series! When I drive through LA, one end to the other, it usually takes at least 2 hours where the majority of that is spent on rough/hilly 20 lane highways where traffic is tighter than rush hour in Jax and still moving at 70+ MPH (not to mention the crazy interchanges around downtown). I'm usually wiping sweat off of the forehead and taking a break when I can.
I literally can't imagine being in a tight pack of cars going 200 MPH for 500 miles. Whoa. The tension in your muscles as you grip the wheel and the shift various gears/pedals must be intensely high for the duration...that's probably a hell of a workout.
Definitely been down to the 24 Hour...quite an awesome race, too. There are always a few racers from Jax who participate in one of the racing groups. The noise intensity of the cars on the track (especially at the 500) is like a jet engine going by every few seconds. Very exhilarating for the fans...I'll take my risk of car parts flying at me if I get offered tickets to a race :)
I've read that 7 fans are still in the hospital. NASCAR and the Speedway will perform the formal safety investigations.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal has a good article here http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130226/NASCAR/302259953/1001?p=1&tc=pg (http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130226/NASCAR/302259953/1001?p=1&tc=pg) and more coverage at their home page.
QuoteThe industry has looked for a way to better protect fans from flying debris, said Wheeler, who now works as a consultant. But no better options have been developed that would "prevent every teeny piece from coming into the grandstand" and still allow fans to see the action on the track, he said.
At Charlotte, he tried a type of clear plastic similar to that used in bulletproof windows. But it didn't work because it turned black from rubber and other materials, and fans couldn't see through it.
Well, I guess that there's another 'tragedy' of a sorts for NASCAR; A new sponsor is coming to Texas Motor Speedway, behold the new NRA 500. I'm astounded, way to set that sport back forty years NASCAR. I've tried to defend NASCAR, but maybe I was wrong with my earlier take. Good luck with any hopes of a progressive new fanbase, although I think that they'll be fine either way. SMH.
http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2013/03/04/the-nra-500-is-coming-to-the-texas-motor-speedway-this-april/