Cherokee Speedway bad accident

[latemodelman]

I saw where a Super Late flipped into the infield taking out the catch fence and other stuff injuring 2 Spectators. Just want to hope everyone recovers fast and is not hurt too bad. This is what scares the hell out of me when people get close to the fencing at Eldora in the infield.

[weatherman85]

Here’s a video of it.

https://youtu.be/ZuBglTscBjE

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Yeah, that was pretty bad.

And I’m sorry, but I just for the life of me cannot understand how people in T-shirts, jeans, and tank tops are out on a track flipping a car back over. And standing there as it’s on fire. Wtf. Tracks and people just need to be smarter than this.

[Hoosier]

Two racing series shared top billing at Cherokee Speedway Saturday night.

The Fast Unified Engine Late Models (FUEL) raced for $2,500 to win in its season opener, while the U.M.P. Open Wheel Modifieds competed for a $2,000 first-place prize.

Ben Watkins took home the FUEL victory. Watkins dominated the shortened feature, leading flag-to-flag to score his second career FUEL win.

Finishing second, 1.4 seconds behind, was Steve Banal. Completing the top-five finishers were Adam Yarborough, Robbie Emory, and Derrick Ramey.

The main event, originally scheduled for 35 laps, was shortened to 30 after a scary crash on lap 21 that resulted in a lengthy red flag period. The car of Brian Ledbetter hit the inside wall in front of the flagstand, tore down a length of fencing, and flipped over. The machine came to rest on the track entering turn one. Ledbetter walked away from the crash under his own power.

[Hoosier]

I saw where a Super Late flipped into the infield taking out the catch fence and other stuff injuring 2 Spectators. Just want to hope everyone recovers fast and is not hurt too bad. This is what scares the hell out of me when people get close to the fencing at Eldora in the infield.

The last spectator deaths I've seen, with a car into the stands, killed two who were seated in row 11 or 13. Safety is expensive, and all tracks, racers, and fans must pay.

[No_Weak_Links]

I know what you mean CnB, but with tracks with racers parked in the infield, especially all the one's in the south for some reason when something bad happens they all turn into EMS and first responders. You would have to have a 60 person staff and 20 cops in the infield to keep these idiots out of the way.

[Centeroff]

The inside wall was only 15-18" high at that point. Somebody will get sued over this one. A waiver isnt worth the paper its write on if a good attorney can prove negligence. That place has get hurt written all over it. Where was the ambulance? Geez!

[grt74]

where is the fire extinguisher ???!!!!! man there simple to keep around, thats just a no brainer to me, to many times in todays world i see it take a few minutes to get there, time is everything in a fire, that could have been bad

[RRRKKK]

Been there twice scared me both times, although it was long ago I could see there was a full sizes couch nailed up in a tree as we came IN

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

Some of these guys race w just a driver suit top as there drivers suit. Crazy if ya ask me

[Mindwalker]

I'd rather have sombody in a t shirt at least try to pull me from a possible burning crash then have a coward just stand there hoping sombody does somthing.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

I'd rather have sombody in a t shirt at least try to pull me from a possible burning crash then have a coward just stand there hoping sombody does somthing.And when that car blows up and you, the T-shirt Guy, and all them other people who shouldn’t be there, die, or get burnt bad, then what? You wanna run a track, have at least 2-3 guys with actual safety gear and knowledge there. This is how tracks get shut down, all fans/drivers get a bad rap, and people get killed/sued. Chesley Dixon, Charlie Floyd, ring a bell???

You entirely missed my point. Yes you should be saved, but by someone in the proper gear. It’s 2018, not 1980. A couple of guys in some safety gear isn’t the end of the world. Hold a fundraiser, get donations, anything other than this dumb stuff.

[Centeroff]

The guys in the tee shirts were the only people around to help. Had there been leaked fuel the driver was in big trouble. Im not gonna sit and watch any man burn alive. Kudos to the brave men that stepped up and possibly saved that mans life. Track safety is horrible there. Hope the crew members and spectators are ok

[racincowboy02]

The track owner has always said that the track doesn't need fire protection it only needs EMS to race which i think is stupid the fire department has people that are certified in both first response and fire so why not pay the FD to come and sit with 1 truck and have an ambulance there its not like the FD is asking for free food the only thing that the FD wants is to be paid and it is usually a volunteer FD and its not like they are asking for a grand for the night they were asking 20 an hour and you go 4 people that were certified in fire first responder and extrication

[TheJet-09]

If you watch close enough, you can see a poor guy in a white tee-shirt, along the infield fence, get somersaulted extremely hard. He was holding his head right away. Kudos to the number of apparent track workers in fluorescent green that immediately tended to him (might explain some of who went to tend to the car/driver). I don't think that guy even saw it coming (appears he was looking away for some reason).

And despite a red flag/light, predominantly displayed, how many cars continued on, driving right by? Should be rule number one, understood by every driver that races.

Yes, hope everyone is alright.

[Mindwalker]

The guys in the tee shirts were the only people around to help. Had there been leaked fuel the driver was in big trouble. Im not gonna sit and watch any man burn alive. Kudos to the brave men that stepped up and possibly saved that mans life. Track safety is horrible there. Hope the crew members and spectators are ok
Well said!!

[J20in1st]

The inside wall was only 15-18" high at that point. Somebody will get sued over this one. A waiver isnt worth the paper its write on if a good attorney can prove negligence. That place has get hurt written all over it. Where was the ambulance? Geez!

You don't stand a t the fence and not know that's a possibility.

[Centeroff]

Thats chicken wire not a safety fence! NASCAR has a cable to pull and set off a fire extinguisher. Not sure why this isnt a mandated rule in all forms of racing. The extinguisher is installed at the firewall and a simple tug of a handle can and has saved lives.

[Mindwalker]

I wasn't challenging your opinion cnb. Just used your t shirt reference to give mine... As. centeroff said, I wont wait in hopes somebody gets to a driver on time if Im right there to save him. Id rather die trying then live knowing I could have saves a life. Just me ...

[J20in1st]

If I don't see anyone movin towards the car and I see fire, you better believe im movin that way. I don't care what um wearing that day.

[Centeroff]

CandB fan, just wants to discredit mindwalker. Any man with a set of balls is going to do his best to get that driver out of the car. I play with many minds on 4m but its all in fun. I have been to war and I understand the fight or flight clearly. As a matter of fact I was traveling south on I64 in the year 1999 and noticed a cadillac on its roof. I immediately stopped ran to the elderly woman whom was still wearing a seat belt. I smelled gasoline and pulled her out of the drivers side window. When the ambulance finally arrived the paramedics questioned my instinct of getting the lady out of the car i was insulted. She was bleeding from broken glass but I knew she didnt have any spinal injuries. If that car would have ignited in flames I would have got the poor lady out under any circumstance!

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Good to see y’all entirely missed my point. Chesley Dixon and Charlie Floyd got hurt/died, because of incompetent, or lack of, safety personnel. This stuff just happened recently. And people if nothing else, because we like to wait till the worst happens, should have reacted to these tragedies and have some proper safety personnel. Only reason Chesley lived was his car was facing the wrong way. So he was upstream from the fuel.

I was not saying if no one else is around to stand their with your thumb up your a$$. But no spectator should be the one on the track period. There should be proper safety personnel, EMS, Fire, or just track workers, out there.

Dam shame these tracks still have not learned their lesson. Then again, drivers shouldn’t race at these tracks either. All it takes is that one time. Sorry no one can look at the big picture. But you go and get about 5-10 people burned, blown up, that’s a helluva an issue for racing. And that track would be done. And a lot of lives ruined.

Guess I just grew up at tracks and go to tracks that have safety personnel. Never realized growing up, that Sharon Speedway has one of the best crews in the country.

[super_latemodel_fan]

Does anyone have an actual update on the spectators that were hit ? It seems pretty clear in the video the driver got out ok with some help.

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

The part of fence that got hit is where some crew member stand or park 4whlrs to signal there driver along w some pit fans.

[Fast Wheels]

Cherokee has always been a dangerous place. The bleachers are too close to the track and the walls are too low. Remember when Gary Webb took down the catch fence there years ago? They at least did make the front outside wall higher down the front straight, but only 1/2 way.

Look at the video. The inner wall is only a couple feet high at best with all of the dirt piled up on it. It's a ramp.

[Mindwalker]

You take your chances every time you enter any speedway. No track is a guarantee for complete safety. Getting out of bed, same deal for that matter...

Some tracks are worse than others but there aint nothing like stranding in turn one at eldora when they are hammer down... You never know, things go bad fast anywhere.

Id rather go to my grave sliding in feet first saying what a helll of ride then not take the chances and sit in a bubble wrapped life of boredom. ✌

[ThebigE]

Eldora's catch fence on both outside and inside walls are 20 times more durable and much taller than this fence at Cherokee. Crazier things have happened I guess but I feel completely safe standing against the fence at the Big E.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Eldora's catch fence on both outside and inside walls are 20 times more durable and much taller than this fence at Cherokee. Crazier things have happened I guess but I feel completely safe standing against the fence at the Big E.As much as I’m not a fan of Tony Stewart the person, what he has done for Eldora, A+. The lighting, catch fence, all of it, definitely one of the safest tracks around period. Cherokee, nope.

[No_Weak_Links]

Eldora's catch fence on both outside and inside walls are 20 times more durable and much taller than this fence at Cherokee. Crazier things have happened I guess but I feel completely safe standing against the fence at the Big E.Not really fair to compare any dirt track to Eldora/Charlotte/Knoxville etc... most dirt tracks are not owned by muliti-millionaires with an unlimited budget. Most dirt tracks are owned or promoted by average people on a tight budget. I agree tracks need to do everything in their power to make the track as safe as possible, but there is no way the vast majority of tracks can keep their tracks as safe as these top tracks of our sport.

[CageFaraday]

Not really fair to compare any dirt track to Eldora/Charlotte/Knoxville etc... most dirt tracks are not owned by muliti-millionaires with an unlimited budget. Most dirt tracks are owned or promoted by average people on a tight budget. I agree tracks need to do everything in their power to make the track as safe as possible, but there is no way the vast majority of tracks can keep their tracks as safe as these top tracks of our sport.

Thank you for posting a reasonable response.

As to the guy who saw a couch nailed to a tree at Cherokee, that had to be 25+ years ago. My first visit to Cherokee was 1990, when it was still the "BIG" track(150mph+ down the straights) and no walls except on the front stretch.

Its the place your Mama warned you about, I think that sums it up nicely. Not 100% sure but I think the wall is actually taller than it appears in the video at that point where the accident occurred, possibly a optical illusion of some sort. First rule I was taught when I started racing was never turn your back on the track, anything can happen and often does. I'm all for safety, but comparing any track to Eldora isn't an apples to apples comparison. Could things be better? Sure. I hope everyone gets well quickly and that any improvement needed can be handled in short order.