Do you remember seeing Elliott Sadler’s crash at Pocono back in 2010? It’s highly unlikely that you got to see footage of the crash, as that incident has plagued NASCAR with conspiracy theories for years. Because NASCAR never showed the Sadler No. 19 car’s footage during the collision, many wonder if there was something that they were hiding.
14 years after the incident, when Elliott Sadler made his way to the Dale Jr. Download, the two sat down to talk about racing memories, some life-changing moments, and, of course, the unreleased crash footage from the 2010 Pocono incident. The podcast got interesting as Sadler finally revealed the truth behind one of the community’s biggest conspiracy theories, bringing the facts to light about why there was not enough footage released.
Why did no one see the footage of the 2010 Pocono crash?
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On the Dale Jr. Download, as Elliott Sadler was chatting with Dale Jr. about that wild Pocono crash in the #19 car, he’s setting the record straight. Some fans think NASCAR’s hiding something because there’s no good footage of the wreck, but Sadler stepped up to clear that up.
So, what went down was that Sadler got wrecked on the backstretch, and it was a massive hit. He slowed down, thinking it wouldn’t be too bad, but then he got nailed by his own teammate, A.J. Allmendinger, which led him to spiral out of control. The hit pushed Sadler across the grass, and when he finally smacked into the fence, it hurt way more than he thought it would.
As Sadler explained, “The reason there’s not a good picture of the wreck where I hit is that it’s too far off the track; there’s no camera angle for it.” Despite the rumors of NASCAR wanting to hide something, this clears out that there was nothing more to it except the unavailability of the right angle to cover the crash.
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Sadler’s crash was gnarly, with the engine getting ripped out of the car. The former driver explained that even though he felt his ribs hurting, luckily he didn’t break any of them. After getting out of the car and seeing the engine on the track, it became clear just how serious the crash was.
So, no secret cover-up, just a bad crash in a spot the cameras couldn’t reach, disappointing theorists who have spent hours and days, if not longer, trying to figure out why NASCAR did not show any footage. Now that we know that there was no underlying reason why Sadler’s car was not shown during the crash, let’s travel back in time to see what exactly happened that weekend.
Aftermath of Elliott Sadler’s controversial crash
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In 2010, Elliott Sadler returned to Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 19 Ford, with sponsors like Stanley and Best Buy supporting him. He soon announced he’d be leaving after the season and also raced part-time in the Truck Series for Kevin Harvick Incorporated, scoring his first NASCAR win in six years at Pocono in July.
Sadler made a one-off start for JR Motorsports in the No. 88 Chevy at Dover but crashed and finished 31st. The next day, he had a severe wreck at Pocono after being hit by A.J. Allmendinger, with his car hitting the inside fence and causing a 25-minute red flag. Sadler was seen pained but okay, calling it the hardest hit of his career.
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On August 3, Elliott Sadler revealed it was the hardest head-on crash ever recorded in NASCAR. Later, on November 5, Sadler won the pole for the AAA Texas 500, setting the fastest qualifying speed since 1999. So despite his crash, Sadler was on a positive trajectory in his racing career. Although he did not continue to drive for long after that, his legacy will be remembered by fans for years to come.
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Do you still think that there was more to the incident than was reported? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments section below.
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Do you believe Elliott Sadler's explanation about his 2009 Pocono crash, or is there more to it?