Todays video was copyright claimed by Fox - I’ve disputed it but if they stand strong there’s not a whole lot I can do even though it falls under fair use. It’s my third claim this month. At least 2 of them haven’t been blocked but basically I want to say an extra thank you to the patrons, without whom I simply could not make videos full time. So THANK YOU! You can join the lovely weirdos here and get 2 videos a week and other thangs at: www.patreon.com/DianeJennings
In answer to your question they are ridiculous about giving there drivers every safety feature they can. Including a safety harness instead of seat belt an interior roll cage (frame inside vehicle) A fire proof suit and of course a helmet. I believe they even limit the amount of gas in vehicle so if cars explode no excess fuel.
It's cooperations unfortunately there's little one person can do against someone as big as fox. It's bullshit but just keep going and the patrons will still be here.
Stock car racing started in the southern states of the US by men who originally modified their cars to outrun law enforcement while transporting illegal moonshine(liquor).
They weren't just making left turns. They were a bunch of outlaws street racing. Lee Petty is a good example. Many people just know him as Richard Petty's dad but if it weren't for him Nascar might've not ever existed.
Diane: "Do they bump each other?" "No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he *rubbed* you. And rubbin, son, is racin'." - Robert Duvall as Harry Hogge in "Days of Thunder"
“Is that a cliff?” That would certainly add an exciting new element to NASCAR. Also, where do we contribute to the fund to get Diane to America to do a NASCAR ride along?
I had a family member come to Charlotte for the Richard Petty Driving Experience. It was given as a gift from his sons. There are two types: the 'Ride Along' where you are the passenger and a professional will drive three laps _(or more if you pay for the additional fourth)_ around the track at 165 mph, or the 'You Drive' where you drive the car yourself, solo, but I think you are limited to 145 mph. Both experiences require suiting up in all the gear and sitting through a safety class, but of course if you are doing the driving there is a lot of other stuff to go through before you can get behind the wheel.
It always blows my mind when you remind us that you dont drive. I started learning how to drive when I was like 8 years old on county dirt roads. And in America, we race everything.
"Do you _want_ to see this?!?" It's definitely an attraction to the sport, yes. Explosions, collisions, all that sort of thing. But they're also safer than you'd ever be in a normal car. Roll cages, harnesses, and the bodies of the car are made to collapse instead of transferring all of a crash energy to the driver.
It's worth mentioning that no one has died in any of the NASCAR series since 2001 when the HANS device became mandatory. There has been some serious injuries and near death moments though. And drivers have had to retire early because of crash related injuries, especially concussions.
@@matthewjohnson6360 as he had said in a few interviews: His name is not Dale Sr. His name is Dale Earnhardt. His son's name is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He really did not like being called Dale Sr. and was quick to correct it when it happened.
Though it is an attraction most fans really don't want to see serious wrecks Ryan Newman and Aric Almirola have to be the two worst wrecks in recent years
@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 Back in 2017 at Kansas Almirola ran into a wreck between Joey Logano and Danica Patrick broke his back and had to cut his roof off the car
"Why isn't anyone running?" Actually a lot of them are, to their emergency vehicles. People used to run to the crashes, but the problem was, they were endangering themselves and others and basically in the way of actual help getting there. The danger is not over when a car careens to a halt. There is fire. There is debris. There are other cars going VERY fast (~ 200 miles per hour) dodging pieces of the crashed car that will make **them** crash. In the pit, unless you are part of the emergency response team (specially trained with proper equipment to extract and treat a driver,) you do **not** run to the accident. Also, keep in mind these race tracks are miles long and all of these crashes took place at speed that standard road vehicles cannot reach. People 'just standing there' are literally watching something happen/ come at them at 200mph (321.8688 kph.) Unless you are a NASCAR Driver, it takes a second to process that. And most of the videos you saw were slowed down replays. It is fairly rare for the tv camera to actually have the spot where the accident happens showing on screen when the accident happens. There are cameras all over the place recording every inch of the track, so they have the accidents on record it just is rarely seen LIVE (unless it is at the start/finish line, the front group on a restart, the race front runners, or a particularly tight points competition, where the commentators are talking about those people at the time of the accident.
well, that and the fact that most folks have become desensitized to it. Safety has increased so much that it's more of a shock that someone can still get hurt. When you watch 20-30 wrecks over 3 races, and everyone walks away from the newly mangled roll cage on wheels, you just get used to "Aaaaany second now... and there's the driver climbing out."
When you hear Dale Jr's name just remember I saw his father, Dale Sr, the legendary Intimidator, die in a crash. I have never been to another race nor will I. Your reactions were the same as the rest of us on that day. Many of the safety procedures today were put in place because of that day. Thanks for the video.
I sometimes check out the “11 foot 8” bridge crashes. No injuries, but a lot of novice truck drivers ignore the warning signs and try to drive under a too-short bridge at 35 MPH.
Hey, lifelong fan of NASCAR here. I've been watching for over 16 years, and 2021 marks 17 seasons as a dedicated fanatic of the sport. I've seen a lot of people doing reactions like these, and helping them get into the sport and become fans like me, that are very passionate about the product on the racetrack. I'm gonna give you a few pointers & info on what stock-car racing is, since you're essentially a newcomer. Without any further delay, let me tell you about the facts & other things that make NASCAR tick: -Most diehards like me don't watch for the crashes-- we're race fans, keyword being "race". We watch for the on-track competition & storylines that take place each and every single weekend throughout the season. From round 1 at Daytona, to the season finale in Phoenix, NASCAR racing is full of of action that keeps every onlooker on their toes, even if they aren't familiar with the concept. -You guessed it right-- NASCAR racecars are built in a cage-like fashion. While the bodies are completely separate from the rest of the vehicle, the chassis is what keeps these things in tact throughout a wreck. With many steel bars surrounding the driver, the roll cage is a very important part when it comes to safety. The wreck you saw @ 4:40, being Elliott Sadler's wild flip in the Cup Series fall race at Talladega, is a testament to that very statement. *Not to mention, other safety features inside the car protects the driver, like: 6-8-point seatbelts, custom-made seats to fit said driver, Lexan-made front & rear windshields that're about damn near bulletproof, & detective fire suppression systems to self-inflict fire retardant in cases when flames begin to roll in & outside of the car. Drivers also wear full-faced helmets that connect to a head-and-neck restraint called the HANS device, which is a custom-made carbon-fiber strap connected to the seat, that heavily restricts head movement in the event of a head-on collision. *Racetracks also have a SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier put in place to limit collision forces on the bodies of drivers, whenever they hit the inside or outside walls hard. -Yes, NASCAR has its own truck series. A part of the three highest tours in the sport (being the Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series [aka Grand National Division], and the highest level, being the Cup Series), the Camping World Truck Series is a hit amongst the fans and drivers. A hotbed for up-and coming talent, this division introduces young, but already proven, stars to acquire the skills needed to compete in the highest level of the sport. Popular Cup Series notables like Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and more, all got a lot of their prowess in these radical vehicles. *Other attractions to the Camping World Truck Series include crafty veterans like Johnny Sauter & Matt Crafton, that've made this series their home for the last 15-18 years, and the incredible racing. The most entertaining action that you see in NACAR takes place in the Truck Series, where a rules package fitting the bodies & engine allows for big-times moves and highlights. *If you ever come to a NASCAR race weekend, the Truck Series is not a bad place to first check out what the sport has to offer to potential new fans like you. -Bumping is allowed, and at smaller venues like Martinsville & Bristol it's essentially required, as most drivers take advantage of the car's strong bodies to move each other out of the way if they feel like they have to. At larger facilities, however, bumping is more of a slight push, as unequal bumper alignment & large shoves can result in catastrophic accidents, ala the lap 15 crash in the 2021 Daytona 500 this past February. I can go on about other facts and whatnot, but due to time restraints & the simple fact that you seemingly only asked for a select few things, I'm gonna end here, I sincerely hope you got a thing or two out of this. If you want to check out the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series in action, you can catch the Instacart 500 this Sunday, March 14th, from Phoenix Raceway, on whatever channel/broadcasting entity carries NASCAR near you. Have a good day, and take care!
Sometimes the contact between cars is unavoidable and sometimes intentional, and referred to as "rubbing". There is an old saying in NASCAR that "rubbin is racing"
@@JohnFourtyTwo as he had said in a few interviews: His name is not Dale Sr. His name is Dale Earnhardt. His son's name is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He really did not like being called Dale Sr. and was quick to correct it when it happened
The last fatality in Nascar was my Dad’s cousin in 2001. His name was Dale Earnhardt Sr., and he was a SUPER STAR of the sport. Since his death the governing body of the races has made substantial improvements to the safety protocols it requires teams build into their cars. For the most part, drivers walk away from crashes with only a few bumps and bruises, however occasionally there are serious injuries still (for instance, Dale’s son Dale Jr., retired in his early 40s because he’d had several concussions and was unwilling to risk doing permanent damage to his brain). And while no one wants to see a driver injured, the wrecks are part of the action and very exciting to watch.
@@trentonsoult9193 well, distantly - I think Sr would have been considered my first cousin, once removed. Jr. and I are second cousins (never met him though). I was very close with Dale Sr.’s mother, Martha. She was my great aunt and a wonderful woman.
@@Montweezy lol she might enjoy parts of that, maybe not on some of the traffic, and as long as everyone who got in was still breathing when they got out...
Like the video stated, no one was killed, but several of them were very close, the one at 5:25 in particular were not only was the driver so badly injured that even the announcers were all but calling his death on air, but several of the spectators were injured as well.
At some point in the late 80's when I was like 9 years old my dad and my uncle took me to a local dirt track race... there was a tremendous crash between two cars... they were both fine, but they jumped out of their destroyed cars and had a fist fight in the middle of the track after that lol!
I grew up about a mile and a half from a great dirt track. Used to sneak up onto the hill that overlooked it and watch the races. Pretty sure I saw that same fight...
In reaction to “are they steering” in short no, when they have lost control they are trained to let go of the wheel and hold their hands tight to their body, keeps their hands from getting injured by the steering wheel.
I don't think that's entirely correct. I believe Dale Jr has said that you should hang on to the bottom of the steering wheel when you are flipping/airborne. If not then your arms will fly all over the place and they could be seriously cut up or worse.
Holding their hands across the body is a relatively new practice that Danica Patrick brought over from open wheel racing. Prior to that drivers would (and some still do) hold onto the wheel to prevent their arms from getting smacked around and potentially broken.
This comment is completely wrong as a guy who spends a lot of time on tracks doing any thing from drag to drift on all surfaces you grab at the 9 & 4 position on the wheel this allows you to continue to try and regain control of the car while keeping your arms from flailing around in the cockpit in case of a roll over and bonus fact 9 & 4 are the proper position to drive your daily in so that in case of a accident the air bag is less likely to break or injure your arms and you can still steer the car when it goes off
@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 that i might not of made it clear but that was for in a road car but Evan in a race car 8 and 4 (not 9 and 4) it is easier to keep your hands on the wheel incase of a accident to regain control or keep your arms from flying out the window
The last death in nascar history was the most painful one for all fans of motersport, drivers from F1 and IndyCar came to mourn his death. May your soul rest in peace Mr Intimidator
Please remember Diane the cars a built around a steal roll cage. And the drivers have tons of safety gear including six point harnesses, neck braces, helmets, and fire retardant suits.
And the cars themselves are built to shred on impact, not to withstand. They aren't expected to last more than a few races, at most, because of the likelihood of damage. The cage itself is tough. Nothing else is.
It looks worse than it is.Despite the high speeds,though,these drivers come out of it in one piece far,far more often than not.Though Dale Earnhardt Jr.has retired because of too many concussions.I can't blame him,he was right behind his dad's car during the accident that killed Dale Sr. At the time there was a device to be worn,that was voluntary and Dale Sr.chose not to wear it.A fatal mistake,and now it's mandatory.These drivers are actually safer than non-professional drivers on ordinary roads.
@@unseelie63 as he had said in a few interviews: His name is not Dale Sr. His name is Dale Earnhardt. His son's name is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He really did not like being called Dale Sr. and was quick to correct it when it happened
@@Drakijy That's the way it works though, if you have a father and son with the same name, the son is Jr, the father is Sr. If he doesn't like it he can die in a fi... Oh.
If you can get Jeff Gordon to start saying "he is doing the flippy thing" when there is a wreck in NASCAR I might start acitively watching NASCAR again.
6:55 Sometimes on the biggest tracks like Daytona, the cars develop a side-draft phenomenon where the air is blowing between the cars so fast it pulls them together, so the drivers try to react but overcompensate. They still notice it on some of the midrange tracks, but the tiny tracks and road-course tracks are "slow" enough they don't tend to feel this.
Yes, trauma to the human bodies in the car is generally based on F = ma, or force = mass times acceleration ( in the case of a crash, deceleration) crumple zones in the car absorb force, end over end crash is slower deceleration than straight into the wall etc.
@@glueball214 Actually, it's the "impulse," i.e. the change in momentum, which injures you. The equation for that is F times delta t. Crumple zones don't actually reduce the force on your body, they lengthen the amount of time over which that force is applied. Think of it like an egg. If you throw it at a wall, it stops quite abruptly and breaks. If, instead, you throw it at a blanket that's held vertically (like a wall) by a couple friends, it stops more gradually and remains intact.
To this day I don't think that Dale Earnhardt Sr. wreck looked all that bad. I was watching that Daytona 500 and was truly shocked to hear that he had died.
@@Mario_Gillette Depending upon how you calculate it, Dale experienced a g-force of between -48 and -68 g's or about the equivalent of a 60 foot drop. It was enough to shear off all of the hood pins and break off the right rear wheel assembly. Since he didn't have a HANS device, his body stopped but his head kept going, putting far more stress on his neck and the base of his skull than it could withstand.
@Big Dream : Hi and thanks. I am speaking from a trauma surgery point of view. The trauma surgery vision uses the simple F= ma. It does acknowledge that the deformable objects, ie soft tissue, will have extended impact times and therefore absorb more kinetic energy. It is the transfer of kinetic energy which is really sited as the cause of trauma to the patient. This transfer is additive, ie both objects moving. It’s equation is given as 1/2 mass x velocity squared. So the velocity at the moment of impact is key. Further key is that there are 3 separate collisions in all motor vehicle crashes. First there is the car into the wall or other car, etc. Then there is the occupant into the compartment of the vehicle, ie hits steering wheel or windshield or engine and other objects are driven into the compartment. Last there is the slamming of internal organs into the wall of the body, most notable in brain vs. skull. This includes internal organs being torn from their natural tether, ie torn aortas. Now the crumple zones will lessen the kinetic energy transfer of these last two collisions and lessen injuries. That’s my little world view on it.
You are such a softie!! I love you and your empathy. Very insightful about going on the inside of the curve. The inside is shorter around but you have to slow a tiny bit more to make the car stick to the road. Outside gives you a bit more possible speed.
" look the camera man is just standing there filming it " .....uuuummmmmm or the ever classic " their in the bendy thing " i enjoyed watching this on my portable magic moving picture box
In their defense, there's really nothing at all, literally nothing, the camera man can do. He's behind layers of walls and fences and security. If he ran onto the track he'd just be a liability. When there's a wreck, the caution flag comes out. Everyone slows down. The pace car comes out and you need to stay behind the pace car or get a severe penalty. Meanwhile, they're scrambling the ambulance and the wrecker. They want to get the driver out fast and get that wreck off the track. They're very picky about the drivers too. If your car flipped, or the wreck was bad enough, they're putting you in the ambulance and an onsite medical team checks you out. You can tell them "I'm OK" all you want but you're not getting back into the car. If the car can still drive, they will drag you away from it. You're not getting back in. Mandatory full medical evaluation. Drivers hate the mandatory evaluation because NASCAR is very competitive. Precious seconds are floating by and they want to get back in the car. It's really bad when the driver gets a DNF (Did Not Finish). This clobbers their points for the race. They will do just about anything to get that car running again and finish out the race.
1:34 - Austin Dillon ended up going into the catch fence and his car was pretty much wrecked. The cage stayed intact and he actually walked away from the wreck under his own power. The entire crowd was cheering when he got out and gave them all a wave. A spectacular crash but he walked way just fine. A lot of safety goes into the makeup of a stock car.
Diane, the cars are equipped with full roll cages... welded steel, that keep the driver's compartment mostly intact. They also have special seats, 5 point harnesses, and a unique device that holds their helmets, called a Head And Neck (HANS) restraint. When the cars come apart in a collision, it dissipates energy, less force on the drivers. Most NASCAR fans aren't watching for the crashes, but they are a part of racing. I'm glad you did this reaction! Thanks!
To answer some of your questions: yes the cars have roll cages. Without them, there would be a serious risk of injury or death to the drivers. The drivers wear full fire suits, helmets, & head, arm, neck, and shoulder (HANS) restraints. The spectators are behind a "catch fence", which is designed to keep the cars from crashing into the spectators. There have been many times that those fences have done their job to keep everyone safe. Also, you are kind of correct when it comes to a crash tumbling, vs hitting a wall and a complete stop. The only thing is, when they are tumbling, the driver experiences extreme rotational forces. A dead stop wall hit would not be deadly. As far as I can tell, I believe that all of the crashes in this video were non-fatal. Anyone else can back me up on that, or dispute it lol. Thanks for this reaction!
The cars have gotten very safe roll cages, impact absorbing walls, the car's exterior are designed to break apart during a crash. Basically crashes break up the monotony of a shit load of left turns
I'm so mad I didn't see my notification for this video 21 hours ago!!! (Thank you Diane, for suffering so, for us!!) Great Craic watching you. These guys know what they're getting in to, my cousins and uncles raced... Flipping isn't always better, but it releases the energy... it is often better than a strong sudden stop into a solid barrier.
Definitely has a solid frame inside, and a different bucket type seat with 5 points where the seat belt attaches to the special seat (our common car seat belts only attach at 3 points). They have been buckled in and with a fireproof suit and helmet, and other safety measures. Their biggest danger is probably a fire that they can't get out of. The safety crews are ready to run out and/or drive out the ambulance and firetruck, etc. They chose to take the risks... just for the sake of that fear you felt...lol. Like sky diving or extreme sports.❤ I hope you feel better. I see how it can be very vexing to one's soul.❤🥰❤
"The other cars just keep driving"? It's kind of hard to stop when you going about 200 mph. Or about 320kph." He flew, he actually flew". I remember watching that race. That driver had some tough luck on the real big tracks for a while. He didn't get hurt too bad all things considered, seeing how he "actually flew". It is true that some of the crashes that don't look as bad are deadly.
Dale Earnhart. RIP. Was watching that live. Looked like just a slight bump into the wall, looked minor compared to a crash that happened just a couple laps before. But that was the deadly one. Just a slight bump into the wall.
8:50 That was a good observation of going inside the curve. These guys drive at the raw limit of tire grip on the track. The "long way" around the track is lass of a curve so they can go slightly faster than in the sharper inside of the curve so it kind've works out.
I love watching these videos where non-NASCAR fans, usually they are Europeans, watch NASCAR crashes. But sometimes I wonder if everyone should watch racing highlights or greatest finishes first before you watch wreck videos. But I guess that may take away some shock factors. Either way, glad you're watching them and sharing the sport!
The drivers are secured to their seat with a multi-point safety harness, they are wearing a fire retardant suit, thick gloves, a helmet and "Fire resistant underwear". The interior of the vehicle is protected by a very strong roll cage. Additionally, the vehicles are designed to crumple in specific points to reduce the transfer of energy into the passenger compartment which reduces injuries. But that does not mean it is "safe". Injuries occur often, many serious. Deaths do happen, but are actually quite uncommon.
Yes, I want to see crashes, so much more exciting than them going around and around... But I also watch war videos, where people do get smashed up and killed. So here I'm just entranced by the slo- mo graceful dances of the cars flipping and tumbling... But I don't want to see anyone die or be crippled, that's awful. Thanks Diane, I love your style, and your beauty adds a delightful dimension to even Rough topics like this. God bless you!!!
Since it is a proper noun, you’d probably want to know that “NASCAR” is pronounced without the “z” sound. The “s” in NASCAR is said the same way we say “speak.” Of course, if this is the common pronunciation in the Ireland, then ignore what I’ve said!
What region *you* from? Carolinas through to Virginia its an S (ess), its an acronym... and it started in Carolinas. Maybe Diane could do another regional slang video.
ashley anderson I’ve lived in multiple places but mainly Florida and Texas. True, it is an acronym, but it’s also a proper noun and treated more like a proper noun. According to Dictionary.com, this is how you pronounce it correctly.
*edit to add: my daddy raced it when he was in college to scare the patooties outta my grandparents, before it went all glamorous. I'm a bit older than you I bet. I cite growing up daughter to a Carolina woman & early-days NASCAR field driver (not claiming he was great at it, but i'll check a person on 95 if you get in my way 😁) Anyway. Do think another video on real slang dialect would be fun, but I think the one every reacts to usually isn't a good compilation of real regional dialects.
@@ashleyanderson8776 I don't think it matters what region you're from; the S is for Stock and I can't figure on anyone bringing forth that particular S differently.
@@mfree80286 the original and accurate pronunciation has the s pronounced at 'ssss', yes, but i have heard younger people from Texas and other parts using the 'z'. I always thought of it as one of those "hipster" style pronunciations, or popularized by a local icon, but yes regional or celebrity based & not the original, consistent pronunciation NassssCar.
When a car flips over or when pieces come breaking off the body, it's expelling mass which expels force from the vehicle and helps to slow it down and not let a fatal wreck happen. Also Austin Dillon in the 3 when he went into the catch fence, climbed out of his car right when the track was cleared and was fine. Still racing today.
Every time they have a serious crash, NASCAR looks at the cars afterward to determine if there's anything they can do to improve safety. Certain segments of the roll cage inside are named for drivers whose crash/injury inspired them. And nowadays, there are aerodynamic flaps in the body that help prevent the car from going airborne when turned sideways or backwards in a wreck. It can still happen but it's gotten quite rare.
@@DianeJennings No, the car that made it's way inside couldn't go lower (that track, you can't cross the double yellow line to pass) and Carl Edwards' spotter (the guy on the tower that lets him know where things are that he literally can't see from inside the car) either failed to tell him he wasn't clear, or Carl didn't listen. The guy that crashed caused his own accident by trying to block a car that had already gotten to his bumper. You *cannot* expect another driver to simply back off. You either accept it, or you possibly intimidate them into backing off (re: Dale Earnhardt Sr.) but if you knowingly drive down into a guy that holds his position.... that wreck is your fault.
The wreck at 2:49 was amazing to see live and a testament to the car safety programs they use in NASCAR. The driver actually undid his harness stud up and walk away from the carnage of the vehicle.
As a fan of this sport, here are my answers your Q's throughout the video Diane... 1:58 "Head-on crash the worst?" --- It tends to be; it used to be worse back in the day when tracks only had concrete walls to retain the cars. If a car hit concrete head-on it could stop dead, and the driver would feel the full energy of the crash, often resulting in injury or worse. Nowadays a system called Steel And Foam Energy Reduction, or SAFER Barrier, is what cars hit instead of concrete; the system absorbs the impact of crashes and drivers tend to walk away uninjured almost every time. 2:16 "Is he gonna go off a cliff?" --- No, thankfully; some tracks are very steeply banked in the turns to allow for higher speeds, hence the cliff-like appearance. Even if a car clears the wall, the catch-fences which encircle the tracks are supposed to keep the cars from leaving the racing surface and entering the grandstands. 2:29 "Is flipping better?" --- Not always, flipping helps to dissipate the energy of a rollover wreck, but that doesn't mean the driver won't feel shaken to pieces by the time it's over. 4:12 "Do you want to see huge crashes?" --- We definitely don't want to see drivers get hurt, and the hard, vicious wrecks are always frightening, but it is entertaining to see the occasional big wreck that involves 5 or more cars. 5:01 "Do these cars have cages?" --- Yes, these stock cars are built with sturdy roll cages which are designed to protect the driver on all sides and prevent the roof from completely collapsing should they be hit in that area. 6:29 "THAT'S A TRUCK?!?" --- Yes, NASCAR has multiple leagues, including one for stock pick-up trucks! 6:47 "Is a car or a truck more dangerous?" --- Bottomline, it's ALL dangerous in this industry. 6:54 "Do drivers bump each other deliberately?" --- This is a very contact filled sport; you're certainly gonna see lots of bumping and banging, tempers overflowing, and even the occasional retaliation! 7:33 "Is going into the grass better if you're crashing?" --- Preferably not, especially after a heavy rainfall; grass is very uneven and if a car goes through it at high speed, the splitter on the front of the car can dig in and tear the nose off, which can easily end someone's race. 8:43 "Is the bottom of the turn faster than the top?" --- It depends on the track; every track is different, from its size to its character. Sometimes the top lane is better than the bottom despite the longer distance, and other times there's no advantage as far as lanes are concerned. In this instance, the cars are all in the draft together, so the lanes don't matter, everyone's as fast as one another.
or a license at all in some states... If I rememebr right... about 7 or 8 years ago, one of the top NASCAR drivers actually had his licenses suspended/revoked.... couldn't drive on the roads legally...
Believe that was Kyle Busch. They caught him going nearly 130 in a 45 zone. But he got off easy because of who he is. Any one of us, and that would have meant handcuffs.
@@gaffneyrailroading1982 Hhhhh- wait just a minute! 130 on normal roads? You don't even get to 125 on most NASCAR-certified tracks! How'd he manage that?
That one where Bobby Allison got the catch fence in 1987. He was as close to the spectators as he appeared. Several people in the stands were injured and NASCAR made several safety changes to both the cars and the catch fence as a result.
Diane: "Do they bump each other on purpose? Is that a thing?" Harry Hogge: "No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he rubbed you. And rubbing, son, is racing.”
I was there in person in the second video. It was exciting being there and watch in person. And yes, everyone walked out ok. There were some people in the stands that got injured but as far as I heard everyone affected recovered. They were treated in the infield care center or in a nearby hospital. And these cars today are safer than the old cars... Years ago they didn't have the same safety we got today, and therefore there were tragedies back then. Still, they're not safe from suffering injuries. But a lot of lives had been saved. The roll cages, the seatbelts, the driver seat, the HANS device (it goes below the helmet, to protect the driver's neck), firesuit, safer barriers. It all have helped to have more safety for these drivers...
@@JohnFourtyTwo It still applies, but does and only ever did apply on incipient contact. If you aren't immediately headed for a hit, drive the car! Just don't wrap your thumbs around the rim.
Another response to "are they still steering?" - yes, in some of those instances they are still trying to drive the car. I participate in high performance driving experiences and on 2 occasions have spun out in corners. When you are driving/competing in that environment you are entirely focused on the task of driving to the point where you will continue to attempt to control or regain control even when the physics have placed the car beyond your efforts. Eventually you figure it out and as my driving instructors have said - "put both feet in and brace yourself"
Jimmy Horton was involved in a major crash at Talladega during the 69th lap of the 1993 DieHard 500. Horton's car was clipped by Stanley Smith's car. Horton's car hit three other cars before it flew over the wall and landed on an access road outside of the track. Smith suffered near-fatal head injuries in the incident, while Horton walked out of the wreck virtually unscathed.
@@DianeJennings dont worry Diane....those cars are reinforced inside theyre safer than most cars on the road its the consiquence of speed.....your looking at a avg. of 160km+ plus those fences are stronger than than the usual
@3:12 My dad liked Rusty Wallace when I was a kid, I remember watching that one happen. These days they all have drag flaps that lift up if they get turned around like that, so they won't take off... Fully...
The safety features keep getting better. You are right. They are in cages of sorts. They have seats made for them, seatbelt harnesses that keep them snug in their seats, helmets, and a hans device that keeps their heads and neck in place. They do also wear firesuits to protect them. Accidents happen, yes they get hurt but rarely fatal. Yes the fences are strong and designed to protect the fans. Racing is fun to watch though.
That first crash, 2002 at Pocono Pennsylvania with Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt Junior, I remember watch that live. I was Five Years Old at the time. Me and my Mom and Dad literally jumped up when we saw Park’s car get airborne. Junior bailed out of his car and ran over to Steve’s car to make sure he was unhurt. Park got out with some help and the two of them walked to the ambulance arm in arm. That was the greatest thing that whole day seeing him come out of the car uninjured. Great race too btw, lol.
I was a race, when I was young, where a car jumped the barrier and landed in the back on a pick up truck! There were people sitting on the truck watching the race but they quickly dove to Safety as the car left the track!
5:25 - The truck races don't hold the attendance of the major cup races as it is comprised mostly of a lower tier of drivers. It's not uncommon for the truck series to race at the same track on the same weekends with the two higher levels. An analogy might be that if the top guys racing on Sunday are in Championship League, then the truck races on Friday or Saturday are EFL.
so to answer some of your questions: - NASCAR cars have cages so the drivers dont get crushed - Drivers always say the worst part of flipping is the landing, because there is the big impact and sudden direction change - Hitting a wall at full speed is worse than flipping, because the G forces are much higher. - All of the fires are normally ok and minor because each drivers have fire protective suits - Spectators getting injured is a thing in this sport sadly - another thing I hear alot in these is why the other drivers dont avoid the crash, and they do try. just NASCAR cars have bad brakes and at 200 mph you cant turn very well to get out of the way either not sure if i missed anything but yeah hope that helps
I had an Indy car crash and hit the fence right in front of me a few of years ago a Kentucky Speedway. The cars are travelling in excess of 220 MPH (you will have to do the conversion to KPH if you want). The crash was loud and scared the hell out of me, but thankfully no one including the driver was injured.
You had said something about the corners and going inside to shorten the distance, which at lower speeds would definitely work, but in Nascar, the cars are going nearly 200 miles per hour, so some drivers like to run up on the outside to utilize momentum
"Now I'm Presuming That They're In Cages in These cars" Yes, they most definitely have roll cages in their cars as it's an absolute necessity for these types of racecars , it's one of the biggest safety features that NASCAR racing cars have and these cages are built very strong, they're designed to prevent more extreme injuries to the drivers and drivers rarely have anything worse than minor injuries
Some info that might make you feel better: the cars are built within fiber glass shells. That's why you see the parts fly off easily. It makes it look worse than it actually is. The body itself is actually a steel roll cage which protects the internal workings because these cars are expensive as hell to build. All the glass has been removed and replaced with lighter fiber glass version which won't shatter. The driver is in a flame retardant suit and wears a headset so he's in constant contact with his pit crew. He's strapped in to a harness which also provides stability during rolls. It's probably a lot like riding an extreme roller coaster. The biggest danger is that you're sitting on a tank full of rocket fuel. Which is why you don't see them run to the car right away. If it explodes it's worse for people outside the car than the driver inside. Not to say that deaths don't happen, but they're pretty rare.
Loving your accent, and the new technical terms you have invented to describe what's happening! Not sure i should mention that for most of these crashes they were doing around 200mph - much of the footage is slowed down. But they are generally very safe in even the worst looking crash, as there are many years of development into safety.
Diane, I was a lot more entertained watching your reactions to the footage than the footage itself! It does make you wonder how those drivers survived. And yes, they have roll cages in there. I wouldn't want to imagine what would happen if they didn't!
It’s absolutely hilarious watching people from other countries watching nascar crashes. Yes the cars have cages, the last death in the cup series was in 2001, and it has been at it’s safest since 2007 with the Car Of Tomorrow
The cockpit of a stock car are built welding 1.75in steel tube in a typical production frame style. For the tracks with the steeper banking, it's usually big drop off over the other side of the wall but he was kept in by the catch fence that goes above the wall. With the speeds their going, if the car gets backwards or sometimes sideways, the car acts like an airfoil(airplane wing) and gets lifted in the air.
Race cars are basically upside down wings. This forces them into thr track increase grip and turning speed. The one downside is if they go backwards they become a Normal wing. So they take of like planes.
They decide between the inside and outside of the turns for different reasons. Inside is shorter, as you say, but requires them to slow down to make the tigher radius. Outside allows them to keep the car at a higher speed, so it takes less time to speed back up. Also, they normally don't wreck each other on purpose (although it does happen). Getting close to another car can affect the way the wind is going over it, and can make the car less stable. By "talking the wind off the spoiler", they cause the other driver to slow down, so they can pass easier. There's actually a tactic on superspeedways (tracks designed for over 200mph) called "bump drafting. By softly "tapping" the bumper of the car in front of you, the wind resistance is shared by both cars, allowing both cars to go faster for a short time.
Something you have to remember is that they are going so fast that aerodynamics and how air comes off of other cars affects how their car drives! Often times if you see a car suddenly spin the driver behind them got too close and it took downforce off the rear tires, think rear tires hit ice in the middle of a turn at 200mph... you can go faster when the driver unloads your downforce but at the expense of traction
There is this one nasty crash I've heard about. In 1995, 26 year old Russell Phillips died in an extremely gruesome crash at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a Sportsman's Series race, where the roof of his car was crushed. Phillips was both mutilated and decapitated by the force of the impact.
Yes, there is a roll-cage inside that helps protect the driver. There's also 6-point harnesses to secure their bodies and a special restraint for heads and necks. On the tracks there is the SAFER barrier that cushions the cars in a crash. And yes, flipping the car is much better than a sudden stop into a wall.
My folks took me to the 1961 Daytona 500 preliminary qualifying races. There was a spectacular crash where the car didn't just get airborne, it went up over the guardrails and off the track. Amazingly the driver survived. It was an awesome sight seeing it as a little kid, scary af watching the clips of it now as an adult.
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Todays video was copyright claimed by Fox - I’ve disputed it but if they stand strong there’s not a whole lot I can do even though it falls under fair use. It’s my third claim this month. At least 2 of them haven’t been blocked but basically I want to say an extra thank you to the patrons, without whom I simply could not make videos full time. So THANK YOU!
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In answer to your question they are ridiculous about giving there drivers every safety feature they can.
Including a safety harness instead of seat belt an interior roll cage (frame inside vehicle)
A fire proof suit and of course a helmet.
I believe they even limit the amount of gas in vehicle so if cars explode no excess fuel.
It's cooperations unfortunately there's little one person can do against someone as big as fox. It's bullshit but just keep going and the patrons will still be here.
Stupid Fox
They supported Trump didn't they.
Trying to figure out how to move up a tier or two on patreon don't know if I have to cancel my current one to start the next one first.
Stock car racing started in the southern states of the US by men who originally modified their cars to outrun law enforcement while transporting illegal moonshine(liquor).
Wouldn't the cops eventually catch on that they were only making left turns? ;)
They weren't just making left turns. They were a bunch of outlaws street racing. Lee Petty is a good example. Many people just know him as Richard Petty's dad but if it weren't for him Nascar might've not ever existed.
"He was headed down to Knoxville with the weekly load, you could smell the whiskey burnin' down Copperhead Road."
@@claytonberg721 Okay Bubba J.
@@chadbrisco4042the Godfather of NASCAR was Junior Johnson
Diane: "Do they bump each other?"
"No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he *rubbed* you. And rubbin, son, is racin'." - Robert Duvall as Harry Hogge in "Days of Thunder"
or some like to call it trading paint
"Loose is fast, and on the edge you're out of control." I watched it again just last night. 🙂
@@ballybunion9 That's the most facepalm statement someone who's raced can ever hear... wow. Sounded good though, and it is a movie.
@@mfree80286 "Hit the pace car!"
I remember when I was a child I went to the iMax Days Of Thunder with the robo seats at Great America in California...
“Is that a cliff?” That would certainly add an exciting new element to NASCAR. Also, where do we contribute to the fund to get Diane to America to do a NASCAR ride along?
Erm.... no thank you! 🥰
@@DianeJennings they have the nascar experience. You can pay a professional driver to take you around an empty track.
I had a family member come to Charlotte for the Richard Petty Driving Experience. It was given as a gift from his sons. There are two types: the 'Ride Along' where you are the passenger and a professional will drive three laps _(or more if you pay for the additional fourth)_ around the track at 165 mph, or the 'You Drive' where you drive the car yourself, solo, but I think you are limited to 145 mph.
Both experiences require suiting up in all the gear and sitting through a safety class, but of course if you are doing the driving there is a lot of other stuff to go through before you can get behind the wheel.
I got her! The Richard Petty Driving experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway where they run the longest race 600 miles and the All-star race!
@@lawrencedavis9246 damn didn't see your comment before I typed as we both live here!😂😂😂
It always blows my mind when you remind us that you dont drive. I started learning how to drive when I was like 8 years old on county dirt roads. And in America, we race everything.
Lawn Mowers, go karts, even shopping karts. You name it we race it
I've watched downhill Barbie car racing from Texas so yes we race everything lol
Just to reiterate the point. Americans race everything. Everything.
"Do you _want_ to see this?!?"
It's definitely an attraction to the sport, yes. Explosions, collisions, all that sort of thing. But they're also safer than you'd ever be in a normal car. Roll cages, harnesses, and the bodies of the car are made to collapse instead of transferring all of a crash energy to the driver.
It's worth mentioning that no one has died in any of the NASCAR series since 2001 when the HANS device became mandatory. There has been some serious injuries and near death moments though. And drivers have had to retire early because of crash related injuries, especially concussions.
@@matthewjohnson6360 as he had said in a few interviews: His name is not Dale Sr. His name is Dale Earnhardt. His son's name is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He really did not like being called Dale Sr. and was quick to correct it when it happened.
Though it is an attraction most fans really don't want to see serious wrecks
Ryan Newman and Aric Almirola have to be the two worst wrecks in recent years
@@scottwhisnant3384 Dang, I saw the news about Newman, but what happened to Almirola?
@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 Back in 2017 at Kansas Almirola ran into a wreck between Joey Logano and Danica Patrick broke his back and had to cut his roof off the car
Not so bad watching a wreck if you pause it mid collision and say "it was about this time those Duke boys found themselves in a heap of trouble"
👱♂️👱♂️🚘👩🧔. . .👮♂️🚔🐶 . . . 🐷
Watch out your telling our age !!
I read that in the narrator's voice. Lol!
Comment of the decade
YEEEEE HAAAAWW like if you now who black tillie is in dukes of hazzard
"Why isn't anyone running?"
Actually a lot of them are, to their emergency vehicles. People used to run to the crashes, but the problem was, they were endangering themselves and others and basically in the way of actual help getting there. The danger is not over when a car careens to a halt. There is fire. There is debris. There are other cars going VERY fast (~ 200 miles per hour) dodging pieces of the crashed car that will make **them** crash.
In the pit, unless you are part of the emergency response team (specially trained with proper equipment to extract and treat a driver,) you do **not** run to the accident.
Also, keep in mind these race tracks are miles long and all of these crashes took place at speed that standard road vehicles cannot reach. People 'just standing there' are literally watching something happen/ come at them at 200mph (321.8688 kph.) Unless you are a NASCAR Driver, it takes a second to process that. And most of the videos you saw were slowed down replays. It is fairly rare for the tv camera to actually have the spot where the accident happens showing on screen when the accident happens.
There are cameras all over the place recording every inch of the track, so they have the accidents on record it just is rarely seen LIVE (unless it is at the start/finish line, the front group on a restart, the race front runners, or a particularly tight points competition, where the commentators are talking about those people at the time of the accident.
well, that and the fact that most folks have become desensitized to it. Safety has increased so much that it's more of a shock that someone can still get hurt. When you watch 20-30 wrecks over 3 races, and everyone walks away from the newly mangled roll cage on wheels, you just get used to "Aaaaany second now... and there's the driver climbing out."
"If you ain't first, you're last." - Ricky Bobby
Texas Ranger Bobby: “I’m hopped up on Mountain Dew.”
Second is just the first loser. 😂 I think Dale Earnhardt Sr had said that.
“Hell, I was high when I said that!” - Reese Bobby
Thank you sweet baby Jesus for my SMOKIN' HOT WIFE...
"Thats doesn't make any sense you can be second, third, fourth, hell you could even be fifth"
"I based my whole career on that" hahahahah
When you hear Dale Jr's name just remember I saw his father, Dale Sr, the legendary Intimidator, die in a crash. I have never been to another race nor will I. Your reactions were the same as the rest of us on that day. Many of the safety procedures today were put in place because of that day. Thanks for the video.
Greatest Track, greatest race, turn 4, last lap. I remember watching DW ask, "Dalel's allright, ain't he?"
@@tazjammer Wouldn't you have disliked being Michael Waltrip that evening?
Oh gosh I remember that race. My ex husband and I were so shocked and sad. It was awful.
I sometimes check out the “11 foot 8” bridge crashes. No injuries, but a lot of novice truck drivers ignore the warning signs and try to drive under a too-short bridge at 35 MPH.
it's now 12 4 they raised it a year ago.
but some yahoos still crash into it
That bridge has its own live feed. Sometimes if your lucky you might catch some big truck getting stuck on the bridge.
Yeah it's the 11 foot 8+8 now!
"Your truck stuck?"
I love those videos.
Hey, lifelong fan of NASCAR here. I've been watching for over 16 years, and 2021 marks 17 seasons as a dedicated fanatic of the sport. I've seen a lot of people doing reactions like these, and helping them get into the sport and become fans like me, that are very passionate about the product on the racetrack. I'm gonna give you a few pointers & info on what stock-car racing is, since you're essentially a newcomer. Without any further delay, let me tell you about the facts & other things that make NASCAR tick:
-Most diehards like me don't watch for the crashes-- we're race fans, keyword being "race". We watch for the on-track competition & storylines that take place each and every single weekend throughout the season. From round 1 at Daytona, to the season finale in Phoenix, NASCAR racing is full of of action that keeps every onlooker on their toes, even if they aren't familiar with the concept.
-You guessed it right-- NASCAR racecars are built in a cage-like fashion. While the bodies are completely separate from the rest of the vehicle, the chassis is what keeps these things in tact throughout a wreck. With many steel bars surrounding the driver, the roll cage is a very important part when it comes to safety. The wreck you saw @ 4:40, being Elliott Sadler's wild flip in the Cup Series fall race at Talladega, is a testament to that very statement.
*Not to mention, other safety features inside the car protects the driver, like: 6-8-point seatbelts, custom-made seats to fit said driver, Lexan-made front & rear windshields that're about damn near bulletproof, & detective fire suppression systems to self-inflict fire retardant in cases when flames begin to roll in & outside of the car. Drivers also wear full-faced helmets that connect to a head-and-neck restraint called the HANS device, which is a custom-made carbon-fiber strap connected to the seat, that heavily restricts head movement in the event of a head-on collision.
*Racetracks also have a SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier put in place to limit collision forces on the bodies of drivers, whenever they hit the inside or outside walls hard.
-Yes, NASCAR has its own truck series. A part of the three highest tours in the sport (being the Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series [aka Grand National Division], and the highest level, being the Cup Series), the Camping World Truck Series is a hit amongst the fans and drivers. A hotbed for up-and coming talent, this division introduces young, but already proven, stars to acquire the skills needed to compete in the highest level of the sport. Popular Cup Series notables like Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and more, all got a lot of their prowess in these radical vehicles.
*Other attractions to the Camping World Truck Series include crafty veterans like Johnny Sauter & Matt Crafton, that've made this series their home for the last 15-18 years, and the incredible racing. The most entertaining action that you see in NACAR takes place in the Truck Series, where a rules package fitting the bodies & engine allows for big-times moves and highlights.
*If you ever come to a NASCAR race weekend, the Truck Series is not a bad place to first check out what the sport has to offer to potential new fans like you.
-Bumping is allowed, and at smaller venues like Martinsville & Bristol it's essentially required, as most drivers take advantage of the car's strong bodies to move each other out of the way if they feel like they have to. At larger facilities, however, bumping is more of a slight push, as unequal bumper alignment & large shoves can result in catastrophic accidents, ala the lap 15 crash in the 2021 Daytona 500 this past February.
I can go on about other facts and whatnot, but due to time restraints & the simple fact that you seemingly only asked for a select few things, I'm gonna end here, I sincerely hope you got a thing or two out of this. If you want to check out the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series in action, you can catch the Instacart 500 this Sunday, March 14th, from Phoenix Raceway, on whatever channel/broadcasting entity carries NASCAR near you.
Have a good day, and take care!
Sometimes the contact between cars is unavoidable and sometimes intentional, and referred to as "rubbing". There is an old saying in NASCAR that "rubbin is racing"
@@JohnFourtyTwo as he had said in a few interviews: His name is not Dale Sr. His name is Dale Earnhardt. His son's name is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He really did not like being called Dale Sr. and was quick to correct it when it happened
Or as Dale Earnhardt said God created bumpers and bumpers were made for bumping
The last fatality in Nascar was my Dad’s cousin in 2001. His name was Dale Earnhardt Sr., and he was a SUPER STAR of the sport. Since his death the governing body of the races has made substantial improvements to the safety protocols it requires teams build into their cars. For the most part, drivers walk away from crashes with only a few bumps and bruises, however occasionally there are serious injuries still (for instance, Dale’s son Dale Jr., retired in his early 40s because he’d had several concussions and was unwilling to risk doing permanent damage to his brain). And while no one wants to see a driver injured, the wrecks are part of the action and very exciting to watch.
So ur blood with dale
@@trentonsoult9193 well, distantly - I think Sr would have been considered my first cousin, once removed. Jr. and I are second cousins (never met him though). I was very close with Dale Sr.’s mother, Martha. She was my great aunt and a wonderful woman.
That’s cool you share blood with racing history.
thats very intresting man! would love to hear more from you
"funny" how some of the "greats" despised "safety equipment"
Fact: Diane is terrified of NASCAR
Just wait until she see's an Indy car crash😂
Like she really needed another reason to not want to drive, right?
@@Torenth1 😂😂 very funny!
@@Torenth1 I wish I could take her for a ride on one of the ambulances in my city on a code 3 call, running lights and jumping medians...😂
@@Montweezy lol she might enjoy parts of that, maybe not on some of the traffic, and as long as everyone who got in was still breathing when they got out...
Like the video stated, no one was killed, but several of them were very close, the one at 5:25 in particular were not only was the driver so badly injured that even the announcers were all but calling his death on air, but several of the spectators were injured as well.
At some point in the late 80's when I was like 9 years old my dad and my uncle took me to a local dirt track race... there was a tremendous crash between two cars... they were both fine, but they jumped out of their destroyed cars and had a fist fight in the middle of the track after that lol!
Sounds about right!
That's good old time local racin'
Yes I saw one like that, then the pit crews went to break it up & they started fighting
I grew up about a mile and a half from a great dirt track. Used to sneak up onto the hill that overlooked it and watch the races. Pretty sure I saw that same fight...
That's racin!
In reaction to “are they steering” in short no, when they have lost control they are trained to let go of the wheel and hold their hands tight to their body, keeps their hands from getting injured by the steering wheel.
I don't think that's entirely correct. I believe Dale Jr has said that you should hang on to the bottom of the steering wheel when you are flipping/airborne. If not then your arms will fly all over the place and they could be seriously cut up or worse.
Holding their hands across the body is a relatively new practice that Danica Patrick brought over from open wheel racing. Prior to that drivers would (and some still do) hold onto the wheel to prevent their arms from getting smacked around and potentially broken.
This comment is completely wrong as a guy who spends a lot of time on tracks doing any thing from drag to drift on all surfaces you grab at the 9 & 4 position on the wheel this allows you to continue to try and regain control of the car while keeping your arms from flailing around in the cockpit in case of a roll over and bonus fact 9 & 4 are the proper position to drive your daily in so that in case of a accident the air bag is less likely to break or injure your arms and you can still steer the car when it goes off
@@theshaggymotto (Psst, NASCAR's stock cars don't have air bags.)
@@hauntedshadowslegacy2826 that i might not of made it clear but that was for in a road car but Evan in a race car 8 and 4 (not 9 and 4) it is easier to keep your hands on the wheel incase of a accident to regain control or keep your arms from flying out the window
“I’m gonna drive, I’m gonna go fast and I’m gonna turn to left sometimes.” - Eric Cartman
😂😂😂
Sometimes they're ambi-turners.
Hilarious, I thought of that as I was watching.
No normal person can just saying these are some of the best drivers out there
I'm starting to feel really stupid!
Surprisingly enough safety advancements in NASCAR had improved so much that no one has died in one of those cars since 2001
Yeah but 2001 was the biggest loss.
Ye rip Dale Earnhardt he will be missed 🙏
Almost happened this year though
@@phantomthiefjeff9667 you mean last year with NewMan?
The last death in nascar history was the most painful one for all fans of motersport, drivers from F1 and IndyCar came to mourn his death. May your soul rest in peace Mr Intimidator
Please remember Diane the cars a built around a steal roll cage. And the drivers have tons of safety gear including six point harnesses, neck braces, helmets, and fire retardant suits.
That’s good to hear
And the cars themselves are built to shred on impact, not to withstand. They aren't expected to last more than a few races, at most, because of the likelihood of damage. The cage itself is tough. Nothing else is.
It looks worse than it is.Despite the high speeds,though,these drivers come out of it in one piece far,far more often than not.Though Dale Earnhardt Jr.has retired because of too many concussions.I can't blame him,he was right behind his dad's car during the accident that killed Dale Sr. At the time there was a device to be worn,that was voluntary and Dale Sr.chose not to wear it.A fatal mistake,and now it's mandatory.These drivers are actually safer than non-professional drivers on ordinary roads.
@@unseelie63 as he had said in a few interviews: His name is not Dale Sr. His name is Dale Earnhardt. His son's name is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He really did not like being called Dale Sr. and was quick to correct it when it happened
@@Drakijy That's the way it works though, if you have a father and son with the same name, the son is Jr, the father is Sr. If he doesn't like it he can die in a fi... Oh.
If you can get Jeff Gordon to start saying "he is doing the flippy thing" when there is a wreck in NASCAR I might start acitively watching NASCAR again.
Unfortunately he’s no longer in the fox sports booth
Diane's new merchandise pitch, "Momma needs a chauffeur."
Omg too accurate
6:55 Sometimes on the biggest tracks like Daytona, the cars develop a side-draft phenomenon where the air is blowing between the cars so fast it pulls them together, so the drivers try to react but overcompensate. They still notice it on some of the midrange tracks, but the tiny tracks and road-course tracks are "slow" enough they don't tend to feel this.
As a general rule, the worse a wreck looks the less likely there are to be severe injuries.... energy dissipation they say
Yes, trauma to the human bodies in the car is generally based on F = ma, or force = mass times acceleration ( in the case of a crash, deceleration) crumple zones in the car absorb force, end over end crash is slower deceleration than straight into the wall etc.
@@glueball214 Actually, it's the "impulse," i.e. the change in momentum, which injures you. The equation for that is F times delta t. Crumple zones don't actually reduce the force on your body, they lengthen the amount of time over which that force is applied. Think of it like an egg. If you throw it at a wall, it stops quite abruptly and breaks. If, instead, you throw it at a blanket that's held vertically (like a wall) by a couple friends, it stops more gradually and remains intact.
To this day I don't think that Dale Earnhardt Sr. wreck looked all that bad. I was watching that Daytona 500 and was truly shocked to hear that he had died.
@@Mario_Gillette Depending upon how you calculate it, Dale experienced a g-force of between -48 and -68 g's or about the equivalent of a 60 foot drop. It was enough to shear off all of the hood pins and break off the right rear wheel assembly. Since he didn't have a HANS device, his body stopped but his head kept going, putting far more stress on his neck and the base of his skull than it could withstand.
@Big Dream : Hi and thanks. I am speaking from a trauma surgery point of view. The trauma surgery vision uses the simple F= ma. It does acknowledge that the deformable objects, ie soft tissue, will have extended impact times and therefore absorb more kinetic energy. It is the transfer of kinetic energy which is really sited as the cause of trauma to the patient. This transfer is additive, ie both objects moving. It’s equation is given as 1/2 mass x velocity squared. So the velocity at the moment of impact is key. Further key is that there are 3 separate collisions in all motor vehicle crashes. First there is the car into the wall or other car, etc. Then there is the occupant into the compartment of the vehicle, ie hits steering wheel or windshield or engine and other objects are driven into the compartment. Last there is the slamming of internal organs into the wall of the body, most notable in brain vs. skull. This includes internal organs being torn from their natural tether, ie torn aortas. Now the crumple zones will lessen the kinetic energy transfer of these last two collisions and lessen injuries. That’s my little world view on it.
You are such a softie!! I love you and your empathy. Very insightful about going on the inside of the curve. The inside is shorter around but you have to slow a tiny bit more to make the car stick to the road. Outside gives you a bit more possible speed.
" look the camera man is just standing there filming it " .....uuuummmmmm or the ever classic " their in the bendy thing " i enjoyed watching this on my portable magic moving picture box
This made me laugh out loud 😂
@@DianeJennings The people appear to just be standing there... you're watching a 2, 3, or 4:1 slow motion view.
In their defense, there's really nothing at all, literally nothing, the camera man can do. He's behind layers of walls and fences and security. If he ran onto the track he'd just be a liability.
When there's a wreck, the caution flag comes out. Everyone slows down. The pace car comes out and you need to stay behind the pace car or get a severe penalty.
Meanwhile, they're scrambling the ambulance and the wrecker. They want to get the driver out fast and get that wreck off the track.
They're very picky about the drivers too. If your car flipped, or the wreck was bad enough, they're putting you in the ambulance and an onsite medical team checks you out. You can tell them "I'm OK" all you want but you're not getting back into the car. If the car can still drive, they will drag you away from it. You're not getting back in.
Mandatory full medical evaluation.
Drivers hate the mandatory evaluation because NASCAR is very competitive. Precious seconds are floating by and they want to get back in the car.
It's really bad when the driver gets a DNF (Did Not Finish). This clobbers their points for the race. They will do just about anything to get that car running again and finish out the race.
1:34 - Austin Dillon ended up going into the catch fence and his car was pretty much wrecked. The cage stayed intact and he actually walked away from the wreck under his own power. The entire crowd was cheering when he got out and gave them all a wave. A spectacular crash but he walked way just fine. A lot of safety goes into the makeup of a stock car.
"I don't like going fast!"
-Diane Jennings, 2021
We all remember your adventures driving the dune buggy on the beach, Diane! :D
Thanks for the reminder. I’m so going to go watch that tonight.
I really don’t! 😂
@@DianeJennings There have been NASCAR drivers who have died.
@@jonathanwatson5818 not since 2001
@@richardlong4942 Dale has died in 2001
Diane, the cars are equipped with full roll cages... welded steel, that keep the driver's compartment mostly intact. They also have special seats, 5 point harnesses, and a unique device that holds their helmets, called a Head And Neck (HANS) restraint. When the cars come apart in a collision, it dissipates energy, less force on the drivers. Most NASCAR fans aren't watching for the crashes, but they are a part of racing. I'm glad you did this reaction! Thanks!
Without the crashes it's just a bunch of people making left turns for hours.
As George Carlin said, "driving 500 miles in a circle does not impress me."
It's why I like F1. The races are bit more interesting and there's none of this stopping for gas stuff.
Inches away from other cars, using the air to make passes, yeah it’s more than just turning left
@@DonP_is_lostagain in some Formula 1 races yes they do change tires and gas up!
You do realize nascar does go right sometimes
To answer some of your questions: yes the cars have roll cages. Without them, there would be a serious risk of injury or death to the drivers. The drivers wear full fire suits, helmets, & head, arm, neck, and shoulder (HANS) restraints. The spectators are behind a "catch fence", which is designed to keep the cars from crashing into the spectators. There have been many times that those fences have done their job to keep everyone safe. Also, you are kind of correct when it comes to a crash tumbling, vs hitting a wall and a complete stop. The only thing is, when they are tumbling, the driver experiences extreme rotational forces. A dead stop wall hit would not be deadly. As far as I can tell, I believe that all of the crashes in this video were non-fatal. Anyone else can back me up on that, or dispute it lol. Thanks for this reaction!
The cars have gotten very safe roll cages, impact absorbing walls, the car's exterior are designed to break apart during a crash. Basically crashes break up the monotony of a shit load of left turns
I'm so mad I didn't see my notification for this video 21 hours ago!!!
(Thank you Diane, for suffering so, for us!!)
Great Craic watching you.
These guys know what they're getting in to, my cousins and uncles raced...
Flipping isn't always better, but it releases the energy... it is often better than a strong sudden stop into a solid barrier.
Definitely has a solid frame inside, and a different bucket type seat with 5 points where the seat belt attaches to the special seat (our common car seat belts only attach at 3 points).
They have been buckled in and with a fireproof suit and helmet, and other safety measures. Their biggest danger is probably a fire that they can't get out of. The safety crews are ready to run out and/or drive out the ambulance and firetruck, etc.
They chose to take the risks... just for the sake of that fear you felt...lol. Like sky diving or extreme sports.❤
I hope you feel better. I see how it can be very vexing to one's soul.❤🥰❤
Me watching horrific crashes and cringing until: "OH, LOOK! They're at DOVER (Delaware) Downs!" *Thumbs-up and smile*
😂
Been to a couple of races at Dover Downs. Great track!
The good old Monster Mile! That's where I saw the majority of the races I attended.
Yup, I did the same! Been to that track several times. 😂
I've been to the fall race at Dover 9 times. Now that they changed the schedule i can't go anymore...
At 6:35.
Diane: That looks like a truck.
Me: Yes, NASCAR has a truck division. There are three divisions.
They have a saying in nascar "Rubbin is Racing". They bump into each other all the time.
Wow Hi Diane Jennings how are you and this video was so amazing keep up the good work
"The other cars just keep driving"? It's kind of hard to stop when you going about 200 mph. Or about 320kph." He flew, he actually flew". I remember watching that race. That driver had some tough luck on the real big tracks for a while. He didn't get hurt too bad all things considered, seeing how he "actually flew". It is true that some of the crashes that don't look as bad are deadly.
Dale Earnhart. RIP. Was watching that live. Looked like just a slight bump into the wall, looked minor compared to a crash that happened just a couple laps before. But that was the deadly one. Just a slight bump into the wall.
Yes The Intimadator...RIP.
I knew an Elliott Sadler Talladega wreck had to be in here. I was surprised Richard Petty's wasn't.
Thank you for enduring that for us. Lovely commentary
Here in 'Murca, we race everything! And it works.
8:50 That was a good observation of going inside the curve. These guys drive at the raw limit of tire grip on the track. The "long way" around the track is lass of a curve so they can go slightly faster than in the sharper inside of the curve so it kind've works out.
NASCAR GO LEFT GO LEFT, GO LEFT. Okay it’s bit trickier than that. And yes I probably couldn’t do it.
If you can drive you can do it, just not as fast.
@@dongleason9878 so yeah you can't do it thanks
@@ki11atj49 I could do as well as whoever comes in last.
"That's not Mario Kart..."
"They're like...sponsored by Claritin..."
LOL
Carl Edwards sure got his sinuses cleared out.
Why would we ask poor Diane to watch this?? Editor Diane is going to switch off our comments privileges LOL
I agree. I’m so sorry that she put herself through this.
You guys get me outta my comfort zone though!
@@trudat1498 bruh
I love watching these videos where non-NASCAR fans, usually they are Europeans, watch NASCAR crashes. But sometimes I wonder if everyone should watch racing highlights or greatest finishes first before you watch wreck videos. But I guess that may take away some shock factors. Either way, glad you're watching them and sharing the sport!
The drivers are secured to their seat with a multi-point safety harness, they are wearing a fire retardant suit, thick gloves, a helmet and "Fire resistant underwear". The interior of the vehicle is protected by a very strong roll cage. Additionally, the vehicles are designed to crumple in specific points to reduce the transfer of energy into the passenger compartment which reduces injuries. But that does not mean it is "safe". Injuries occur often, many serious. Deaths do happen, but are actually quite uncommon.
I have been following your channel for a couple years now, and I'm sorry to say, but this is by far my favorite reaction video you have ever done.
The NASCAR term for cars bumping each other is "tradin' paint."
Thank you, for brightening another day!
There are ridiculous safety features in these cars, they mostly walk away.
I’m happy to hear that
Not Dale Earnhardt.
@@JohnFourtyTwo He also refused to wear the neck harness, to his everlasting detriment. :-(
But he is still💤💤💤.
@@kurtsaxton9665 Exactly.
Yes, I want to see crashes, so much more exciting than them going around and around...
But I also watch war videos, where people do get smashed up and killed. So here I'm just entranced by the slo- mo graceful dances of the cars flipping and tumbling... But I don't want to see anyone die or be crippled, that's awful.
Thanks Diane, I love your style, and your beauty adds a delightful dimension to even Rough topics like this.
God bless you!!!
Show this to lenny before your next adventure
It's amazing how many of these wrecks I remember seeing on TV, live, as they happened.
Since it is a proper noun, you’d probably want to know that “NASCAR” is pronounced without the “z” sound. The “s” in NASCAR is said the same way we say “speak.” Of course, if this is the common pronunciation in the Ireland, then ignore what I’ve said!
What region *you* from? Carolinas through to Virginia its an S (ess), its an acronym... and it started in Carolinas.
Maybe Diane could do another regional slang video.
ashley anderson I’ve lived in multiple places but mainly Florida and Texas. True, it is an acronym, but it’s also a proper noun and treated more like a proper noun. According to Dictionary.com, this is how you pronounce it correctly.
*edit to add: my daddy raced it when he was in college to scare the patooties outta my grandparents, before it went all glamorous. I'm a bit older than you I bet. I cite growing up daughter to a Carolina woman & early-days NASCAR field driver (not claiming he was great at it, but i'll check a person on 95 if you get in my way 😁) Anyway. Do think another video on real slang dialect would be fun, but I think the one every reacts to usually isn't a good compilation of real regional dialects.
@@ashleyanderson8776 I don't think it matters what region you're from; the S is for Stock and I can't figure on anyone bringing forth that particular S differently.
@@mfree80286 the original and accurate pronunciation has the s pronounced at 'ssss', yes, but i have heard younger people from Texas and other parts using the 'z'. I always thought of it as one of those "hipster" style pronunciations, or popularized by a local icon, but yes regional or celebrity based & not the original, consistent pronunciation NassssCar.
When a car flips over or when pieces come breaking off the body, it's expelling mass which expels force from the vehicle and helps to slow it down and not let a fatal wreck happen. Also Austin Dillon in the 3 when he went into the catch fence, climbed out of his car right when the track was cleared and was fine. Still racing today.
Diane rushes to get her driver’s license.
Every time they have a serious crash, NASCAR looks at the cars afterward to determine if there's anything they can do to improve safety. Certain segments of the roll cage inside are named for drivers whose crash/injury inspired them. And nowadays, there are aerodynamic flaps in the body that help prevent the car from going airborne when turned sideways or backwards in a wreck. It can still happen but it's gotten quite rare.
@3:28 he was trying to do that. #RubbingIsRacing
😳
@@DianeJennings No, the car that made it's way inside couldn't go lower (that track, you can't cross the double yellow line to pass) and Carl Edwards' spotter (the guy on the tower that lets him know where things are that he literally can't see from inside the car) either failed to tell him he wasn't clear, or Carl didn't listen. The guy that crashed caused his own accident by trying to block a car that had already gotten to his bumper.
You *cannot* expect another driver to simply back off. You either accept it, or you possibly intimidate them into backing off (re: Dale Earnhardt Sr.) but if you knowingly drive down into a guy that holds his position.... that wreck is your fault.
The wreck at 2:49 was amazing to see live and a testament to the car safety programs they use in NASCAR. The driver actually undid his harness stud up and walk away from the carnage of the vehicle.
Flippy cars ftw!
Seeing so visibly upset is adorable. I can tell you're a compassionate person...everyone lived to race again....
Got on early on this one Diane.
👏🏻
A Dothraki Nascar race without at least three crashes is considered a dull affair.
Oh wow, intense video..I feel like there should be a reaction video of me watching Diane's reactions.. poor thing is quite distressed 😨
I’d like that! 😂
As a fan of this sport, here are my answers your Q's throughout the video Diane...
1:58 "Head-on crash the worst?" --- It tends to be; it used to be worse back in the day when tracks only had concrete walls to retain the cars. If a car hit concrete head-on it could stop dead, and the driver would feel the full energy of the crash, often resulting in injury or worse. Nowadays a system called Steel And Foam Energy Reduction, or SAFER Barrier, is what cars hit instead of concrete; the system absorbs the impact of crashes and drivers tend to walk away uninjured almost every time.
2:16 "Is he gonna go off a cliff?" --- No, thankfully; some tracks are very steeply banked in the turns to allow for higher speeds, hence the cliff-like appearance. Even if a car clears the wall, the catch-fences which encircle the tracks are supposed to keep the cars from leaving the racing surface and entering the grandstands.
2:29 "Is flipping better?" --- Not always, flipping helps to dissipate the energy of a rollover wreck, but that doesn't mean the driver won't feel shaken to pieces by the time it's over.
4:12 "Do you want to see huge crashes?" --- We definitely don't want to see drivers get hurt, and the hard, vicious wrecks are always frightening, but it is entertaining to see the occasional big wreck that involves 5 or more cars.
5:01 "Do these cars have cages?" --- Yes, these stock cars are built with sturdy roll cages which are designed to protect the driver on all sides and prevent the roof from completely collapsing should they be hit in that area.
6:29 "THAT'S A TRUCK?!?" --- Yes, NASCAR has multiple leagues, including one for stock pick-up trucks!
6:47 "Is a car or a truck more dangerous?" --- Bottomline, it's ALL dangerous in this industry.
6:54 "Do drivers bump each other deliberately?" --- This is a very contact filled sport; you're certainly gonna see lots of bumping and banging, tempers overflowing, and even the occasional retaliation!
7:33 "Is going into the grass better if you're crashing?" --- Preferably not, especially after a heavy rainfall; grass is very uneven and if a car goes through it at high speed, the splitter on the front of the car can dig in and tear the nose off, which can easily end someone's race.
8:43 "Is the bottom of the turn faster than the top?" --- It depends on the track; every track is different, from its size to its character. Sometimes the top lane is better than the bottom despite the longer distance, and other times there's no advantage as far as lanes are concerned. In this instance, the cars are all in the draft together, so the lanes don't matter, everyone's as fast as one another.
Fun fact: you do not need a regular drivers license to be a Nascar driver
or a license at all in some states...
If I rememebr right... about 7 or 8 years ago, one of the top NASCAR drivers actually had his licenses suspended/revoked.... couldn't drive on the roads legally...
@@Lemonjellow kurt busch?
Believe that was Kyle Busch. They caught him going nearly 130 in a 45 zone. But he got off easy because of who he is. Any one of us, and that would have meant handcuffs.
@@gaffneyrailroading1982 Hhhhh- wait just a minute! 130 on normal roads? You don't even get to 125 on most NASCAR-certified tracks! How'd he manage that?
He was test driving a Lexus sports car and claims that he "got carried away."
That one where Bobby Allison got the catch fence in 1987. He was as close to the spectators as he appeared. Several people in the stands were injured and NASCAR made several safety changes to both the cars and the catch fence as a result.
To make up for this, I'd like to see you react to funny animal videos.
I’d like that! 😂
Yea like the Puppy Bowl.
Puppy bowl for sure.
@@bigtex741 Are you sure she could handle it?
Diane: "Do they bump each other on purpose? Is that a thing?"
Harry Hogge: "No, no, he didn't slam you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you... he rubbed you. And rubbing, son, is racing.”
Nerfed
“There’s nothing more frightening than driving with a live goddamn cougar next to you.”
- Reese Bobby
Like most his life, he was probably high when we said it !
@@crash406 🤨🤨🤨🤨🙄🙄🙄�
I was there in person in the second video. It was exciting being there and watch in person. And yes, everyone walked out ok. There were some people in the stands that got injured but as far as I heard everyone affected recovered. They were treated in the infield care center or in a nearby hospital.
And these cars today are safer than the old cars... Years ago they didn't have the same safety we got today, and therefore there were tragedies back then. Still, they're not safe from suffering injuries. But a lot of lives had been saved. The roll cages, the seatbelts, the driver seat, the HANS device (it goes below the helmet, to protect the driver's neck), firesuit, safer barriers. It all have helped to have more safety for these drivers...
When you're racing, and you're in a crash, you take your hands OFF the steering wheel. You could get a broken wrist if you hang onto it.
@@JohnFourtyTwo It still applies, but does and only ever did apply on incipient contact. If you aren't immediately headed for a hit, drive the car! Just don't wrap your thumbs around the rim.
Another response to "are they still steering?" - yes, in some of those instances they are still trying to drive the car. I participate in high performance driving experiences and on 2 occasions have spun out in corners. When you are driving/competing in that environment you are entirely focused on the task of driving to the point where you will continue to attempt to control or regain control even when the physics have placed the car beyond your efforts. Eventually you figure it out and as my driving instructors have said - "put both feet in and brace yourself"
Wow I feel so bad that you felt you had to watch the video. Maybe a cute puppy video will set things right?
Yes please! 😂
😁
Jimmy Horton was involved in a major crash at Talladega during the 69th lap of the 1993 DieHard 500. Horton's car was clipped by Stanley Smith's car. Horton's car hit three other cars before it flew over the wall and landed on an access road outside of the track. Smith suffered near-fatal head injuries in the incident, while Horton walked out of the wreck virtually unscathed.
NASCAR: going really fast in a circle always going to the left.
Wheeeee! 🚙
@@DianeJennings to better understand the car just google “nascar roll cage”
@@DianeJennings dont worry Diane....those cars are reinforced inside
theyre safer than most cars on the road
its the consiquence of speed.....your looking at a avg. of 160km+
plus those fences are stronger than than the usual
@3:12 My dad liked Rusty Wallace when I was a kid, I remember watching that one happen. These days they all have drag flaps that lift up if they get turned around like that, so they won't take off... Fully...
What’s the difference between deer nuts, and beer nuts. Beer nuts are 2 dollars, but deer nuts are under a buck
I have one for YOU today! Why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself,
@@LindaC616 because it was two tired. I heard that one before
@@Dr-Alexander-The-Great Touché
@@Dr-Alexander-The-Great 😔
The safety features keep getting better.
You are right. They are in cages of sorts. They have seats made for them, seatbelt harnesses that keep them snug in their seats, helmets, and a hans device that keeps their heads and neck in place. They do also wear firesuits to protect them.
Accidents happen, yes they get hurt but rarely fatal.
Yes the fences are strong and designed to protect the fans.
Racing is fun to watch though.
That first crash, 2002 at Pocono Pennsylvania with Steve Park and Dale Earnhardt Junior, I remember watch that live. I was Five Years Old at the time. Me and my Mom and Dad literally jumped up when we saw Park’s car get airborne. Junior bailed out of his car and ran over to Steve’s car to make sure he was unhurt. Park got out with some help and the two of them walked to the ambulance arm in arm. That was the greatest thing that whole day seeing him come out of the car uninjured. Great race too btw, lol.
I was a race, when I was young, where a car jumped the barrier and landed in the back on a pick up truck! There were people sitting on the truck watching the race but they quickly dove to Safety as the car left the track!
5:25 - The truck races don't hold the attendance of the major cup races as it is comprised mostly of a lower tier of drivers. It's not uncommon for the truck series to race at the same track on the same weekends with the two higher levels. An analogy might be that if the top guys racing on Sunday are in Championship League, then the truck races on Friday or Saturday are EFL.
so to answer some of your questions:
- NASCAR cars have cages so the drivers dont get crushed
- Drivers always say the worst part of flipping is the landing, because there is the big impact and sudden direction change
- Hitting a wall at full speed is worse than flipping, because the G forces are much higher.
- All of the fires are normally ok and minor because each drivers have fire protective suits
- Spectators getting injured is a thing in this sport sadly
- another thing I hear alot in these is why the other drivers dont avoid the crash, and they do try. just NASCAR cars have bad brakes and at 200 mph you cant turn very well to get out of the way either
not sure if i missed anything but yeah hope that helps
I had an Indy car crash and hit the fence right in front of me a few of years ago a Kentucky Speedway. The cars are travelling in excess of 220 MPH (you will have to do the conversion to KPH if you want). The crash was loud and scared the hell out of me, but thankfully no one including the driver was injured.
You had said something about the corners and going inside to shorten the distance, which at lower speeds would definitely work, but in Nascar, the cars are going nearly 200 miles per hour, so some drivers like to run up on the outside to utilize momentum
"Now I'm Presuming That They're In Cages in These cars"
Yes, they most definitely have roll cages in their cars as it's an absolute necessity for these types of racecars , it's one of the biggest safety features that NASCAR racing cars have and these cages are built very strong, they're designed to prevent more extreme injuries to the drivers and drivers rarely have anything worse than minor injuries
Some info that might make you feel better: the cars are built within fiber glass shells. That's why you see the parts fly off easily. It makes it look worse than it actually is. The body itself is actually a steel roll cage which protects the internal workings because these cars are expensive as hell to build. All the glass has been removed and replaced with lighter fiber glass version which won't shatter. The driver is in a flame retardant suit and wears a headset so he's in constant contact with his pit crew. He's strapped in to a harness which also provides stability during rolls. It's probably a lot like riding an extreme roller coaster. The biggest danger is that you're sitting on a tank full of rocket fuel. Which is why you don't see them run to the car right away. If it explodes it's worse for people outside the car than the driver inside.
Not to say that deaths don't happen, but they're pretty rare.
Loving your accent, and the new technical terms you have invented to describe what's happening!
Not sure i should mention that for most of these crashes they were doing around 200mph - much of the footage is slowed down. But they are generally very safe in even the worst looking crash, as there are many years of development into safety.
Diane, I was a lot more entertained watching your reactions to the footage than the footage itself! It does make you wonder how those drivers survived. And yes, they have roll cages in there. I wouldn't want to imagine what would happen if they didn't!
It’s absolutely hilarious watching people from other countries watching nascar crashes. Yes the cars have cages, the last death in the cup series was in 2001, and it has been at it’s safest since 2007 with the Car Of Tomorrow
Diane: "I dont like going fast"
Ricky Bobby: "HOLD MY WONDERBREAD"
The cockpit of a stock car are built welding 1.75in steel tube in a typical production frame style. For the tracks with the steeper banking, it's usually big drop off over the other side of the wall but he was kept in by the catch fence that goes above the wall. With the speeds their going, if the car gets backwards or sometimes sideways, the car acts like an airfoil(airplane wing) and gets lifted in the air.
Race cars are basically upside down wings. This forces them into thr track increase grip and turning speed. The one downside is if they go backwards they become a Normal wing. So they take of like planes.
They decide between the inside and outside of the turns for different reasons. Inside is shorter, as you say, but requires them to slow down to make the tigher radius. Outside allows them to keep the car at a higher speed, so it takes less time to speed back up.
Also, they normally don't wreck each other on purpose (although it does happen). Getting close to another car can affect the way the wind is going over it, and can make the car less stable. By "talking the wind off the spoiler", they cause the other driver to slow down, so they can pass easier. There's actually a tactic on superspeedways (tracks designed for over 200mph) called "bump drafting. By softly "tapping" the bumper of the car in front of you, the wind resistance is shared by both cars, allowing both cars to go faster for a short time.
Something you have to remember is that they are going so fast that aerodynamics and how air comes off of other cars affects how their car drives! Often times if you see a car suddenly spin the driver behind them got too close and it took downforce off the rear tires, think rear tires hit ice in the middle of a turn at 200mph... you can go faster when the driver unloads your downforce but at the expense of traction
As a nascar fan I personally love watching peoples reaction to NASCAR videos, especially the people from other countries.
There is this one nasty crash I've heard about. In 1995, 26 year old Russell Phillips died in an extremely gruesome crash at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a Sportsman's Series race, where the roof of his car was crushed. Phillips was both mutilated and decapitated by the force of the impact.
Yes, there is a roll-cage inside that helps protect the driver. There's also 6-point harnesses to secure their bodies and a special restraint for heads and necks. On the tracks there is the SAFER barrier that cushions the cars in a crash. And yes, flipping the car is much better than a sudden stop into a wall.
My folks took me to the 1961 Daytona 500 preliminary qualifying races. There was a spectacular crash where the car didn't just get airborne, it went up over the guardrails and off the track. Amazingly the driver survived. It was an awesome sight seeing it as a little kid, scary af watching the clips of it now as an adult.