My wife and I were there that day. I told her about a lap before the crash that there was no way Michael and Robert Pressley could stay side by side. Watching his car just "disappear" into what it turned into......and then the "B O O M" from the impact....Good Lord... I had no doubt that he was dead. People all around us in the front straight grandstands were crying or silent. Then the whole grandstand out of turn two started cheering and I got REALLY confused... a man sitting in front of us with binoculars turned around towards and said with a grin: "That sumbitch is staindin` up".
I working with Mike Harmon 74 team this season and he told me this that the Bristol wreck is NOT in 1st place of the worst accident list in his racing career. The worst happened in 1995 at Homestead in a late model race that he got a concussion, a broken leg, couple cracked ribs and a bruised shoulder. He raced 4-6 weeks later racing the snowflake and won it with a broken leg.
It is called "Tombstone Technology". We all know of dangerous intersections, crosswalks, blind driveways etc.. When enough people are killed or especially if it is one of stature, changes are made. In this case 12 yrs passed and another accident before it was changed.
The odds of two people 12 years apart hitting the same gate at the same track, and having their cars completely torn apart in pretty much the same way is pretty low. The odds of them both just walking away from those crashes with very minor injuries is so unfathomably low, that there is no other way to describe it other than to call it a miracle.
Harmon REALLY got lucky Sauter was able to get down as low as he did to just peel away the right side of Harmon's car. An ARCA car I worked on, last time I was there, is sitting in front of the 30 car at the museum at Talladega. Ours looks in better shape because they set the pieces where the were supposed to be, better than the 30. We literally broke the wall at Daytona. People smarter than me estimated the car was still going around 175ish when it hit. Same place where Neil Bonnet had his fatal accident the next day.
That's the difference of being a little uncomfortable, and having everything right in the car, and being comfortable and not quite folling manufacturers recommendations on how to use their safety equipment. Plus a little dumb luck with either result.
FranktheDachshund I couldn't agree more. I remember watching the Daytona 500 on tv at home on that fateful day. Was wondering what everyone on the tv was talking about when they said it looked bad. Also wondered why the ambulance was moving so slow when they took Dale away. Wasn't till a few hours later i heard the sad news.
He messed with all his safety stuff and then we wrecked and the seat broke and he went face first into the dashboard going 190mph and it snapped his neck
How is the infield accessed now if there's no gate? Satellite pictures seem to show a pedestrian tunnel in turn 3, but no sign that I can see of a road tunnel.
"I've been actually hurt worse working in the shop." DAMN! LOL! What a badass!
My wife and I were there that day. I told her about a lap before the crash that there was no way Michael and Robert Pressley could stay side by side. Watching his car just "disappear" into what it turned into......and then the "B O O M" from the impact....Good Lord... I had no doubt that he was dead. People all around us in the front straight grandstands were crying or silent. Then the whole grandstand out of turn two started cheering and I got REALLY confused... a man sitting in front of us with binoculars turned around towards and said with a grin: "That sumbitch is staindin` up".
I working with Mike Harmon 74 team this season and he told me this that the Bristol wreck is NOT in 1st place of the worst accident list in his racing career. The worst happened in 1995 at Homestead in a late model race that he got a concussion, a broken leg, couple cracked ribs and a bruised shoulder. He raced 4-6 weeks later racing the snowflake and won it with a broken leg.
Does he still look and sound near death like he does in this video?
I'd say Harmons was worse only because of Sauter hitting the car
nascarfan88ta no it's because Harmon riped the gate open and it took theM a year to fix it and the lock was broke
@@404JekerskyNotFound Shut up
It is called "Tombstone Technology". We all know of dangerous intersections, crosswalks, blind driveways etc.. When enough people are killed or especially if it is one of stature, changes are made. In this case 12 yrs passed and another accident before it was changed.
At least it didnt injure anyone badly
The odds of two people 12 years apart hitting the same gate at the same track, and having their cars completely torn apart in pretty much the same way is pretty low. The odds of them both just walking away from those crashes with very minor injuries is so unfathomably low, that there is no other way to describe it other than to call it a miracle.
Harmon REALLY got lucky Sauter was able to get down as low as he did to just peel away the right side of Harmon's car. An ARCA car I worked on, last time I was there, is sitting in front of the 30 car at the museum at Talladega. Ours looks in better shape because they set the pieces where the were supposed to be, better than the 30. We literally broke the wall at Daytona. People smarter than me estimated the car was still going around 175ish when it hit. Same place where Neil Bonnet had his fatal accident the next day.
DDS029 sounds like you must have worked on Andy Farr’s car. How he survived that is beyond me. One of the worst crashes I’ve ever seen.
Harmon: it wasn't that much of an impact.
Also Harmon: *badass i am*
So wierd those are two crazy crashes and they walk away. It looked like Dale Earnhardt just touched the wall and died.
That's the difference of being a little uncomfortable, and having everything right in the car, and being comfortable and not quite folling manufacturers recommendations on how to use their safety equipment. Plus a little dumb luck with either result.
FranktheDachshund I couldn't agree more. I remember watching the Daytona 500 on tv at home on that fateful day. Was wondering what everyone on the tv was talking about when they said it looked bad. Also wondered why the ambulance was moving so slow when they took Dale away. Wasn't till a few hours later i heard the sad news.
Wayne Metevia he ran into a concrete wall at 190 miles per hour wearing a helmet with no face mask
Earnhardt had a weak neck.
He messed with all his safety stuff and then we wrecked and the seat broke and he went face first into the dashboard going 190mph and it snapped his neck
When the devil stubs his toe he blames Mike Harmon
0:27
Carl Edwards looks like he's about to kill Kyle Petty.
Carl did have the look of better get out of my face before something bad happens to ya
"Hes climbing outta the car"
Man literally is sitting on the pavement
So... don't race at Bristol if your name is some variation of Michael
Quick, someone tell Michael McDowell
Looks like after the first time they would have fixed and removed that damn Gate. How many Drivers would have to die to correct the problem.
That gate just reaches out and bites people
Why Mike Harmon sounds like Mater?
How is the infield accessed now if there's no gate? Satellite pictures seem to show a pedestrian tunnel in turn 3, but no sign that I can see of a road tunnel.
There is track cross over in turn 3 still. I just looked and the view I got from google shows the gate at turn 3 open.
How does the car do that?
It's meant to come apart
Wow...
So...That's what's wrong with him now..... Glad he's ok..
No, he was this way before the crash too
Why mike harmon sound like a smoker with a hole in there throat
is everyone from Memphis a moron?