My heart skipped a beat or two this past Friday. I’ll admit it, I wasn’t watching qualifying on TV, rather I was in the kitchen cooking for a dinner party we were having later that evening. I had my laptop positioned in the kitchen with music from iTunes playing in the background, and the live leaderboard showing qualifying results was displayed. Every so often, I checked to see what was going on, and when I noticed that rookie Michael McDowell was qualifying for what seemed like an eternity, I hit refresh on my browser, figuring that the system was frozen. No change. I refreshed again, then ‘x’ed out’ of the site and went back in. No change. I went back to the home page to click on the PRN broadcast when I saw it… the headline in the video control room that McDowell ‘takes a tumble’. Naturally, I clicked on it and was horrified to see what came next. As soon as he hit the wall, I felt a pit in my stomach, reminded of the same type of hit that took the life of Dale Earnhardt. Then the flips. Not one or two, but nine! And with each flip, pieces of the car being spread all over the track. My heart rate jumped and I waited anxiously as the car came to rest, on fire and completely destroyed. The few moments it took the window net to come down and for McDowell to emerge seemed like an eternity, and when it finally happened I don’t think there was a person who wasn’t completely shocked to see him do it under his own power. I thought for certain we had lost another driver.
Looking at the replay several times, including the damage done to the SAFER barrier made me realize just how far we had come since the death of Dale Sr. While there is no way to ever say for sure how McDowell would have fared in the old car, even with the HANS device; and no way to know for sure what would have happened had the SAFER barrier not been in place, I think we can all agree that he would not have walked away from the crash waving to the crowd.
NASCAR may be guilty of a lot over its history, and it’s almost criminal that it took the death of Earnhardt to finally take driver safety seriously, but lets give credit where credit is due. Every new safety device, from the new car, to the HANS device, to the SAFER barrier and every other device added over the years played a roll in keeping McDowell safe and inside the car. Something tells me he is the happiest guy in the history of NASCAR to be starting 40th.
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12 comments:
Definitely one or the heaviest NASCAR crashes in the last few years.
And there is little doubt looking at the SAFER barrier where he hit that innovation made a significant difference in any possible injuries.
Well, anyone but the nitwit monkeesfan, I see where he's up to his old and very tired tricks at Poole's place.
BTW, if you could update your link, both Full Throttle and Asian Motor Sports have changed url's since I made a host shift.
They talk about safety - so why are the speeds still 25 MPH faster than they should be?
Monkeesfan said...
They talk about safety - so why are the speeds still 25 MPH faster than they should be?
Ok, I'll bite. Where are you getting that 25 mph number? Scientific fact? Studies? Or just a by product of the Kool Aid you sip? Please, if you make a statement like that, back it up with something...
Congrats "NH," you reeled in your first disingenuous troll.
Yup, I sure did. Its nice to see some things in life never change.
BTW - changed your Full Throttle link, but the AMS one seems to be disabled.
The 25 MPH comes from history - the sport wass safest when the speeds were in the 160 range on intermediates, the 150 range on flat supers, and the 175-80 range on the plate tracks.
Marc, I'm no troll - look in the mirror for trolls.
History is rendered irrelevant when you change other variables, such as safety devices. You are pulling crap right from the source, your ass... you have NO scientific data to back yourself up, just your opinion which, based on everything I have read from you, is in fact crap. Perhaps if you could come back with some real crash test data to back yourself up you may - and I stress the word may - be taken a little more seriously.
And yes, troll fits quite nicely...
Mark:
Please drop me a line at jwilson@sbnation.com. Thanks!
No Mark, history is always relevent. especially when it casts doubt on that scientific data you want to cite. History is the crash test data you need, and it hurts your argument. You want credibility, start accepting this fact and stop lecturing me or anyone else about scientific data - after all, you did concede in the tire war debate when it finally got through to you what Hoosier Tire actually brought to the table.
Amazing how you just make crap up.
Show me where I conceded the Tire Wars discussion... please, do tell me, I need to know what I wrote...
Just because I chose to end the discussion and you were the last to post does not in any way mean that I conceded anything. I provided verifiable facts, you provided drivel. Those who read the thread will figure out quickly that you are as much a moron as you present yourself. You are like a 4 year old arguing with a sibling, stomp loudly enough and get in the last word and you win? I think not...
History of the crash test data from the old car - which no longer exists - is relevant in that it is how the new safety standards of the new car evolved. The fact that by the blessings of God some drivers in the old car era survived without serious injury is an act of providence, not a 'proof' that the old car is as safe as the new car.
Mark, you had no answer when it finally dawned on you what Hoosier Tire brought to the table. That means you lost the debate on tire wars. You never provided one single fact; just a lot of verbiage.
The old car's crash data absolutely showed it was as safe as the new car; it did so over and over and over. The new car has not shown anything remarkable compared to the old car.
There is your proof.
Keep telling yourself that Monkeesfan.
Just being the last to post does not mean you have proven anything, other than you have proven nothing.
I have provided verifiable facts on both the tires and the safety features of the new car. You have provided nothing. You believe that what you think is real, you are consistently in a state of denial when it comes to the laws of physics, verifiable data and facts.
You are the laughing stock of every blog I have read regardless of what name you post under; the only reason I take time to respond to your posts is so that others aren't pulled into your little universe... not that many will be, as most have an IQ high enough to smell your BS.
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