What remains of Michael McDowell’s dramatic 2008 crash is on display at the new “Wrecks! Dramatic Crashes of NASCAR” exhibit.
Perhaps even more memorable than the amazing NASCAR wins are the fiery crashes that cause a driver’s teammates and fans to gasp like they’ve taken a collective punch to the gut. If you’re an avid stockcar racing follower, surely a wreck or two has just come to mind. Wonder whatever happened to the wreckage of a few of those cars? Well, you can find out with a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum.
Opened on October 12 and running through mid-February, the new Wrecks! Dramatic Crashes of NASCAR exhibit features what’s left of the vehicles involved in some of the most spectacular crashes in the history of stock-car racing, along with video footage of those potentially devastating moments. Fans also will learn about the safety innovations that resulted from studying each of those wrecks.
Featured are a total of 18 items including the original wrecked stock cars and other artifacts related to various NASCAR wrecks. Among them: Michael McDowell’s Toyota that hit the wall and flipped nine times down the tracks during qualifying at Texas in 2008, and Phil Parson’s Pontiac that barrel-rolled in a memorable crash at Talladega in 1983. Both men walked away from these accidents with minor injuries.
Be sure to take the lil’ tykes. Wrecks also features a kids’ play station filled with NASCAR Bashers, a new line of toy cars and haulers that do some way cool transformations. Wreck, rebuild and hit the toy tracks again. But seriously, dads – don’t Bogart all the Bashers. Let the kids play, too.
Which NASCAR wreck do you most remember? Post your thoughts on the E3 Facebook fan page.
