If you can get a hold of a TV with SPEED Channel right now, turn it on.NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying for Sunday's Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway has been halted after a horrific crash involving No. 00 Michael McDowell.
McDowell was entering turn one when his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota got loose. McDowell over corrected and shot the nose of the car careening into the turn one SAFER barrier at likely over 190mph. The impact caused McDowell's car to flip multiple times down the track with flames shooting from it.
When the car came to a rest, it was sitting on the apron of turn 1 and 2 right side up.
McDowell soon climbed from the car, waved to the crowd, and limped to the waiting ambulance. As Darrell Waltrip said on the broadcast, "That's as bad as it gets".
On replays, the SAFER barrier -- a wall designed to absorb impacts -- completely compressed against the concrete barrier as the No. 00 hit the wall.
As of 5:40pm/ET, qualifying was still halted after 13 qualifiers as workers repaired the SAFER barrier.
NASCAR FanHouse will have updates, including a video, as soon as its available.Sorry, No Photos
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-04-2008 @ 8:04PM
mark said...
That was bad! Can't believe he is not hurt. Good job at MW Racing for building a safe car.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:01PM
gripex said...
Wow whatta wreck. You can see the whole crash at http://www.nascapper.com right on the top of the page. Unbelievable wreck, i thought he was dead.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:20PM
Shirley said...
I didnt see te accident . And i am also glad that
Michael is ok..
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4-05-2008 @ 1:23AM
anzajoe said...
IN regard to MICHAEL MCDOUGLE accident ,i must say it was an orrific accident, but i seen worse.
MC DOUGLE hit the wall at high speed and slammed the barrier at the same angle that DALE SR DID and about the same speed. It goes to show :the foam in to those double impact absorbing walls and nascar new safety devices are working, may we like them or not and so goes for the drivers. It's saving lives.
works for me.
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4-05-2008 @ 2:03AM
Roxanne said...
Thank God Michael McDowell was okay after that terrible crash. And by the way, it is McDowell, not McDougle. Also, that crash was nothing like Dale Sr's crash. It was much worse. So thankful he walked away.
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4-05-2008 @ 2:55AM
anzajoe said...
HEY ROSEANNE, I never said that Mc Dougle crash was
exactly the same as DALE crash. I KNOW IT WAS MUCH WORSE. MC DOUGKLE rolled about 15 times, DALE NOT even once. The wall hit was the same and about the same speed. In both wrecks they hit the wall with the front right end corner of the cars.DALEdied almost on the impact because there were no safety barriers, nO HANS DEVICES, NO TODAY'S quality and strenght seat belts back than in the vehicles.
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4-05-2008 @ 8:49PM
DreamBuster said...
Thanks to MW Racing & Nascar for all the New SAFTY (SAFER)EQIPMENT THE GUYS HAVE TO WORK WITH THESE DAYS,THAT MICHEAL McDOWELL COULD WALK AWAY FROM THIS EVIL WRECK IN ONE PIECE....GOD BLESS...
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