UPDATE: Have some updated information about the driver involved in the accident I mentioned, I'm afraid it's not good.
The driver apparently rubbed tires with another driver exiting turn 2 and rolled. The roll cage (as all know) is supposed to withstand some of the highest forces a car can take and protect the driver no matter what happens. When the car rolled, the roll cage failed crushing the driver. He was alive at the scene, upon reaching the hospital he was barely hanging on. His trachea has been crushed, neck has been crushed, has multiple skull fractures, has fluid and blood in his lower skull cavity (same thing that killed Earnhardt Sr.)
The doctors are giving him a 95% chance of death, if he does survive he will be in a vegetative state. It's a damn shame that somebody didn't do their job in protecting this driver, but at the same time it's an assumed risk. Just a damn shame..
Sprint Car Racing is a sport that must be seen to be appreciated. Imagine twenty 800hp, open wheel racing cars sliding sideways, only inches apart at breakneck speeds. Yes, NASCAR racing is exciting, but how often do you see NASCARs pulling wheel stands?
Anybody ever seen them?? I just went to a race tonight, I've been to so many I have no idea what number this one is, but these things just fly. The best way I can describe these things for somebody who hasn't seen them, are gocarts with 410's runnin on alcohol making around 800HP. It is INSANE. They fly around these dirt corners at around 90-100 and on the straights hit 110-120, mind you this is on a 3/8 mile track with 21 other cars running at the same time during the AMain event. The sound is AMAZING, all these cars are running wide open headers and you can feel these things in your chest, explaining this simply cannot justify it.
One guy tonight in the mini sprints got hurt very bad, still haven't heard what happened yet. Should know by tomorrow how bad it was... took 20-30 min. to get him out of the car and 3 ambulances were blocking the view of the car.
Sprint Car Videos:
In-Car (this video has not been sped up) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFIWrIii6w
Good Racing (saw these guys tonight, Joey Saldana made it to the AMain tonight) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mztN3ODiTso
Next year I'll be racing dirt, but nothing that fast. I'll be racing karts at a dirt track in Kansas City, KS called Thunderlake. Below is a video of what I'll be racing at the exact same track. First couple laps are warm-up yellows, once they get going they're hitting 50-60, doesn't sound fast, but in something that small it feels MUCH faster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ3XxqHGoWI