The Daytona 500 is a staple of American culture. It is the one NASCAR race that everyone, regardless of whether they follow the sport or not, knows and tunes into. Over the years, we have seen quite a few iconic “Great American Races” however, it is also one of the most perilous tracks and has bore witness to some brutal crashes as well.
Let’s take a look at 10 of the most terrifying crashes that left fans speechless.
2003 – Ryan Newman's Frightening Flip
In the early 2000s, Ryan Newman found himself quickly becoming one of the more popular drivers in the sport—so there was a lot of anticipation built around his Daytona 500 appearance in ’03.
The race, however, did not go as planned—and Newman was involved in one of the most terrifying crashes we’ve seen. His car went airborne and flipped several times in the infield in a crash that was jaw-dropping. Newman’s survival, with minor injuries, was a testament to the continuous efforts toward improving driver safety, as the outcome of the crash could’ve been way worse back in the day.
1979 – The Last Lap Fight
This iteration of the Daytona 500 saw a very dramatic finish, Richard Petty claimed victory after Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed on the final lap. This incident is infamous not just for the crash but for the subsequent fistfight that took place on the infield shortly afterward. The reasoning is clearly a bit dubious, but this did mark a historic moment in NASCAR that brought widespread attention to the sport, as the altercation and the race’s dramatic conclusion were broadcast on national television and really encapsulated the rivalrous aspects of the sport, not to mention the extremely high stakes involved in stock car racing.
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2010 – The Unbelievable Finish
Back in 2010, the Daytona 500 saw one of the wildest finishes the races has ever seen. Jamie McMurray emerged victorious after a series of late crashes shuffled the field. This race was the perfect symbol of the unpredictable nature of the sport and the chaos that can ensue in the closing laps of the Daytona 500, which typically makes it one of the most memorable finishes in the race’s history.
1988 – Richard Petty's Rollover
Richard Petty experienced a terrifying wreck at the 1988 Daytona 500, when his car flipped multiple times on the front stretch of the track. This crash was a stark reminder to the general public about the very real dangers of high-speed racing.
On the other hand, it also showed Petty’s resilience and, frankly, good fortune as he was able to escape the harrowing experience relatively unscathed.
2018 – Aric Alimora Crashes on Last lap
Winning the Daytona 500 is the pinnacle for a stock car driver—and Aric Alimora came oh, so close to doing just that in 2018. Unfortunately, Almirola’s hopes were dashed in the final moments of the race when he was involved in a crash on the last lap. Simply a brutal turn of events for a fan favorite that had glory literally in his sights!
1997 – Dale Earnhardt's Flip
While Dale Earnhardt is widely known in the American consciousness for the tragedy that forsake him at Daytona years later, he also had a pretty iconic crash in 1997. Earnhardt was in the thick of the race, when congestion on the track put his car off balance, then contact with another car flipped him. If the crash itself wasn’t crazy enough to observe at face value, how about the fact that he got back in the car and managed to finish the race. Dale was one of the toughest athletes that American sports has ever seen.
2001 – The Tragic Loss of Dale Earnhardt
It was alluded to earlier, but it wouldn’t be right to publish this list without paying homage to the great Dale Earnhardt, who was involved in a fatal crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. This crash rattled the hearts and minds of fans everywhere and forced NASCAR to take a long look in the mirror about how it was operating. The ever so slight silver lining was that it forced NASCAR to institute significant safety improvements, including the mandatory use of the HANS device, improvements to car construction, and the introduction of SAFER barriers at tracks. that today’s drivers have benefited from.
2007 – Clint Bowyer's Fiery Finish
The 2007 Daytona 500 saw an iconic crash and one of the most ridiculous finishes the legendary race has ever had. In an unbelievable finish, Clint Bowyer’s car crossed the finish line upside down and was engulfed in flames as the result of the last-lap crash he was involved in. The dramatic end to the race was indicative of the danger—and the glory of the high-paced, high-intensity sport. Fortunately, Bowyer ended up escaping from the incident relatively unscathed, but assured, it was a terrifying moment for everyone involved and watching along at home.
2012 – Juan Pablo Montoya's Jet Dryer Incident
The 2012 Daytona 500 will forever be remembered for one of the most unusual and dramatic incidents in NASCAR history. During a caution period in the race, Juan Pablo Montoya’s car lost control due to a mechanical failure and collided with a jet dryer that was being used to blow debris off the track.
The impact was so intense that it caused the jet dryer, which, you guessed it, was filled to the brim with jet fuel, to explode. Fortunately, the safety crews at Daytona International Speedway were quickly on the scene. This efficiency and preparedness has become the standard for NASCAR’s emergency response teams—and both Montoya and the jet dryer driver were the beneficiaries of this, as they miraculously emerged from the incident without serious injuries.
There was, however, still some backlash for NASCAR after the visually jarring incident that led to discussion and changes to safety protocols for the use of equipment during races going forward.
2020 – Ryan Newman's Flip
Ryan Newman’s crash in the final stretch of the 2020 Daytona 500 was what can only be described as a heart-stopping moment that brought the inherent dangers of NASCAR racing sharply into focus for the viewers in the venue and at home.
Newman was in the thick of the race and vying for the lead on the final lap when his car was tapped from behind. Though the contact was minor, the impact in conjunction with the insane speed of stock car driving sent him flying into the wall at high speed. The impact against the wall sent Newman’s car tumbling and flipping down the track where he was eventually struck by another competitor, which launched him back into the air before it landed on its roof. Newman and his trusty chariot skidded, seemingly endlessly, through a shower of sparks and debris before finally coming to a halt.
The entire racing and, really, sports community around the world held their breath as Newman was extracted from his car and rushed to a nearby hospital, as this became national news. Remarkably, Newman survived the crash with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and he was released from the hospital just a few days later.
