Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990 TAG: 9004080110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: BRISTOL, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
Waltrip is still alive.
In one of the most terrifying accidents many racing observers said they had seen, Waltrip shattered his Pontiac like a piece of china on the edge of the wall at the crossover gate coming out of turn two Saturday at Bristol International Raceway.
Then he walked away from it.
Pieces of the car went everywhere after it sliced through the steel gate at about 100 miles per hour and hit the edge of the concrete wall head-on.
Shards of frame and sheet metal skidded across the track to the entrance of pit row on the backstretch. A smoking tire remained impaled on the corner of the wall like a blackened marshmallow on a spit.
A Bristol GN-record audience of 34,200 became as silent as the crowd around the 18th green at the Masters golf tournament.
"I was the first one there, I guess," Ottinger said. "It looked like an Indy-car wreck. I thought he was killed."
Within minutes, Waltrip crawled out of the mangled cage, took a few steps and sat down gingerly on the awaiting stretcher.
After a preliminary examination at the infield medical center, Waltrip was flown to a Bristol hospital for further examination. He was reported to have nothing more severe than bumps and bruises and some scratches.
If cleared by doctors, the Owensboro, Ky., driver will drive for as long as he can in today's Valleydale Meats 500 Winston Cup race. Larry Pearson will be the backup in Waltrip's Pontiac.
One of those who rushed to the scene of the crash was Waltrip's brother, Darrell.
"A couple of angels had just evacuated the area when I got there," he said.
The term "miracle" was uttered frequently.
Bud Moore, Morgan Shepherd's crew chief and a man who has been in racing 43 years, was among many who said they'd never seen a crash like that.
"I've never seen a car tore up that bad and the driver get up and walk away from it," he said.
"Unbelievable," said Dale Earnhardt, who finished fifth.
"Those people who don't believe in the good Lord can just look at that," said Richard Childress, Earnhardt's car owner.
The 27-year-old Waltrip, 6 feet 5, 220 pounds, was grinning and giving the thumbs-up sign before he left the infield medical center, said Earnhardt, who visited him there. Waltrip waved to fans while going up in the helicopter.
Tom Cotter, public relations director for Country Time Racing, which sponsors Waltrip's Pontiac, said one of the first things Waltrip did was call his parents from the hospital.
"Dad, I'm in pretty good shape considering what I just went through," Waltrip was reported to have said. "I don't remember if there was a roof on the car when I got out [there wasn't]. . . . I looked in front of me and there wasn't a motor."
At Bristol Regional Medical Center, CAT scans and X-rays were negative. Dr. Tom Kitts ordered Waltrip kept overnight. He was to be examined between 10-10:30 p.m. Saturday and early this morning before being cleared to race today.
Cotter said if Waltrip felt as he did late Saturday afternoon, he would go the distance.
Ottinger led virtually all the way in winning his first Grand National race of the season. The 51-year-old Newport, Tenn., leadfoot led 105 of the last 106 laps, fighting off Dale Jarrett in the latter stages.
Jarrett grabbed the lead twice, the first time on the 144th lap and the second on the 237th, but couldn't hold fast.
"Like I said, everything worked pretty good, the car was strong and I feel like there at the end there I was a little bit stronger, but L.D. thought different," Jarrett said.
\ LUGNUTS: Ernie Irvan, in just his third start with the Morgan-McClure racing team, put his Oldsmobile Cutlass on the pole for today's Valleydale Meats 500 Winston Cup race. Irvan turned the high-banked, half-mile oval at an average speed of 116.157 mph to win his first pole position in 65 tries. Irvan's best finish in four races at Bristol is 15th, but he led the race last year before leaving after an accident.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press. Complete Valleydale Meats 500 lineup in Scoreboard. B14
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB