Understandably, NASCAR sport poses an extremely high risk at participants – what else do you expect from a sport with about 200mph speed plus drivers racing door-to-door regularly. NASCAR fans also understand this; technically, the appeal of NASCAR has been dangerous elements, cut across various hazardous possibilities. For instance, you will see fans typically cheering at car wrecks, disappointed racers, or any other misfortune that might have occurred during the race.
While NASCAR can be as dangerous as possible, it is also imperative that you make intentional efforts at minimizing your risks. One such means is understanding what exactly happens when a stock car rolls in front of you.
Undoubtedly, stock car crashes are a blend of complex interactions between the road, vehicles, weather, and you – the driver. Undoubtedly, such incidents can double as been traumatic as possible, creating lasting impressions, especially when the car crash is a rollover. Knowing what happens is one major way of either preventing such occurrences while racing or minimizing your risk of danger.
This article explores the various causes of stock car rollovers. Without any further ado, let us get straight into it!
Major Cause of Stock Car Roll-Overs
Generally, there are two major possibilities whenever a stock car rolls in front of you: first, the driver has lost control of their vehicle, causing him to drift off the road; second, such a driver might be at his highest possible risk, risk driving. Technically, both conditions stem back to the driver losing control – car crashes won’t happen to drivers who are still in perfect control of their vehicles.
However, a few other reasons a stock car may roll in front of you include road obstructions, risk-driving, collision with other racing stock cars, and others. Below is a somewhat comprehensive list of what may happen whenever a stock car rolls in front of you:
- Loss of Control
This is a major and commonest reason for rollover accidents. A driver may lose control of his vehicle for several reasons, including excessive speeding, which is common in NASCAR, striking obstructions, or the driver isn’t entirely familiar with his stock car.
- Multiple Stock Cars Collisions
In NASCAR, most rollovers are originated single-car accidents. However, there are exceptions, especially at bends and corners. Some drivers may hit another side-on, forcing them over the barricade, causing such a vehicle to roll. Also, a racer might run into an already damaged stock car due to overspeeding, causing such a stock car to roll.
- Risky Maneuvers
Technically, as mentioned earlier, NASCAR isn’t as interesting as it should be without car crashes – however, nobody wishes for casualties. Basically, the death records are considerably lower than you might be thinking. Hence, the roadways are usually designed with risky maneuvers and sharper bends, disrupting racers’ smooth and easy drives. Such maneuvers might result in road-tire friction, causing stock cars to flip over. This also occurs whenever drivers are at high speeds.
Below is a list of the scariest crashes in the history of NASCAR
- 1960 Daytona Modified Sportsman Race
- 1961 Daytona, Lee Petty
- 1970 Darlington, Richard Petty.
- 1980 Pocono, Richard Petty.
- 1987 Talladega, Bobby Allison.
- 1987 Talladega, Bobby Allison.
- 1993 Talladega, Rusty Wallace.
- 1996 Talladega, Dale Earnhardt.
- 2000 Daytona, Geoff Bodine.
- 2008 Texas, Michael McDowell.
- 2009 NASCAR, Carlos Pardo.
- 2010 Pocono, Elliott Sadler.
Final Thoughts
Undoubtedly, car crashes are as pivotal to NASCAR just as photo finishes, lead changes, etc. While the rate of car crashes is seemingly reducing, they still occur nonetheless, just that, perhaps, racers are getting more careful or whatever. Stock car rollovers can be as simple as common injuries or as deadly and death-threatening as possible. This article has helped you analyze the exact possibilities of a stock car rolling in front of you.
Did we omit anything? Let us hear from you via the comment section!