A wreck can be exciting for a sport like NASCAR. But we also have those kind that you ponder questions. A lot has changed since 2001 for the better since the last lap crash of Dale Earnhardt that killed him at Daytona. Ryan Newman has taken a lot of licks in his 19 years of the Cup series. Notable ones include the 2003 Daytona race and the early 2009 Talladega race where his front was damaged by the flipping of Carl Edwards.
Monday's race, I blame it on winner Denny Hamlin. Being aggressive is not anything new. It's par for the course. But Hamlin is what started this by bumping into Ryan Blaney. That shot Blaney with a boost that got him to the bumper of Newman. It causes a spin and a flip and one of the worst crashes in about five years. Similar to the 2015 summer race there with Austin Dillon going into the catch fence, but not as destructive.
Thankfully, the injuries sustained were not life threatening. But it's sign to still recognize how dangerous a race car is. And there hasn't been any fatalities on a Cup series track since Earnhardt. The amount of preparation put into protecting the drivers with the harnesses, helmets, neck restraints. We really have come a long way. That's what the drivers know heading into any racing series with the seriousness of racing. Monday night was a grim reality of almost seeing a seasoned veteran almost pass from a very horrific crash.
Hope the drivers contemplate on how some of these actions cause unintended consequences.
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