Nothing scares a NASCAR driver more than the fear of death. After all, the sport has witnessed fatal incidents in the past. The case of Dale Earnhardt Sr. is the most suitable example. When a racer of that stature could succumb due to on-track injuries, then anything is possible. One such act was merely avoided when Tony Stewart and his team saw one of their drivers survive a deadly incident.
22 years ago, The Intimidator lost his life due to a crash at Daytona. Fast forward to the current campaign, and superspeedways still pose a strong threat for dangerous wrecks.
The Tony Stewart-owned team’s driver just survived a deadly scare at Daytona
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The final race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season was an eventful affair at Daytona. With 17 drivers fighting for the single spot remaining for the playoffs, the race was intense. Eventually, it was Chris Buescher who once again walked down victory lane this campaign.
While Buescher registered his third win in five weeks, Bubba Wallace secured the final playoff spot. Martin Truex Jr., who won Stage 1, deservedly won the regular-season title. However, there were some concerning moments during the race. Firstly, Ryan Blaney was involved in a serious crash with Ty Gibbs just at the end of Stage 2.
BIG CRASH.
Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs and many more involved. #NASCAR
📺 : @peacock pic.twitter.com/0pKkJJ6Io4
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 27, 2023
The second one, though, was a dangerous one, with one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s drivers involved. Ryan Preece was the driver, as his car went airborne with six laps left in the 160-lap race. After getting caught up with his teammate Chase Briscoe, Preece’s car hit the infield grass and barrel-rolled more than 10 times.
Ryan Preece FLIPPED down the backstretch. 😳 #NASCAR | @NBC and @Peacock pic.twitter.com/Qztmvjd0NA
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 27, 2023
After finally landing on its wheels, the car landed on its wheels and appeared to be on fire. Unsurprisingly, medical authorities rushed to the scene. While the worst was feared, the fans and the crowd present were delighted to see Preece get out of the car.
Indeed, it was a scary accident, and it definitely had everyone’s heart in their mouth. Coincidentally, it was just over a month ago that Preece was reluctant to put his wife in a bad position because of the risks involved in the sport. Luckily, the safety mechanism helped in this case. It is worth noting that he had his first daughter very recently.
READ MORE – “Rip Ash!!!!!!” – Amid Tragic Times for Tony Stewart, World Beard Champion Joins Millions in Support
Imagine how quickly things could turn around for a NASCAR driver. Fortunately, Preece got out of the car and was taken to the local hospital. Naturally, witnessing all of these left the NASCAR fandom in shock.
Ryan Preece’s terrifying accident stuns the NASCAR community
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It is unimaginable to imagine how life-threatening a crash Ryan Preece was involved in. Being airborne for so long with multiple flips was just wild to even witness. While Preece was extremely lucky to survive the crash, it certainly left the fans in a state of shock.
Regardless of the driver, no fan would want to see a fatal act on the track. With Preece’s incident, the fans on Twitter couldn’t fathom what they just saw on live television.
“That was one of the wildest flips I’ve ever seen. So many full rotations in the air before hitting the ground. Wild! Glad he is ok.”
“One of the most vicious barrel rolls i’ve seen in a very long time”
“11 barrel roll flip and driver exits the car on his own power… NASCAR safety tech is remarkable”
“that is the most scary crash I’ve ever seen since Ryan Newman in 2020. I hope he’s not injured. Prayers for him”
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.@RyanPreece_ releases message after his breathtaking and scary crash in the #NASCAR Cup Series race tonight where he was taken to hospital for further evaluation. pic.twitter.com/w0lyjZvnNH
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 27, 2023
“That was awful. That was a wreck you’d see in the 80s… thank god and all these engineers over at NASCAR for making the safety as good as it is”
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WATCH THIS STORY: “A Sobering Reminder”: NASCAR World Joins Tony Stewart as They Mourn Tragic Demise of Teammate
Hopefully, Preece recovers quickly to the fullest and is back and running. This Daytona race surely showed how superspeedways could turn out to be deadly and entertaining at the same time. What did you make of it? Let us know in the comments below.