Bowman Injury The End of Cup Drivers On Dirt?

[Tireguy17]

He landed about the worst way possible in a sprint car, hard on all 4 wheels, but got a feeling we will see Cup drivers get their freedom pulled in some.

https://www.espn.com/racing/story/_/id/36296825/alex-bowman-miss-3-nascar-cup-races-fractured-vertebra

[Raceready]

Thats all right, Thats ok , Hendrick cars will win anyway ! !

[Pennsboro32]

Yeah it's not a good look by any means, I'm sure the Sunday crew will have plenty of negative things to say about it and dirt racing in general.

[weatherman85]

Meh, maybe. However, now with the waiver option, drivers don't have to truly compete in every race to have a shot at the championship. All Alex has to do is win one race and he will likely be in the playoffs still.

[Josh Bayko]

Chalk up yet another major injury to a sprint car. You have to be an idiot to get in one of those death traps.

[dirtcrazy4u]

If a late model flipped as hard as a sprint car I think the outcome could be worse.

[dirty-white-boy]

I dont think so. Sure its dangerous but so is flying airplanes which Mr H knows all too well about that as does Dale Jr. Racing is dangerous even cup cars, just ask Kurt Busch how that new car is. Chase was hurt snowboarding. Let these guys live and make them happy.

Even Kyle Busch is smiling this year since King Joe does not have his leash around his neck.

Ally was behind Bowman on the sprint car deal, they were on the car so they know the risks. Just look at the popularity of dirt racing in the past 3 years since Larson was suspended for a year. Many of those butts in the stands and the ones at home on Flo would not be there had he not been there. You will never convince me otherwise that he is almost solely for the increase in popularity in that time.

I seen highlights from him and Davenport at Bulls Gap on Sportscenter...on ESPN!! Why? Because it was Kyle Larson.

Nascar needs their drivers racing dirt when they are not driving on Sundays.

[DoubleZero]

Bowman's crash, while hardly unique, especially with sprint cars, illustrates an as-yet-to-be-addressed safety subject....the rigid mounting of all race car seats, in particular the actual seating area. When an air-borne car slams down to earth, upright, tremendous force is transferred directly to the driver....spinal column/leg area. There's no shock absorbing mechanism, other than the driver. It won't be an easy problem to solve, as the seat does need to be immovable.

[MRM]

Bowman's crash, while hardly unique, especially with sprint cars, illustrates an as-yet-to-be-addressed safety subject....the rigid mounting of all race car seats, in particular the actual seating area. When an air-borne car slams down to earth, upright, tremendous force is transferred directly to the driver....spinal column/leg area. There's no shock absorbing mechanism, other than the driver. It won't be an easy problem to solve, as the seat does need to be immovable.

Good points. I know a DLM driver that got onto 2 wheels and injured his back when they car violently sat back down on all four wheels. That energy went through the seat and into his back.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Good points. I know a DLM driver that got onto 2 wheels and injured his back when they car violently sat back down on all four wheels. That energy went through the seat and into his back.

And in your scenario, you get the benefit of the tires and suspension to damp the shock. When one lands upside down, all you have is the belt stretch.

[Mopar DLM]

I did see an article a couple months ago in Speedway Illustrated that showed a company that sells a device that you mount the seat to that helps cushion the shock to the spinal area. CASM safety products are the people that had them.

[intel8]

Racing a limited late model at Dubuque, I collided with another car sending me sideways off the backstretch (before they added the wall) Duke's of hazard style upon landing blowing out both left side tires (beadlock on RR only) and over it went, worst compression impact I ever experienced, think it shortened me up 2 inches, lol.....ugh!

[DoubleZero]

Ironically, back in the day when the passenger car 'bucket' seat was the standard, the spring mechanism of the seats was safer, with regard to hard landings, than the modern aluminum or composite seat. This idea could be a starting point.

[TS FAN]

I would rather have my driver racing DLM any day in lieu of sprints. I love to watch both, but injury is a lot more likely in a sprint car and its not even close IMO