As much as we loathe the modern iteration what a racing “stock car” is, they are a vastly improved piece, on the safety front than their older brothers. Proof of this comes in the form of the video below. It features a scary wreck involving Johnny Allen at the 1962 Southern 500 held at Darlington Raceway. While the roof holds up to the impact, it is the gas tank that fails the car and nearly kills Allen after all the crashin’ is done with.
It was Glen “Fireball” Roberts death after suffering burns that led his best pal Smokey Yunick to develop what we now know as the racing “fuel cell”. This type of upside-down action in a modern car is a bit annoying for the driver, but poses no risk that his car will immediately burst into flames and effectively become a Pontiac Easy-Bake Oven.
On another note, check the bad ass Ford tow truck that pull the burned out hulk of a Poncho off the track and back to the pits…upside down!
