No matter your job or position at the race track, you NEED to be paying attention. I cannot recount how many times I have seen people get lost in their own head for a fraction of a second with often times painful results. In this case, the fact that the flagman had his head on a swivel meant that he lived and wasn’t bludgeoned to death by a fling wingless sprint car. Seriously. Look at the lead photo, our man is already seeking cover!
Charles Wickam tipped me off to this video, which was shot by a fixed camera at Ocean Speedway in California. The dirt oval was hosting the always exiting wingless sprint cars and as you will see here, it doesn’t take long for things to get wild. On the second laps of the race a couple of cars tangle on the exit of turn four. The resulting mess results in lots of cars trying to avoid getting collected up. One unidentified driver was unable to miss the pile and struck it in such a way to send his car vaulting end over end across the track. The car literally somersaults into the flag stand where the flagman is standing and bounces off the steel support structure, injuring no one. Here’s to hoping that the dude who built the stand has seen this. You’re a good welder!
It is the flagman’s job to pay attention and he was doing so, in spades. He had a bead on the offending car as it was coming and as it made the move toward him, he ducked back like a prize fighter avoiding a jab and the car came to rest with its tail resting on the bottom of the stand. Everyone was OK and this will stand as one of the closest calls ever caught on tape. The car smashed the camera for Pete’s sake!
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE ON OF THE CRAZIEST CLOSE CALLS EVER
