They tell the story around Ft. Worth that A. J. Foyt's Daddy encouraged his son's stock car racing because he feared the kid would kill himself in the family car. As the winner of the Daytona 500, Michael Waltrip, exulted near the winner's circle, mechanics and trauma workers began the involved task of getting the mortally injured Earnhardt out of his smashed car. It took all of ten minutes to cut through the roof to extract him, the car's doors being welded shut as a safety precaution. The inevitable question.
True fans deny vehemently that they go for the wrecks, only the art of it.
Now there is three abreast racing, lots of draft jockeying, and at one point Sunday a 19-car rolling pileup that sent one driver in with a concussion. That's not racing. Jarrett was one of those caught in the 19-car collision. It was a great show. To find a fundamental truth about stock and all the other modes of car racing, ask a fundamental question.