Bristol Motor Speedway’s second and final race of the NASCAR Cup Series season is Saturday, and for a number of reasons, drivers love racing at the half-mile track.
But one decades-old race at the Last Great Colosseum stands out in the NASCAR world as one of the most truly terrifying crashes in the sport’s history.
During one of the two 1990 Bristol races, Michael Waltrip came out of the short track’s turn two and hit the outside wall. His car was shredded to pieces and practically torn in half, and it’s nothing short of a miracle he was OK.
Older brother and fellow driver Darrell Waltrip gave an emotional interview after seeing the crash, saying:
“I just praise God that he’s alive. I was standing looking right at it and I couldn’t move. I mean, I just froze. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. … Mom, Dad, he’s a Waltrip. He’s got a pretty hard head.”
After he was pulled from the wreck, Michael Waltrip said:
“I think I’m all right. I’ve got some contusions and a little bit of confusion, but that’s probably not too unusual.”
Mixed among their fond memories from the Tennessee track, drivers remember this horrific crash.
