NASCAR’s Most Intense Collisions

Any sport that involves barrelling down a track at over 200 miles an hour doesn’t come without its thrills and dangers. For the drivers, high-speed collisions are just another day at the office. Over the years, some of these wrecks have become defining moments in the sport, often changing the course of races and influencing safety innovations. Here are some of the biggest crashes in NASCAR history.

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1. 1961 Daytona, Lee Petty

During qualifying for a major race at Daytona, race leader Banjo Matthews spun out and caused a chain reaction in which Lee Petty’s car was hit. Both drivers lost control, hit a guardrail, and their cars burst into flames. The crash sent Petty into a coma for four days that took him months to recover from. 

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2. 1987 Talladega, Bobby Allison

During the Winston 500 at Talladega, Bobby Allison ruptured his wheel driving at over 200 miles per hour. His car flew into the guard rail and spun on the track. He was unhurt but some debris flew into the grand stands, injuring spectators. 

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3. 1964 Charlotte, Glenn Roberts

At the 1964 World 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson collided. Glenn Roberts, in an effort to avoid them, crashed into the retaining wall, flipped, and his car caught fire. He received burns on 75 percent of his body and didn’t survive the ordeal but his death prompted NASCAR to require drivers to wear fire-resistant suits.

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4. 1984 Daytona, Ricky Rudd

At the Daytona 1984 Busch Clash, Ricky Rudd was clipped from behind causing his car to go airborne, flying off the track. Amazingly, it landed right side up and Rudd walked away injury-free.

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5. 1990 Bristol, Michael Waltrip

At Bristol’s Budweiser 250 Grand National Race Michael Waltrip tried to pass Robert Pressley but the two cars collided and Waltrip crashed into a gate, then a concrete barrier. His vehicle was nearly ripped in half and he landed upside down, sustaining multiple injuries.

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6. 2008 Las Vegas, Jeff Gordon

As Matt Kenseth was trying to pass Dale Earnhardt, Jr. he touched Jeff Gordon’s car, causing him to veer off straight into the barrier. The entire front end of his vehicle was totaled and the radiator was dislodged, but Gordon emerged without any serious injuries.

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7. 1960 Daytona, 37 Cars

In terms of the sheer number of cars involved, the biggest crash in NASCAR happened at the Daytona Modified Sportsman Race in 1960. It’s unclear which car caused the initial collision, but less than two minutes into the race, over half the cars on the track were involved in a pileup. This caused NASCAR to limit the number of race participants to 43 instead of 68.

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8. 2001 Darlington, Steve Park

At the 2001 Darlington NASCAR Busch Series, Steve Park pulled on his steering wheel only to have it come right off as it wasn't properly installed. He crashed right into the driver’s side of Larry Foyt’s vehicle. Foyt suffered a serious brain injury and many broken ribs from the accident that would mark the downturn in his career.  

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9. 2003 Talladega, Elliott Sadler

During the Winston Cup at Talladega, Elliot Sadler was rear-ended by Kurt Busch causing Sadler’s car to go airborne and flip over multiple times. Remarkably, it landed right side up and Sadler emerged from the wreck unharmed.

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10. 1980 Pocono, Richard Petty

During the Coca Cola 500, Richard Petty blew a tire and flew into a wall. When his car came to a rest, many drivers behind were able to avoid him except for Darrell Waltrip who crashed right into his driver’s side, breaking Petty’s neck. Petty survived but his career took a plunge.

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11. 1988 Daytona, Richard Petty

Yet another crash involving Dayton Petty eight years later occurred at the Daytona 500. He was hit from behind and his car flipped over a few times before coming to rest and being hit again by another driver. The intense impact left Petty temporarily blind.

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12. 1990 Atlanta, Ricky Rudd

At the 1990 Atlanta Journal 500, Ricky Rudd lost control and crashed into Bill Elliott who was stopped for a tire change. Both drivers were unharmed but Elliott’s mechanic was killed after being pinned between the two cars. The tragedy caused NASCAR to modify pit speed limits and require crew to wear protective gear.

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13. 2002 Bristol, Mike Harmon

In a practice run for the Busch Motor Series, Mike Harmon crashed into a steel fence followed by a concrete roadblock, splitting his car in two. Another driver came barrelling into the half of the car that, luckily, wasn’t housing the driver so Harmon was uninjured.

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14. 2002 Talladega, Johnny Sauter

The largest accident in modern NASCAR history was initiated by Johnny Sauter at the NASCAR Nationwide Series when he lost control, flipped, and rolled into oncoming traffic, causing a 33-car pileup. Amazingly, only one driver sustained minor injuries from the crash.

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15. 2003 Daytona, Ryan Newman

At the Daytona 500, rookie of the year Ryan Newman was pushed into the wall by Ken Schrader. Newman’s car lost a tire, went airborne, nosedived, and flipped multiple times before coming to rest upside down. Newman managed to emerge from the crash without serious injuries.

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16. 2008 Texas, Michael McDowell

During qualifying for the Samsung 500, rookie driver Michael McDowell lost control of his car while coming out of a high-speed turn. His vehicle flipped multiple times, landing on its wheels and bursting into flames. Spectacularly, McDowell emerged from the fiery wreck with only minimal injuries.

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17. 2009 Talladega, Carl Edwards

During Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Carl Edwards went neck-to-neck with Brad Keselowski. They touched and Edwards went airborne, crashed into the fence, sending debris into the stands. Edward’s car landed in the field and he finished the race on foot to raucaus applause. 

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18. 2012 Talladega, Tony Stewart

Another “big one” happened at the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 when Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip entangled bumpers. Stewart’s car flipped into multiple cars behind causing a 25-vehicle pileup.

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19. 2009 Autódromo, Carlos Pardo

At NASCAR Mexico’s Corona Series, Carlos Pardo was hit from behind. He veered head-on into a wall behind the pit lane at speed causing his car to explode. Because he was leading the field when he crashed, he won the race but lost his life. 

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20. 2015 Daytona, Austin Dillon

During the Daytona Coke Zero 400, a chain reaction set off another “big one” in which Austin Dillon spun into a wall and went airborne into the safety netting, spewing debris into the crowd. Five people were injured but Dillon walked away unscathed.

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