Mark our words. By the end of this story you’re going to want to punch a guy named Tommy Lathan right in the yam bag for doing one of the worst things we have heard of anyone doing at a race track. Were not just talking about a stock car track, we’re talking race track period. This whole scene went down about a week ago at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana but we have been so back logged with content we weren’t able to share this with you until now.
Lathan was participating in a night of racing at the speedway. According to reports, he raced early in the evening and was slated to race later on that night. In the time between the races, Lathan drank in the pits and he drank enough that his driving was impaired to the point that he was given a black flag during that second race. After getting the flag and leaving the course, the race continued until an allegedly drunk Lathan came screaming back out on the course and smashed into another racer who he must have blamed for being flagged or for some other injustice in his life. Neither of the drivers were injured in the crash, but it was a big mess on the track. The police were either tipped off to Lathan’s condition or they experienced it for themselves because it didn’t take them long to discern what was happening, arrest the guy and charge him with one count of operating while intoxicated, one count of criminal recklessness, and one count of intimidation. As if the drunk driving wasn’t enough, the other two felonies could be decent jail time for the guy if the other party wants to make the charges stick.
There’s alcohol readily available at most race tracks, whether it is sold there or simply in the pits. Tracks that sell alcohol have some pretty strict safeguards in place to prevent situations like this one from happening. Racers being racers, I don’t think I have ever so much as even heard anyone joking about drinking during an event. It is like the ultimate rule that shouldn’t have to be even stated aloud. We seriously hope that this guy is not allowed at any speedway in the future. This is permanent ban from the sport kind of stuff in our eyes.
There is one intrinsic thing you have to be able to bank on in racing and that is the fact that the guy in the other lane is of sound mind and body and free from any impairments. He may not be as good a driver as you, but that’s NOT because he’s chugged a case of beer between rounds. Simply put, there’s bad and then there’s what Lathan did. Driving in the race drunk is one thing, reentering the course after you have been thrown out to purposely cause a wreck is 1000x worse.
Think he’ll have a Dale Jr. poster on the wall of his cell?
click here to read more about this bizarre story
This guy was an ass, no question. Now how about you do a story on Jaguars first win at the 24 hours of le Mans?
The Jag driver qualified, then was disqualified for some reason. So he left the track, went to town, and tied one on. Then the officials came back and allowed the car to run. So Jag drug the guy back to the track and put him in the car, plastered. He drove, and every pit stop he’d make, they’d give him coffee. Finally he said to stop because it was making him jittery. So from then on, every pit stop they gave him brandy. He won the 24 hours of le Mans drunk.
I don’t condone it, but this is not the first case I’ve seen of this, and it won’t be the last. I could name a lot of racers from back in the ’60’s and ’70’s who were racing either drunk or stoned out of their minds….
I was t b e one he hit junked my car bills the track don’t pay
What never ceases to amaze me, is, and I’ve seen it first hand several times, the guys competing won’t even look at a beer during the event …. after the race ends, they’ll sit around the pits getting $h1t faced and then drive home …. at least in the hot rod at the track they have safety equipment and first responders on hand ….
Drink all you want, just don’t drive afterwards!
Did he hit the dryer truck?
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
^^^ this guy is awesome
This ” IDIOT ” deserves nothing less than a ” LIFETIME BAN ” from any sanctioned event , as well as being ” BARRED ” from any track holding such an event . ! He just might try to retalliate in anther manner – – – – Somebody could end up ” toes- up ” Greenie – – – grow up .
” anther ” ? ? ? what ! ! !
spellcheck please :-
Anderson Speedway is about 4 miles away. On certain nights I can hear it. Last time I was there, police were there. For crowd control or what I don’t know, just saw some there. And the beer stand is in turn 2, opposite end from the pits, if that means anything.
The picture above is from turn 1. Where I used to sit for the Little 500, 33 non-wing sprints on a 1/4 mile high bank. Great race, but quit going because of the drunks.
I seen it happen about 5 years ago at a local drag strip.It is very family friendly and this was a low key Mopar event. A guy pulls up to the line and the starter opens his door and starts screaming at him.They then announce that it is against the rules to chug a beer right before you run. This was 9am.Some people are just IDIOTS!!!!
Sure he was an ass for coming back on track and wreaking the guy. I can’t comment about the initial racing while drunk because I don’t know how intoxicated he was (2 beers ain’t drunk), but if he was bad enough that he had to be black flagged, then yeah, he shouldn’t have done that either. I’m not defending his actions whatsoever. What I disagree with is his getting a DUI on private property. If the track wants to fine him or kick him out, fine, but he shouldn’t be able to be charged with a DUI on private property. If I want to have a few beers and go spin some donuts in my fields (not commenting on the intelligence of it), I shouldn’t have to worry about blowing into a breathalyzer or lose my license. Maybe the cops should have written him a speeding ticket too.
Brings new meaning to Harvey Wallbanger.
I have no respect for drunk drivers!!! One of them killed my friends sister!!!