“I Start Crying”- Ryan Preece’s Daytona Horror Jogs Kenny Wallace’s “God Awful” Memories

The potential threat to one’s life as a racecar driver is undeniable. Moving at such high speeds means things could become scary with a minor change in fate. On Sunday, Ryan Preece’s flips at Daytona took the whole community back to memories of some of the most horrifying crashes in NASCAR history. While NASCAR has been exemplary in its approach to driver safety and has continuously tried to nullify the fatal threat, you never know what could unfold.

Former driver and legend Kenny Wallace has been a vocal community member. Speaking his mind occasionally, he has actively discussed some of the major talking points in the sport. As Preece’s crash stole the headlines on a weekend meant to signify the urgency for the playoffs, Kenny was reminded of his experience with another spine-chilling crash at Daytona.

Kenny Wallace is reminded of his brother Rusty after watching Ryan Preece flip at Daytona

Like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kenny Wallace also holds a treasure chest of stories within himself. Having been in and around the track for around 3 decades, he brings a lot of experience and insight to the community. In another fresh upload on his YouTube channel, Herman addresses the accident that sent Ryan Preece in the #41 Mustang.

“So Ryan Preece is okay. But when you look at what happened to my brother Rusty two times, in 1982, coming off of turn 2 at Daytona. Man, I’ll never forget that. Rick Wilson was driving the #4 Kodak car.” says Kenny.

Kenny’s brother, Rusty Wallace, is a highly celebrated personality in motorsports. An inductee of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Rusty is also known for his incredible season in 1989, which ended up with him winning the Winston Cup championship. However, in the 80s, Rusty went through one of the most terrifying crashes in Daytona’s history, which still echoed through Kenny’s mind as he watched Preece endure something similar.

“Rusty was around Richard Petty at the time and we were nobody in 1982. We were nobody, we came out of St Louis, and back straightaway was all grass. Rusty was wearing a red fire suit, and our sponsor was Ramada Inn. 1982. qualifying race, twin 125, and Rusty starts flipping violently after getting hit in the left rear by Rick Wilson.”

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“Oh my God, you know, I see it, I’m in the pits. Believe it or not, I’m changing tires at that young age. They were letting me change tires at 14, or 15 years old. I see it, I’m a wreck and I run to the infield care center at Daytona. The ambulance comes back and up and I’m looking in the window and I start crying. Because Rusty’s wearing that red fire suit, Ramada Inn.”

In recent news, Preece’s situation has been assessed, and he has been discharged from the medical center. One of the major takeaways from the crash is the prioritization of the driver’s safety in the Next-Gen cars, which have time and time again proved to be a lifesaver in such unfavorable situations.

“That was catastrophic”: Kenny dives deeper into his brother’s violent accident in 1982

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“Well, the sand down there, you have the grass, but the sand was black.” continues Kenny. Being held close to the beach, the racetracks at Daytona are surrounded by a lot of sand, which can act as a deterrent for drivers at times. To add to the misery, crashing into those areas meant the sand seeped into the vehicle, making it difficult for the driver to get out. As the video moves, Kenny adds more details about the sight at the care center to which Rusty was escorted.

“Well, Rusty was covered in sand. When they got into the infield care center at Daytona at the racetrack, they were digging sand out of his ears, out of his nose. I mean, it got up into his helmet. I mean the sand was everywhere and Rusty tells me this story because they wouldn’t let me back in there right away but you know, they inevitably did let me back there.”

“But yes, Rusty’s first violent flip at Daytona was god-awful and when he was flipping that black sand came up through that car just like somebody spraying in there and just blasting it in the face. You remember back then, I had open-face helmets in 1982, and that’s what he had on. That was catastrophic because we came out of St. Louis. It’s all we had.

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NASCAR’s eye for detail in the aspect of safety is one of the reasons that Ryan Preece will be able to compete again. While luck is certainly a factor, credit has to be given where it’s due. Ever since the death of the legendary Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR has moved ahead by leaps and bounds and continues to do so, all the while protecting its drivers from any harm.