NASCAR shows footage of wrecks for first time in 9 years at awards ceremony
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LAS VEGAS – For the first time in nine years, NASCAR included video footage of crashes in its season highlight packages shown during its annual Sprint Cup awards ceremony.
It didn’t show the car of Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards going into the fence at Talladega Superspeedway (an accident that required treatment to eight fans) but it did show several others from the 2009 season Friday night at the Wynn Las Vegas.
NASCAR made no announcement about the change in its video philosophy.
“After the death of Dale Earnhardt [in 2001], everybody was super sensitive and the pendulum probably swung too far in one direction,” NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said following the banquet. “What is important here is that wrecking is an important part of racing and is part of the story line and is one that should be told.”
The Edwards crash was left out on purpose.
“We want to tell the story of bumping and banging,” Poston said. “There are moments in races throughout the season where crashes and wrecks are a key part of the story line. … There’s a balance you’ve got to take to make sure you’re not glorifying dangerous situations.”
Jimmie Johnson, who celebrated his fourth consecutive Cup title, didn’t have a problem with crashes being included in the highlights.
“We do it every day,” said Johnson, who didn’t notice the change but was asked about it after the banquet. “We all know everybody likes to sit in the stands and watch it.”
