Watch: Uncovered 1978 In-Car Talladega Footage Leaves NASCAR Fans in Shock as It Highlights Wild Safety Concerns

Ahead of the race at the Talladega Superspeedway this season, rare footage from a race has resurfaced on social media. It is from the 1978 race at Talladega, known for its intense heat and staggering 67 lead changes, and was already a race for the books. This footage, as it has been restored, has more to add to the history of the race.

The video filmed on the in-car camera clearly portrays how NASCAR drivers of that era had to compromise on safety measures. Fans of the sport are startled at the risk with which drivers raced back then. Here’s how they reacted to the video.

Veteran NASCAR driver’s compromise on safety measures

The Winston 500 race in the summer of 1978 at the Talladega Superspeedway lasted for three hours. With four caution flags waved for seventeen laps, the race was highly competitive with 67 lead changes. The race, remembered for its significance, had a world record of 500 miles with its average speed, which was later broken by Bill Elliott in 1985. Won by Lennie Pond, the Winston race in 1978 also had notable contributions from drivers such as James Hylton and Skip Manning.

Manning, despite trying his best for a good race, did not have luck in his favor. In an unfortunate turn of events, he was forced out of the race due to engine issues on lap 46. In a recently discovered video from his in-car camera, the driver is seen struggling on the track while majorly deprived of safety measures available today. The grainy, unclear footage filmed Manning bouncing on his seat while trying to cope with high speeds, resulting in intense vibrations while driving on the track of the Talladega Superspeedway.

The video was uploaded on Twitter by nascarman with the caption, “Onboard with Skip Manning at Talladega in 1978. He’s bouncing like 4 inches up and down in the seat. Pull those belts tight, Skip.” The vibrations were so severe that Manning seemed to bounce about four inches off the seat. After the video was shared on social media, NASCAR fans flooded the comments section in awe of the struggles of drivers in Manning’s era.

Fans react to Skip Manning’s unreal driving skills

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Following the lack of safety protection for NASCAR drivers during Skip Manning’s era, fans were left stunned. Comparing the 1978 Winston race to that of 2021 Fontana, a fan wrote, “If this was at fontana 2021 he woulda hit the roof”. Appreciating Skip Manning for pulling off the race under such adverse safety conditions, a user commented “Some badass shit right there boy.”

Another fan exclaimed in disbelief as he addressed Manning’s driving as “Unreal.”

Skip Mannings’s racing footage continued to earn him appreciation from more fans as one of them commented, “Nah he driving good.”

Another user made a comparison to the roughness of the track at the Texas Speedway as he expressed his opinion in a comment saying, “Guy guys there a little bump in Texas it’s too rough to race on. The paving is terrible….. guys. This man has no tail bone left….”

Skip Manning’s driving footage from the 1978 Talladega race, thus garnered him praise while being shocked by the risks they took while driving.