SPARTA, Kentucky — For the second race in a row, NASCAR saw one of their events end with one of their vehicles in the catchfence.
In the delayed Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this past Monday morning, contact between Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick just before the start-finish line ignited a multi-car accident which saw Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet sail into the air, launch over two lanes of cars and connect with the frontstretch catchfence, bottom-side first, destroying it.
On Thursday night, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ben Kennedy’s truck lifted off the ground after crashing with David Gilliland and John Wes Townley five laps from the finish in the UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway.
Kennedy, in the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota, was sent towards the wall after contact with Townley, which sent Kennedy’s Toyota to the top of the SAFER barrier and into the Turn 1 catchfence. After damaging the fence, Kennedy rode the SAFER barrier through Turns 1 and 2, while the front-end of his truck dragged the tracks’ surface before coming to a rest at the top of Turn 2.
Kennedy gingerly climbed from his mangled truck and took the mandatory trip to the infield care center, where he was soon evaluated and released.
“I heard clear on the radio so I moved up to the wall and as I went to the wall,” said Kennedy, who finished 16th even with the crash. “I guess Gilliland had a run on the outside and pretty much hit me in the right rear. Went up, guess I was on top of the wall and I remember being on top of the wall for a quite some time.
“You didn’t really see much; you just saw a bunch of dust and debris flying and then I came down. The ride from the wall to the ground was pretty hard but, I’m okay. Thank god for everything that NASCAR has done to keep this sport safe. Just for me to get out of my car on my own power after a hit like that is pretty incredible.”
After collecting his thoughts and acknowledging to his team that it was a hard hit, the great-grandson of NASCAR’s founder Bill France Sr., said it was one of the scariest moments in his career.
“Yea, because you don’t really know what’s going on,” said Kennedy. “You don’t really know what to expect. I don’t know, I just remember hitting the wall and being along for a wild ride. You don’t know if someone hit you or what’s gonna happen.”
With two poles damaged, NASCAR estimated the repairs to take a minimum of 90 minutes and with the event approaching the end of its television window, the race was declared official, giving Matt Crafton his fourth victory of 2015.
NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp also said that a review of the SAFER barrier will take place with the track to meet compliance and is expected to be ready for activities at the facility on
Friday.
Like Daytona, Kennedy’s truck will head back to NASCAR’s R&D center in Concord, North Carolina for post-crash analysis.
Thursday night’s accident was a rude awakening that you don’t’ need restrictor plate racing to send vehicles airborne, let enough provide enough energy to rip apart the catchfence.
While Thursday’s incident was toned down immensely, especially since no race fans in the vicinity, the crash keeps the sport in the spotlight and provides yet another tough reminder that auto racing is a dangerous sport and never, ever can be taken for granted.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
