“It’s Not a Matter of If, It’s Definitely When”- Tulsa Shootout Track Official’s Narrow Escape Leaves Sprint Car’s Star Questioning Safety Stance

It’s one last fight before the curtain falls on 2023. An approximate number of 1000 cars have unloaded on the ¼-mile bullring dirt track for the Tulsa shootout, which acts as the prelude for the coveted Chili Bowl Nationals. However, in this high-octane drama of clinching a title in the Shootout, it seems that the racing community was left pondering about the safety issues on the track, after the occurrence of an unfortunate incident, that also included track officials.

The incident occurred during the Non-Wings Outlaws and involved Corey Kelly, who flipped multiple times and eventually came dangerously close to jeopardizing the lives of officials present on the track. As a video of the incident surfaced online, even veteran sprint car driver Michael Linder was left to contemplate what awaited the future of the sport, in terms of safety.

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In the final dirt race series of the season, the annual Tulsa Shootout witnessed drivers from all corners of the country gather on the iconic dirt track. Moreover, amongst the most acclaimed sprint car drivers, NASCAR’s 2x Cup Series champion Kyle Busch along with his 8-year-old son Brexton and the incoming Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan joined the driver’s list. In the five-day series, the racing community witnessed a plethora of incidents that left the audience on the edge of their seats.

One such incident occurred during the D-Main race of the Stock Non-Wing Micro Sprint edition, which drew the attention of the racing community. The incident occurred with just 8 laps left in the race when driver Cory Kelley was trying to approaching a turn. However, soon after, the car’s front end went airborne briefly, following which the vehicle flipped multiple times before coming to a standstill. As the video captured the crash, one couldn’t help but notice when a flagman was nearly struck by the flipping vehicle. Reiterating the close call, sprint car driver Michael Linder, posted the video of the incident with the caption: “It’s not a matter of if, it’s definitely when. Am I the only one who can see how this will eventually end?”

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Nevertheless, with the car coming to a standstill, fire bellowed from underneath the car before it was extinguished by the track officials. Furthermore, the driver was able to climb out of the car on his own accord, unscathed. Though the incident didn’t end up in a mishap, just like Linder, fans too were left vexed by the happenings. 

Livid fans left questioning the safety standards of the track

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Apart from Cory Kelley’s car flipping incident, the other driver who was involved in a crash was RCR’s Kyle Busch. The incident occurred during Heat 35 in the Non-Wing Stock division. In the Turn 4, Busch entangled with another car. This resulted in the Cup Series driver flipping three times before coming to a stop, with his mangled car.

Nevertheless, with the incident that could have proved to be fatal, the racing community was left to ask the same question as Michael Linder.

One fan commented how they knew this would happen and if not addressed it’s only a matter before things taken un unpleasent turn. , “I have said the same thing for years it’s just a matter of time..,” they wrote.

Another fan sarcastically pointed out how a young crowd’s presence in the vicinity of the unfolding action could be detrimental, writing, “And let’s bring kids out of the stands to stand there beside him to flag….what could go wrong?”

Many also opined that a flagman’s position has become redundant with the advent of technology and there’s no reason why they would need to stand so close. One fan wrote: “Flaggers are a thing of the past. With raceceivers and  lights, there’s no need for anyone being  that close to a hot track. None.”

Others also slammed people for not taking the safety hazard seriously and commented: “I couldn’t agree more. When it does happen the ones saying you’re crying will be the ones saying we should’ve done something different. We all love racing but we never want to see anyone hurt or killed. Especially if it’s preventable.”

One fan teased possible solutions to the issue, writing: “I’ve been thinking the same thing. It’s almost gone bad twice today. It’s time for a fence or something to deflect the cars away. Last year was bad enough with him getting hit.”

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That being said, it is to be seen how the governing body responds to the incident and whether they will implement any new safety regulations ahead of the Chili Bowl Nationals in the opening week of January.