When Atlanta Was NASCAR's Most Dangerous Track
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- Опубликовано: 5 ноя 2023
- Atlanta Motor Speedway has a long and storied history in NASCAR of more than 60 years. Atlanta today is almost unrecognizable compared to the track in the 80s and 90s, when for a time it was the fastest track on NASCAR’s schedule. After restrictor plates were mandated at Talladega and Daytona, average speeds for these Super Speedwayswere around 190 mph. Atlanta averaged qualifying speeds of around 193-197 mph, and with great speeds came an inherent risk. In the span of just over 10 years, two drivers and two crew members tragically lost their lives in Atlanta. Today we’re going to take a look at when Atlanta was NASCAR’s most feared track.
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I remember watching the Rudd crash.
knew it was bad when it happened. Rudd came in hot as hell. the new pit road speed rule came about after this.
I was there that day.
@@kentstephens4770That was ugly, I remember watching it live back when I never missed a lap of Busch or Winston Cup.
I was a firefighter for the town just east of AMS from 1999 to 2013 and my ex-wife was a 911 dispatcher for Henry County in which AMS is located. It was common knowledge that any major event at AMS would see at least one or two civilian deaths. Some of the more common deaths where people that were intoxicated trying to cross Hwy 19-41 in front of AMS and being struck by vehicles. Also, there were several deaths from CO poisoning in campers and tents during the spring races. There have also been a few murders committed during major events. I distinctly remember a young lady was murdered and the body was hidden I believe in the grandstands for several days during a NOPI show back in the early 2000's. So, AMS has a large number of deaths in or around the track over the years. Sadly, it is statistically going to happen when there are hundreds of thousands of people in a small area. Large events at the track are pure chaos for public safety and a logistical nightmare at times.
There are photos of the Dave Watson incident. They are on the fastlane crash photo database website. The most striking of the 4 photos there is the last one where Wade is being tended too by the bystanders in the background, while Watson is in his car stunned with the side of his car having a big splatter of blood from his young Jack-man.
I was just about to say this. There are definitely photos.
I was a crew member on another team that day and we'd already fallen out of the race when all that happened. I didn't see the incident on pit road, as if I remember right, we were loading up to go home when it happened. I remember seeing Watson's car come into the garage and asking somebody what was going on because they quickly covered the car up which was always a sign something bad had happened. I remember there being a hole in the driver's door, probably where the jack hit, and oil on the door from a broken oil line that ran between the door and the door bars. I've never seen any of those pictures and I don't remember seeing any blood but it has been over 40 years ago.
If I remember right, that was also the same race where Claude Ballot-Lena got hurt when his seat belts broke in a crash. Was a pretty bad day all around as I remember.
I watched it happen right in front of me and clipped the picture out of the paper showing the accident, as stated, there were several, which I still have.
Edited: At the time I made the comment that Buddy Baker would win, because it seemed like every time someone got seriously hurt Baker won, which he did that day.
There was a 1985 Arca race where a New Zealander named Stuart Lyndon who flipped here and died (Was also said in nascarmanHistory's Davey Allison video) and I believe Davey won that day.
1985 96Rock 300. Stuart Lyndon
@@KellieLeigh48 That one thanks😊
Wasn't a flip, it was a crash like Schoonover's into the exact same spot, but much worse.
@@stefano9414 Ah, I thought it was a flip
Lyndon somehow came partially ejected through the windshield
That old configuration was the best. The 92 finale there was probably the best due to the close points race between Elliot, Davey Allison (Earnie Irvan's wreck got him), and Alan Kulwicki...the last owner/driver champion. It also was the debut of Jeff Gordon and the last race of King Richard Petty's career. Miss those days and all those drivers from that era...the Golden Era of NASCAR
Harry Gant, Kyle Petty and Mark Martin were also in the championship hunt going into that race.
The picture of Dave Watson #73 was taking at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Springfield, MO. Larry Phillips won there about every week. Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace got their racing careers started there. Growing up and watching those 3 race there every Friday night was incredible. The old Atlanta was awesome!! They should have never changed that track.
The Adcox Chevrolet dealership was located near me. It closed after Mr. Adcox died a few years ago. He had a tribute to Grant there if I’m not mistaken.
This could further. The amount of injuries is staggering. 2 arca drivers lost their lives Stuart Lyndon and Chad Coleman and the reconfigure in 1997 (Coleman was filled on that one) didn’t help at all. Still hurt a lot of drivers
1:14 😂the 1 arm bandit. I finally found him. Where's waldo
Atlanta Motor Speedway Iconic 1.522 Mile Track From The 70s 80s And Early 90s In My Opinion NASCAR History Thanks For Uploading
The footage at 3:44 of Martin Truex Jr at Homestead 2022 is a testament to the fact that Pit Road is safer now
Miss the old configuration. It produced some awesome races, and contrary to this video, it doesn’t hold a candle to the amount of deaths as other tracks, especially Daytona.
Name me 10 more that aren’t the 92 Hooters 500
And that’s not to say that there weren’t great races on the configuration, but it seems most stop at that race and that’s it. But for my money, Atlanta was at its best in the 2000s before the car changed.
You are absolutely correct.
@@danachappell9783 The reason people talk more about that race, isn’t because it was the only great race there. It gets talked about because of the great story lines. Three guys going into the race, separated buy 40 points, and the championship being won by only 10 points. Then you got Richard Petty running his very last race, and it’s also remembered because it was Jeff Gordons first start, hard to top that. So yeah that one is the most talked about there, and I once of the most talked about anywhere. Hell, name me 10 more races with that many big storylines. Add to the fact that it changed after 4 more years worth of racing doesn’t surprise me that it was remembered as the last great race there. Sheesh
Don Marmor was a near-fatality in the 1998 Atlanta ARCA race. If not for the actions of Dr. Jerry Punch, Marmor would likely have died.
1988
Terrible about Adcox in 1989 all because driver seat was not safely secured in his race car & Mr. Lyndon died ejected from his car ARCA Series in 1985 both are very sad r.i.p .
my dad had a career ending wreck there in practice of the 1994 arca season finale. in what was turn 2, something broke in the rear and he spun, pancaking the driver side.
What was his name?
@@anncase8673 Dave Jensen. He ran ASA and ARCA from the 1970s to 1994
@@thehandicopper man, I bet he had some great stories
He does, it's fun listening to them
I miss the old layout at my home track. The early 90s were my favorite races at Atlanta
I've read a few articles about Grant Adcox that said he told several people he was cutting back on his racing after that season and didn't plan on running any more NASCAR races. Makes his death even more sad.
I worked for Dave Watson a few years after that and as long as I was working for him we never raced with pitstops
Stuart Lyndon was also killed in the same spot Terry Schoonover died in 1985 in an ARCA race
The poor guy was ejected from his car after hitting the wall
That one was rough too
Actually Schoonover crashed in turn 3. Stuart crashed in turn 2. I was his crew chief that day.
That’s so awesome you didn’t forget the young Wade kid. I’m sure that would mean a lot to the people that loved and cared about him.
Still annoyed they changed Atlanta into another freakin superspeedway like just going back to the original configuration would’ve been the better move
Wow so many old school drivers shown! AJ, Parnelli, Ned, Curtis Turner, the King , Junior and more!
Yessirr new upload while im doing work around the house
🏁Great vid!!!🏁
Schoonover's wreck was in the fall '84 race at Atlanta, not spring.
I went to this track back in '98 and was parked right next to turn #4. The traffic leaving was so bad that it was seven hours after the race before my car was able to move 50 feet. It took two more hours to get on the highway. I swore I would never go back, and after attending well over 100 Cup races in the last thirty years, I still have not gone back. I now live in Georgia and would love to go to this track, but I cringe thinking of a repeat of that day.
My dad used to go there...took me when I was very young. He always said that was the worst track to get out of. Took hours to get on the interstate.
A young driver in ARCA,I think his last name was Robinson out of either North or South Carolina was killed on the back stretch during a Saturday night race in the 90s
I was just barely too young to watch racing around the time Grant Adcox died, I'm positive he would have been one of my favorite drivers if I got to watch him. RIP
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At 0:46 Dave Marcis was in a black and silver Goodwrench car.
Loved the old atl layout
When ATL was reconfigured from the oval to tri oval Geoff Bodine qualified almost 197.50 miles per hour. It was SCARY FAST as some drivers described it!!!
On the video games, there was like only one part of Atlanta you weren't turning, and that was the backstretch.
Video Idea: Wreckfest: 2019 Trucks NextEra Energy 250 At Daytona
Dude the average speed wasnt that at Atlanta until 97. You're talking about crashes in the 80s and early nineties when it was still slower than Dega and Daytona
Yeah the fastest lap on the old oval was a little under 187mph.
I remember someone asking Dick Trickle if driving 200mph at Atlanta scared him. He said driving 200mph didn't scare him, but turning left at the end of the straight did.
Stuart Lyndon was a bad one, he was ejected, hit the dirt wall that hard... and at pretty much the same spot as Terry.
Lotta folks didn't know it was the Fastest Track... maybe yet another teaching moment JJ
I feel like I should also mention the 1996 ARCA Brakes race. Black Flags Matter has a whole video about it. Miraculously no one died that day
There are photos of the Dave Watson on crash but they're brutal.
I witnessed Mike Rich getting pinned between the cars, a sound you won’t forget. We sat front row directly across from Bill Elliot’s pit. RIP Mike!!
I just opened this video and I'm already thinking about Grant Adcox
It’s wheel not will, deal not dill, field not filled.
I was there when Mike Rich and Grant Adcox were both killed. RIP
I think the dog leg messed it up. Better racing before the dog leg.
Interesting Video!
Wades story is very sad, & in no way am I trying to tarnish his memory. But that blue suit he's wearing is a much bigger tragedy 🤣.
Sure miss old Atlanta original configuration now they have SAFER walls and Hans
Pre 1997
the track was so much better then for racing
They need to take these cars at atl now, and open them back up.
The oval design was better, needed higher banks. 30deg
I love your channel, but Atlanta has never been as bad as Daytona, nor Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Atlanta before the super speedway conversion had some of the closest and best finishes. Why would they ruin one of their best tracks? It's stupid what they made it into
Agreed ! It absolutely SUCKS ASS NOW !
The guys that bought it it were greedy, making it just like their other tracks, so they could fit more stands for more people. Money won and good racing lost.
Lol bruh it's the best for the younger gens like me
I wished they would convert AMS back to a true oval.
RIP 🙏
Atlanta was never the most feared track.
Old Atlanta was a great and unique track.
The current Atlanta sucks balls.
Atlanta was almost all turns small strait aways
4:23 - I know; Homestead is “THE NEW ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY”
But AMS should “OF NEVER BEEN RECONFIGURED””PERIOD”!!!!
Kyle Busch said you can buy these cars at walmart. I cant stand todays matchbox cars.
GOD BLESS Them. Never was a top tier stock car driver, but always took great care in the way my seats were installed. My first couple of cars in the late 70's had seats put in that were pretty lame. But I learned. Surprised Grant's seat was installed incorrectly. He was a pretty good sized fella, am sure that played into it also.
Atlanta is a tragedy. And that has nothing to do with NASCAR.
Id love to see a 2.5 mile track...with turns like Martinsville
It exist. It's name Indy.
@@chada75 not even close man
Completely skipped over Stuart Lyndon, who died in June 1985 in the exact same spot at Schoonover. Awesome.
There was no pit road speed limit until 1991 where a jack man died and then NASCAR implied a pit road speed limit. So in 1979 they pitted as fast as they could, no speed limit! This guy doesn't know anything about NASCAR at all!!!
Unfortunately, current Atlanta is more dangerous due to NASCAR’s (SMI in this case) constant greed for entertainment bloodbath and ignoring what drivers really want and their safety. So the changes after the first Atlanta race of 1997 for safety reasons is now thrown away just for greedy entertainment.
I love this layout the most, but at least we knew why it was changed to a Quad-Oval.
In conclusion, Atlanta is now way more dangerous than even the original layout. They did not learn.
No it’s not more dangerous
I just realised I am one of the only people to make a Grant Adcox car for nr2003
Now that they also have trucks, they should change their name: NAStCAR for National Association for Spec Truck and Car Automobile Racing
No
Awwww you really thought you had something here.
Current Atlanta is almost worse because of NASCAR’s greediness for entertainment over racing
Its not lmao
Except no
@@crazycars81A W from crazycars81
Really not at all. Cars are closer sure but speeds way lower cars way safer and track safer too
@@tstuff1213pack racing is more dangerous tbh
Hi
Why even post this video if you are not going th\o show the actual crash that you are talking about?
Like you said it’s sad that they died but at least they were doing what they loved R I P
They ruined Atlanta. I can’t stand the racing at this track!
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