The Allure Of Danger: Nascar Wrecks

What can make hundreds of people collectively give a sigh of relief? What can silence of room full of avid NASCAR fans? What is one of the events that NASCAR fans will remember the longest and talk about for weeks afterwards? It's NASCAR wrecks. They come in all types: flips, fires, blowouts, spins, or sometimes the complete demolition of the race car. The two things all NASCAR wrecks have in common is that fans want to see them, and they want the driver to walk away.

When the Drivers Survive:

Luckily, most NASCAR wrecks are not fatal and the driver walks away either unscathed or with minor bruises. Sometimes, as seen in the famous Darrell Waltrip NASCAR wreck at Daytona, there is little more than a shell left of the car. The driver, though, somehow manages to walk away, or spend some time mending before returning to again wow his audience at another race.

How They Survive:

There is an exhaustive list of safety equipment to protect the drivers. Everything that they wear, the seat they sit in, their helmet, ear wear, head rest system, seat belts, and the Hans device are only a few of the mandatory equipment that protects your favorite driver when his car spins out of control or flips end over end. So, if you ever wondered how on earth a man can walk away from what looks like little more than an alien pod, thank people like Dr. Robert Hubbard who developed a neck restraint system, the Hans device, to protect a driver from a basal skull fracture during a would-be fatal NASCAR wreck.

When Drivers Lose Their Lives:

Sometimes even the best and most elaborate protection is not enough to prevent a driver from being killed. In moments like the tragic night in 1999 when Dale Earnhardt did not emerge with that smile and a wave, the audience never quiet recovers from the silence. Today, his loss is still mourned by NASCAR fans across the country. However, it is through deaths like his that improvements are made in driver safety so that the next time a legend spins and slams, he can emerge from his car and with a tired and sore body wave to the fans who are collectively holding their breath.

In a sport where solid objects meet other solid objects at more than 190 mph, one can expect wrecks to occur quite often. Due to ever increasing safety measures, most drivers walk away from the accidents without suffering any injury. Because of that fact fans can enjoy the competition and the thrill of the speed, as well as the added drama of a NASCAR wreck, without the expectancy of fatality at every race.

By: Jamal Brewington

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Author - Jamal Brewington. Are you mad about NASCAR? At www.stockcarcrashes.com you can see and comment on non-fatal NASCAR wrecks, as well as NASCAR scanner reviews.