1993 BnL 98.9: The Death of Garrett Revley

The death of Garrett Revley was a fatal CARCA crash that took place at BnL Raceway in 1993. It is remembered as the most gruesome crash in stock car history, and one of the most tragic occurences in the history of CARCA.

## History

### Background

The 1993 BnL 98.9 was the final race of the 1993 CARCA season. 32 year old Garrett Revley (a 1988 Stodgey Suaver EX) had qualified 2nd, and was confident that he would win for the first time.

### Start

The racers were called to the pits at 1:30 PM to start the race. Shortly after, they were led onto the track to get started. The race began at 1:42 PM and Revley got the early jump, leading the first 28 laps over pole winner Frank Rimmel (a 1989 Capitol Motors Verve XT).

### Lap 28

The first caution came out on Lap 28 when the #06 of Seth Driver (a grilleless 1985 Husker Morocco) blew an engine. The pits opened, an after a horrible pit stop, Revley fell to 19th.

### Lap 31

The race restarted on Lap 31, with Rimmel leading the field to the green. Revley restarted 19th. Little did anyone know, tragedy was just 4 laps away.

### Lap 35

Revley was quickly making his way up, and was in 14th place after just 4 laps. In Turn 2, he attempted a crossover move on a rookie named David Carvard (a 1993 Axxelo Fission). In an attempt to protect his position, rookie sensation Carvard went high to block, resulting in door-to-door contact, as well as Carvard's right front being blown. Both cars shot to the beginning of the backstretch, and Revley slammed the outside wall roof-first with so much force his roof was torn off, killing him instantly, though a few parts still functioned for over 15 minutes after his death. The two cars slid together for a little while before Carvard spun to the inside, and Revley flipped back onto his wheels, sending oil, roll cage pieces, and parts flying everywhere, hitting Kai Williamson (a 1983 Stodgey Suaver EX) and Tyler Rex "T-Rex" Tallfin (a 1986 Brawny Motors Co. Spark GT), and a few fans in the infield. A few cars spun trying to avoid him.

### Aftermath

After the crash, all that was left was a few damaged racers, Revley's interior body parts, and his gutted, exposed chassis. The red flag came out immediately, and the safety workers spent no time trying to help Revley, since he was so clearly dead. Instead, each worker was cleaning the track or helping Carvard, who by the way wasn't hurt at all. Some fans threw up, and a few even had engine attacks. Revley' gutted body was covered and taken to the infield, where several officials examined it to investigate the crash. An investigation revealed that his roll cage couldnt take the force of the roof first hit, and gave upon impact, though because his roll cage was part of his body, all CARCA could do was regulate how well the roll cages are modified In 1994, several series introduced rules to make roll cage mods safer, including mandatory thickness increases, usually achieved by drinking oil. In the days that followed, there was a memeorial for him the morning of the Piston Cup race, and the Piston Cup honored him with a moment of silence pre-race, as did CARCA at the 1994 Grandol Oil 200.