(ZUMA24.com)
A frightening, fiery crash sent Kyle Larson’s car airborne and debris spinning into the stands injured dozens of race fans yesterday at the NASCAR stock car Nationwide Series season-opener.
Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway, said 14 injured fans had been transported from the circuit for treatment at local hospitals and 14 more were treated at the track’s medical facility.
He said he could not confirm reports that at least two people were seriously hurt and that one was taken immediately for surgery.
“It’s not appropriate for me to comment on that,” Chitwood said in a press conference held at the circuit some three hours after the wreck.
Various media reports put the number of injured at more than 30, with ESPN reporting one adult had life-threatening head trauma and a 14-year-old was in critical, but not life-threatening, condition in the hospital.
The wreck, which occurred almost as Tony Stewart was taking the checkered flag for victory, began when race leader Regan Smith turned sideways and a dozen cars bunched behind him.
“My fault,” admitted Smith. “I threw a block.”
Despite the damage to the track, Chitwood said it will “be ready to go racing” in time for today’s Daytona 500.
Chitwood said he doesn’t anticipate moving any fans from those affected seats for the race. He said the fence that separates the track from the seats will be repaired. The grandstands where fans were injured are about 200 feet from the start-finish line.
This will be the third time in four years the track has needed major repairs on Daytona 500 weekend. The 2010 race was interrupted for more than two hours because of a pothole on the track. Juan Pablo Montoya slammed into a jet dryer in last year’s race that caused a raging inferno that stopped the event for two hours.
“We’re very confident that we’ll be ready for tomorrow’s event with the 55th running of the Daytona 500,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing operations, said. “As with any of these incidents, we’ll conduct a thorough review and work closely with the tracks as we do with all our events, learn what we can and see what we can apply in the future.”
Larson, a Japanese-American driver who was making his first start in NASCAR’s second-tier series, was launched into the catch-fencing.
“I was getting pushed from behind, and by the time my spotter said, ‘Lift,’ it was too late,” said Larson, who was able to climb out of what remained of his vehicle.
“I had some flames come in the cockpit. I was all right and could get out of the car quickly. It was definitely a big hit.”
Larson’s car tore a hole in the fence separating the track from the stands. His engine sheared off with at least one tire and other debris flying into the grandstand.
“I looked in the mirror and that’s the worst image I’ve ever seen in a race in my life,” Stewart said.