A Nearly Tragic NASCAR Crash Somehow Had a Happy Ending
A devastating crash in Daytona ends in a driver walk away practically unharmed. Why could this have ended differently in 2001?
Written by Andrew Kidd
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Safety
has been a primary focal point for NASCAR officials ever since a spate of high-profile crashes and fatalities
rocked stock car racing’s largest governing body in the early 2000s.But if recent incidents are any indication, it looks like that emphasis on driver safety has been worth it—especially for No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro driver Myatt Snider.
A tragedy averted in Dayotna
CBS Sports
reported that the 27-year-old Xfinity Series driver was medically cleared to race in the next race, the WISE Power 400 in Fontana, following his final-lap crash at Daytona the week prior.Despite the
devastating damage
to the vehicle, CBS reports, the driver's compartment remained completely intact, allowing Snider to climb out moments later with only complaints of soreness in his left leg.Snider told reporters he felt “blessed” to have walked away from that crash with only minor injuries. He also thanked Jordan Anderson Racing for building a safe car—an endorsement of NASCAR’s stringent safety measures, for sure.
NASCAR officials are reviewing the remains of Snider’s car. CBS reports that projectile debris from Snider ended up hitting other cars, raising possible safety considerations for officials. Snider’s engine hit Matt Mills’ trailing car while a truck arm lodged itself in J.J. Yeley’s car.
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Why does NASCAR take safety so seriously?
MORE: Getting Car Insurance for a NASCAR Car Is Crazy Expensive
The average consumer has plenty of options to choose from in the automotive market (bigger is usually better). But when you’re screaming around an oval track in a stock car, you’re pretty much at the mercy of whatever rules and regulations that governing body has set in place.
In the early 2000s, a series of high-profile deaths rocked the sport of stock racing. But it wasn’t until the death of Dale Earnhardt—who died following a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500—that NASCAR reviewed the safety measures it implemented to protect its drivers.
Earnhardt’s death was the latest of four fatalities in less than a year across NASCAR’s three national series, according to
NASCAR.com
writer Matt Crosman. The three prior driver casualties—Tony Roper, Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin—died from the same basilar skull fracture injury as Earnhardt.Protecting drivers with innovation
The tragic death of such a beloved NASCAR celebrity led to a rapid series of safety revamps in its vehicles and venues. NASCAR implemented the Head and Neck Support restraint (or HANS) device in 2001.
HANS prevents whiplash injuries similar to what killed Earnhardt, with Crosman noting the system is widely considered the most important vehicle safety development in the history of racing.
Another major safety upgrade came the next year in 2002, when NASCAR replaced the concrete walls at its tracks with SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers to better absorb the energy of a crash.
NASCAR has implemented more rules and safety features through the years to seemingly great effect, as Snider’s survival demonstrates.
In fact, in the 21 years since Earnhardt’s fatal crash, NASCAR hasn’t lost a single driver in one of its top three series—Cup, Xfinity, and Camping World Trucks— thanks to this dedication to safety.
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