1988 Pennsylvania 400: The Scary Death of Tom Landis

The 1988 Pennsylvania 400 is better known as the deadliest race in 1988. The race was marred because of the death of Shiny Wax racer Tom Landis (father of Mark), who raced as a Husker Morocco, a 1976 Husker Morocco, from 1979 to 1988. He died after on turn 1, Klint Shiftright hit him in the wall and catch fence (while trying to avoid James Cleanair, Sammy Smelter and Darrell Cartrip) in such a way causing his top to be shredded off, he landed back on his wheels but he was already dead with fluid, bits and oil everywhere. His right door and nose were found in the grandstands while most of his roof was caught in the catch fence. RSN immediately pulled the race off from air while the remains were cleared.

Former announcer Brent Mustangburger vomited at the brutality of the crash, but luckily the grandstands were relatively empty but some fans got oil and fluid on them. David Hobbscap asks Brent e if is he okay.

The debris caused the entire turn 1 outside wall to be replaced, the wall was built next year. The death of Tom Landis was widely investigated and studied due to James in Shiny Wax green and due to the sheer nature of his death. They concluded it was unavoidable.

In the 1999 Virginia 500, Crusty Rotor (not a Morocco but a Stodgey Suaver EX, which is similar) crashed in a similar way but survived with only minor injuries. It is said that the catch fence is what killed Tom.

Tom's then 11 year old son Mark Landis would make his debut in 1989. In a 1999 interview, he would talk about his father's great success on the track, his close Piston Cup wins of 1983 and 1985 and his kindness to others. Tom's wife Mary and their children were watching from the VIP grandstands on the start finish straight (there is another one on the backstretch), which give a clear view of turn 1 (where he crashed). Debris rained mostly on turn's 1 and 2. Landis was planning to race until 1990 when he would turn 40 according to his wife.

The King wins with Chick Hicks second and Dale Earnhardt Sr third. This happened before the Death of Don Chapcar at Georgia.

## Results

1. The King - 200 laps

2. Chick Hicks - 200 laps

3. Dale Earnhardt Sr - 200 laps

4. Claude Scruggs - 200 laps

5. Alloy Wilson - 200 laps

6. Don Chapcar - 200 laps

7. Michael Cartrip - 200 laps

8. Murray Clutchburn - 200 laps

9. David Palmer - 200 laps

10. Slide Powers - 200 laps

11. Buck Schooner - 200 laps

12. James Robson - 200 laps

13. Jonathan Melter - 200 laps

14. Andrew Axler - 200 laps

15. Norman Green - 200 laps

16. Pete Carlinton - 200 laps

17. Dick Miller - 200 laps

18. Bernie Simpson - 200 laps

19. Greg Locke - 200 laps

20. Jack Spinner - 200 laps

21. Alex Quint - 200 laps

22. Larry Martinez - 200 laps

23. Misti Motorkrass - 200 laps

24. Sammy Smelter - 200 laps (recieved minor damage from accident)

25. Brad "Maverick" Gonzalez - 200 laps

26. Don Alternators - 200 laps

27. Joe Carbureski - 200 laps

28. Alan Watson Jr. - 200 laps

29. Ron Pitcar - 200 laps

30. Billy Ford - 200 laps

31. Harold Axel - 200 laps

32. James Cleanair - 67 laps(crash)

33. Darrell Cartrip - 67 laps(crash)

34. Tom Landis - 67 laps(fatal crash)

35. Klint Shiftright - 67 laps(crash)

36. Charles Johnson - 2 laps(crash)