June 1, 2006

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden

Was there a knot in your stomach for most of the weekend like there was mine?

Without question, stock car racing is and always has been a perilous sport. But in recent years, safety innovations like the HANS devices, "softer" walls, and other advances have made it relatively easy to become complacent about the sport's inherent dangers.

If you're old enough to remember the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, you may recall that in the days and weeks following the incident, many people admitted that it served as a grim wake-up call of just how dangerous - and deadly - an undertaking space travel can be.

NASCAR's most recent wake-up call was in 2001, with the unimaginable death of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500. Since then, thankfully, there have been no on-track fatalities in the elite racing series, thanks in large part to an increased emphasis on driver safety.

That said, we should never forget that our beloved sport is a risky one, and that its participants put their lives on the line every time they strap into their vehicles.

That they do so voluntarily - and are well-compensated financially - does not negate the danger.

The past few days have produced several anxious moments, including a couple which served to remind us that not all driver injuries occur on the track. In combination, these incidents produced enough angst to last race fans for quite some time.

The week started with the very sad news of the death of a rising NASCAR star. 19-year-old Spencer Clark died in a car accident in New Mexico on May 21st. Clark, who competed in his first Busch race earlier this season, was en route to his home in Las Vegas from Charlotte, where he had been preparing for a NASCAR Grand National West series race. He was the passenger in a truck which was towing his car, and both he and teammate Andy Phillips were killed when the vehicle rolled after being caught in severe crosswinds in the mountains east of Albuquerque.

Later in the week, during a live broadcast of Speed TV's "Trackside" program on Friday evening, NEXTEL Cup star Elliott Sadler was cajoled into stage diving into a crowd of fans. Sadler made his jump but instead of being caught, appeared to hit the pavement - as evidenced by a sickening thud, followed by the alarmed voice of NASCAR commentator Jeff Hammond ordering the crowd to stand back.

The camera panned to the stage where show host Steve Byrnes and panel member Larry McReynolds engaged in a moment or two of awkward banter, with Byrnes indicating that Sadler had hit his head. Even country singer Blake Shelton, a guest on the show and a buddy of Sadler's, made a quick exit to check on Elliott's condition.

As far as the viewers could tell, Sadler was still down on the ground, perhaps seriously injured.

The network abruptly ended the show and followed with a prolonged commercial break. It then aired another live show, "Tradin' Paint," without any comment about Sadler's condition until the closing seconds of that program, when host John Roberts mentioned that Sadler was, in fact, okay.

During the interim period, however, cell phones and internet chat rooms lit up with the alarmed messages of worried fans, frantic for news on how badly Sadler was injured.

A press release later that evening explained that Sadler had lost his footing on the edge of the stage and had hit his thighs on a metal barrier. Fortunately, he was not seriously hurt and was able to participate in both the Busch and Cup races over the weekend.

Fast forward about 24 hours to Saturday's Busch race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Within the first ten laps of the race, Cup regulars Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray were injured in separate accidents, sending both drivers hard into the turn 4 wall.

If you think such crashes have become commonplace and are not cause for worry, consider the opinion of Jeff Gordon, who was asked in a recent interview (www.Charlotte.com) whether he thinks about dying in his race car: "Um, dying. (Pauses for five seconds) anytime you're in the car and it's out of control, headed for the wall, you don't know what the outcome is going to be. Your heart rate goes up instantly. And when it's all over, even though it happens in a matter of seconds, you're happy to be able to move things and still be alive. So yes, I have some fear inside a car sometimes. And there isn't anybody that can possibly say in that situation that they don't have extreme fear inside of them."

Although Stewart and McMurray appeared to be okay, they were transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. After being treated and released, McMurray commented, "That hurt. It was probably one of the biggest hits I've ever taken."

As for Stewart, he started Sunday's Cup race with continued discomfort in his right shoulder and scapula, though Saturday's x-rays were negative. Unfortunately, he sustained a second hard impact after cutting a tire on lap 33 and again slammed the wall. This time, Stewart did not exit the car for several tense moments, as rescue workers encircled his smashed car.

Eventually, Stewart was lifted through the driver's side window, the grimace on his face clearly indicating the severity of his pain.

Transported to the hospital for the second time in as many days, Stewart was diagnosed with a fractured right scapula. A decision on Stewart's status for the Dover race was pending at press time.

As Richard Petty once observed, the first auto race took place, "when they built the second car."

NASCAR drivers are compelled to race, and for the fans, there is something inexplicably alluring about the spectacle of brave men defying the odds - and tempting the fates.

Despite what you might think, racers compete more for the love of speed than for the tangible rewards. NASCAR driver Kenny Irwin, killed in a 2000 racing accident, spoke for many drivers when he said, "You know what? I'd drive for free. I'd race for free. That's my passion."

The same holds true for the sport's devoted fans and yes, even its media members.

It's our passion, too.

That's why the wrecks and the accidents and the injuries affect us so personally.

It's like these things are happening to members of our own family.

And inasmuch as we are all related by our shared love of the sport - they are.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.