On the Loose Side
A NASCAR BLOG BY Kenny Bruce
Unusual circumstances led to Carl Edwards' flip
You can be sure that NASCAR will take a close look at the circumstances surrounding Carl Edwards’ crash on the final lap of Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Here are at least two things that video replays of the incident, which was the result of contact with Brad Keselowski, appear to show:
• The rear of Edwards’ Ford was already turning toward the finish line when it began to lift off the racing surface. The driver’s-side roof flap deploys first, and then the passenger side flap deploys as the car continues to turn and begins to lift. The nose of the car is on the apron, but the car didn’t begin to rise off the racing surface until air picked up the rear end.
• The back end of Edwards’ car appeared to be coming back down just before it was struck by the car driven by Ryan Newman. As a result, the back end is knocked back up in the air, which results in the car being lifted completely off the ground.
Unfortunately, no amount of roof flaps, side windows, restrictor plates or other technology can guarantee that a car will stay on the ground when it's hit while traveling at such an angle at that high rate of speed. Not unless there is a way to allow air to escape from underneath the car, allowing it to settle, without damaging the integrity of those safety measures already built in.
It took an unusual set of circumstances for Edwards’ accident to occur. Maybe the lessons learned from it will prevent something similar from happening in the future.
But to think that the possibility for such an accident can be totally eliminated, under the current conditions, is foolish. Almost as foolish as
thinking there isn’t a problem in the first place.
Kenny Bruce
Kenny Bruce covered his first auto race in 1981 and, except for a brief four-year departure to work in drag racing, has been at it ever since. He joined NASCAR Scene in 2001.
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Comments
8 responses to "Unusual circumstances led to Carl Edwards' flip". Post a Comment.
Kyle Newton said:
Apr 27, 2009 at 10:41 AMThat was like eating chocolate I loved it. I'm glad Carl didn't win. Yes.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportPerette Anderson said:
Apr 27, 2009 at 11:50 AMNASCAR caused the wreck when they chose not to allow drivers to pass below the yellow line on the last lap.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJohn p said:
Apr 27, 2009 at 5:07 PMQuit Whining! Wrecks happen and it's almost always the drivers fault. It's racing not wrestlemania. Don't steralize NASCAR any more than it is.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportJessy Doyle said:
Apr 27, 2009 at 6:42 PMNASCAR is completely at fault. One, they are letting nimrods that can not drive out on the track. Two, when they started changeing the rules so said nimrods would not get a lap or more down during a race and keeping the whole field bunched up in a wad.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportwalter gruner said:
Apr 28, 2009 at 11:15 AMTwo points. One, this stupid whole track blocking that is way out of hand.
Report as AbuseTwo, the greed of NA$CAR and the lack of any real smarts at the top in Daytona. Hype the photo's of the car in the air, say nothing official about the injured, hype a big one hot dog. Do not, under any circumstances listen to the drivers.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportMarybeth Wallick said:
Apr 28, 2009 at 8:02 PMLAST FALL AT TALADEGA, CARL HUNG OUT IN BACK AND ONLY CAME TO THE FRONT AT THE END, AND WRECKED HIS TEAMMATE AND ABOUT 7 OTHER CARS. THIS SPRING HE SPENT ALL DAY HANGING OUT BACK, AND WHEN HE CAME FORWARD HE MISJUDGED BRAD. MAYBE IF HE SPENT THE DAY RACING UP FRONT HE WOULD HAVE A BETTER FEEL OF WHAT IS GOING ON, AND HOW TO DO IT, AND WHO HE SHOULD NOT BE MISJUDGING.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportjohnny Burge said:
Apr 28, 2009 at 10:13 PMI agree with Perette Anderson. I only wish it had happened to Tony when he blocked Smith. When NASCAR gave Tony the race last year I said well whoever is in second place on the last lap will hold his line if he wrecks the whole field.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSam Steadman said:
Apr 29, 2009 at 10:41 PMIn the IRL you can throw one block, then you have to hold your line or you get a drive through penalty. NASCAR should adopt the same rule. They need to stop the zig zag blocking. That's not racing.
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