Ugly Wreck Mars Legends Race
RacinToday.com
A scary crash in a race for retired NASCAR drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon resulted in unspecified injuries to Larry Pearson and Charlie Glotzbach.
Both were knocked unconscious in the crash and were transported to a hospital.
Pearson and Glotzbach were injured when Glotzbach’s car slammed into the driver-side door of Pearson’s car as Pearson slid across the track in the second turn near the end of the 35-lap exhibition race. Pearson’s car appeared to have a rear-tire problem, causing it to slide up the track, hit the outside wall and drop down off the banking.
Several seconds passed before Glotzbach drove into the area and hit Pearson at near full-force.
Pearson, a two-time Nationwide Series champion, is 56 years old. Glotzbach, who won 12 Sprint Cup races and raced at the front so often I the 1960s and 1970s he picked up the nickname “Chargin’ Charlie,” is 71.
Pearson is the son of three-time Sprint Cup champion David Pearson, who also was participating in the race. The younger Pearson was removed from his car and placed on a stretcher after safety crews cut portions of the roof from the car. He talked with his younger brothers, Eddie and Ricky, before being airlifted to an area hospital.
David Peason withdrew from the race after the crash.
Glotzbach, who also was taken to the hospital, was helped from his car and walked with assistance to an ambulance while wearing an oxygen mask.
Pearson, it was announced later, sustained fractures to his lower left ankle, pelvis and right hand during a frightening crash Saturday in a legends race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Rick Wilson, a driver whose major claim to fame was being chosen to replace Richard Petty in the Petty Enterprises car after Petty retired, won the race over Phil Parsons and L.D. Ottinger after a lengthy red flag for the Pearson-Glotzbach accident.
The drivers raced in Late Model cars from the United Speed Alliance Racing tour.
10 Comments
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…I hope that Nascar will pay for all of Mr Pearson injury costs, that was dangerous thing and I hope they pay for the cost of his injuries . Nascar should pay for his injuries that he got racing in a NASCAR race and I bet the cost of the injury to Mr Pearson will be a lot and thes Nascar men are on fixed income and the cost for NASCAR injuries should be paid for , the cost is high for injuries .
I truly believe if these guys had been in the COT instead of Late Models, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I guess it’s too much trouble/expense for the teams and tracks of today to spare a couple of show cars/test cars/whatever for the Legends of the sport. How sad. I hope the track or Scotts picks up the bill for all of the costs of this accident to Larry Pearson.
[...] Racin' Today » Ugly Wreck Mars Legends Race [...]
What is up with Nascar lately? Are the people making the decisions drunk? You take cars going 120 driven by 70 year old drivers with no head restraints for the drivers, not even full face helmets, and are surprised a wreck like this happened? HELLO!
Glotzbach wasn’t unconscious.
Idiots.
Yeah, actually Glotzbach was unconscious. They said it during the broadcast. Idiot.
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Finally racing with some character. Sure these legends have lost something in age, but they are what Nascar needs. I’ve watched Nascar since I was able to sit upright.It has become almost unwatchable the past five yrs.Changing track layouts to cars.Nascar should really change the SC…stock car…from its name. Its becoming more and more european. These Legends are real men that love to do what made this sport what was good .So there was a wreck…uh that’s what most people watch racing for.I would like to see them race every other weekend and let the cup cry babies stay in the infields , or better yet make them pit for them, they would learn something….I know many won’t like this so let me just say, if you don’t like what I say then your part of them problem cause I’m rightand Great. Love, Wynn
These guys were running at the same speeds that had been run earlier by the Nationwide Series. The announcers thought that was great and played it up big time.
All of thess drivers were great in their day -but 115 MPH at Bristol with 70 year old men is a disaster waiting to happen.
I hope the geniuses who have put a once great sport in a downward spiral, (tons of empty seats for the Nationwide) will not risk this type of circus act again!