On the Right Track
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McDowell crash underscores the danger drivers face
Apr
4
FORT WORTH, Texas – Michael McDowell walked through the garage grinning ear to ear, just like always.
Approaching the crowd surrounding the mangled remains of his No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, he traded fist-pounds with crew members, slapped hands with associates and welcomed man-hugs from assorted friends.
There were smiles, a sense of awe and a tangible feeling of relief. Everyone kept saying the same thing: "Wow."
McDowell's qualifying wreck at Texas will undoubtedly be remembered long past this race weekend. It's the kind of wreck that will be shown years from now, both for its breathtaking violence and the fact that, in the end, the driver walked away unscathed.
In the end, whether we admit it or not, that's a side of racing that draws many fans and spectators to the sport. The drivers risk their lives in the name of speed, occasionally shock us with stunning wrecks and then walk away uninjured, waving to the crowd.
The track announcer yells, "He's OK, folks!" and everyone cheers for the latest hero.
Clint Bowyer's popularity got a big boost last year when his car flipped upside down and caught fire at the finish of the Daytona 500. Surely, this accident will do wonders for the rookie McDowell, and the car will end up on display at Race World USA, the MWR team shop.
But McDowell will still wish it hadn't happened.
"That's one of the worst wrecks I've seen in a while for sure," McDowell said, "and I'm not excited I had to participate in it."
It looked brutal, and it was. McDowell's car slammed into the wall, flipped over and over and over and caught on fire.
But fans love a guy who can survive something like that with a sense of humor, brushing it off as if he just fell off a tricycle.
It was much more than that. Many people around the track said it was the hardest crash they could remember in recent years. In the garage, people shook their heads and smiled in amazement while recounting what they saw.
McDowell, for his part, accepted the well-wishes of those who approached him but stayed cool.
He even text-messaged some friends soon after the wreck to let them know he was fine. That was good news, since some had thought just a few minutes earlier that they had just seen the 23-year-old die.
Wife Jami was walking along pit road when she looked up and saw the crash on the big screen. It was a sickening feeling, to say the least. But she, like her husband, regained her composure quickly.
After a 72-minute delay to repair the busted wall that McDowell had attempted to knock down, the qualifying continued. Drivers must be fearless, and there is no hesitation to get back in the car at full speed.
McDowell himself will be back in the car about 18 hours after his wreck. He said he wished he would have been able to jump back in right away and finish his qualifying lap.
He might rethink that idea later.
"I'm not a doctor," he said, still smiling, "but I'm going to probably guess that I'm going to be pretty sore in the morning."
Approaching the crowd surrounding the mangled remains of his No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, he traded fist-pounds with crew members, slapped hands with associates and welcomed man-hugs from assorted friends.
There were smiles, a sense of awe and a tangible feeling of relief. Everyone kept saying the same thing: "Wow."
McDowell's qualifying wreck at Texas will undoubtedly be remembered long past this race weekend. It's the kind of wreck that will be shown years from now, both for its breathtaking violence and the fact that, in the end, the driver walked away unscathed.
In the end, whether we admit it or not, that's a side of racing that draws many fans and spectators to the sport. The drivers risk their lives in the name of speed, occasionally shock us with stunning wrecks and then walk away uninjured, waving to the crowd.
The track announcer yells, "He's OK, folks!" and everyone cheers for the latest hero.
Clint Bowyer's popularity got a big boost last year when his car flipped upside down and caught fire at the finish of the Daytona 500. Surely, this accident will do wonders for the rookie McDowell, and the car will end up on display at Race World USA, the MWR team shop.
But McDowell will still wish it hadn't happened.
"That's one of the worst wrecks I've seen in a while for sure," McDowell said, "and I'm not excited I had to participate in it."
It looked brutal, and it was. McDowell's car slammed into the wall, flipped over and over and over and caught on fire.
But fans love a guy who can survive something like that with a sense of humor, brushing it off as if he just fell off a tricycle.
It was much more than that. Many people around the track said it was the hardest crash they could remember in recent years. In the garage, people shook their heads and smiled in amazement while recounting what they saw.
McDowell, for his part, accepted the well-wishes of those who approached him but stayed cool.
He even text-messaged some friends soon after the wreck to let them know he was fine. That was good news, since some had thought just a few minutes earlier that they had just seen the 23-year-old die.
Wife Jami was walking along pit road when she looked up and saw the crash on the big screen. It was a sickening feeling, to say the least. But she, like her husband, regained her composure quickly.
After a 72-minute delay to repair the busted wall that McDowell had attempted to knock down, the qualifying continued. Drivers must be fearless, and there is no hesitation to get back in the car at full speed.
McDowell himself will be back in the car about 18 hours after his wreck. He said he wished he would have been able to jump back in right away and finish his qualifying lap.
He might rethink that idea later.
"I'm not a doctor," he said, still smiling, "but I'm going to probably guess that I'm going to be pretty sore in the morning."
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