As rookie Michael McDowell barrel-rolled across Texas Motor Speedway, one thing became clear: NASCAR’s latest safety measures are clearly working.
The soft walls and NASCAR’s new car likely saved McDowell’s life following a horrific accident that caught the attention of an industry desensitized to wrecks.
Not this time, though. Not even close.
Drivers and crews standing on pit road during Friday’s qualifying session seemed frozen in place as they watched McDowell’s car lose control entering the first turn and slam nearly straight-on into the outside wall. The vicious impact sent his car flipping eight times around the track, and the most hardened veterans stood silent as they waited for the Toyota to finally come to a stop.
“That was the hardest hit I’ve ever seen anybody take,” said two-time champion Tony Stewart, who stood silent on pit road, arms folded across his chest as he watched the car tumble. “That was a pretty impressive crash.”
It was a horrific accident and a tremendous hit, so violent that many insiders compared it to the impact that killed Dale Earnhardt in 2001. But this time, the driver hopped quickly out of the car and offered a slight wave to the anxious crowd before he was ushered into the care center for a quick checkup.
