It’s not the first crash at Knoxville Nationals. It might very well not be the last one. But it’s the one that is being followed by racing fans from the far corners of the circle and beyond.

McKenna Haase; the Iowa Sprint car driver has been on the receiving end of a disastrous clash between her No. 55 and the No. 24 sprint of Terry McCarl. The 27-year-old Sprint car female racer was rushed to the hospital immediately after the accident. Since then, updates about the status of her health and the seriousness of her injury have been rare. There was an initial update on her condition, thanks to her mother, Kelly Anne Haase. Kelly’s post on Facebook reveals that she is suffering from pneumothorax of the lungs, rips in her mouth and tongue, and her body is bruised.

But thanks to Jennifer Marshall, we do have an update finally. On the face of it, this looks like it’s a positive one. The cheering news comes from the one currently running the state of affairs at Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing. They stand out as one of the key competitors of McKenna Haase’s Team Hasse Racing LLC.

McKenna Haase is finally on her recovery path!

Following the incident, McKenna Haase is currently attended by medical professionals for further evaluation of her injury. Both trauma centers in the metropolitan area are currently functioning at capacity, which is why her transfer to De Moines now seems highly unlikely. As fans kept their fingers crossed and sent thoughts and prayers, the pleasant news regarding her health appeared.

The co-owner of Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing, Jennifer Marshall, took to social media to share the good news. On her personal X account, she wrote, ”Spent the morning with McKenna. Those Angel credits she has came in handy last night. She’s up with that big, beautiful smile of hers laughing and being positive. She has a small hole in her lung. Getting it checked again at noon. Her mouth got cut up, but she still asked for some of those mini donuts. We went and got her a smoothie. Her neck and everything else checked out perfect!”

Jennifer’s post is the first time fans have received any update on Haase apart from her mother.

Additionally, some of McKenna Haase’s personal belongings are also missing. This includes her iPhone, which is missing and is probably lying somewhere along the tracks. Kelly Anne Hasse has promised a reward for the person who finds it and turns it in. And she has also provided the following update on her health via Facebook: ”Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately, the pneumothorax in McKenna’s lung is slightly larger. She will continue to be monitored with her next scans scheduled for midnight.”

As best wishes continue to pour in for McKenna Haase, it’s clear that her return to the racetrack will take time. While she receives the necessary medical care, it’s worth reflecting on why injuries at Knoxville Raceway are particularly serious. A look back at past accidents in Knoxville highlights the severity and challenges associated with racing at this venue.

Accidents at Knoxville Nationals are a yearly feature

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This is not the first time that Knoxville Nationals are all over the news for clashes. But the venue and particularly the event are quite known for such mishaps of late. Just last year, the race witnessed a heartbreaking clash involving Cody Ihlen. As the race started and progressed towards the first turn, Cody’s car dramatically flipped over. This resulted in a serious injury to the driver.

The medical team arrived on the scene immediately and rushed him to a hospital. Ihlen could only walk out of treatment the next day. Consequently, Ihlen Motorsports owner came back in shape after some time.

Knoxville Raceway witnessed another such incident even before the Nationals last year. This time it was Davie Franek of the 360-sprint car feature. He is a two-time champion of the Patriot Sprint Tour, United Racing Club, and Selinsgrove Speedway. He arrived at Knoxville with high hopes. But his day on the racetrack completely changed as he slid into Sammy Swindell’s already upside-down car, injuring himself seriously during the process.

Franek, as a result, was taken to the Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines and suffered similar injuries as McKenna Haase.

Motorsports is fun! But dangerous and could be life-threatening. EssentiallySports sends its prayers for McKenna Haase and wishes for her speedy recovery. Also, feel free to share your experiences at Knoxville Raceway in the comments down below.