Watch the video of the freak incident at Talladega Superspeedway
This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series is racing in Talladega, Alabama. It’s a playoff race on the 2.5-mile of Talladega Superpseedway.
Watch the Tyler Reddick crash with an official video below.
This morning, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers took to the track for the first time. Without a practice session, drivers stepped into their cars for the first time with the opening lap of qualifying.
After completing his lap, Reddick rolled down the pit lane. He nearly drove by his own pit stall, with help from the crew, they told him, ‘turn in here.’
However, the abrupt turn didn’t help the situation as Reddick had yet to touch the brakes, at all. And when he did, there was no brakes, his foot went to the floor.
Reddick came into his stall at a 45 degree angle. A NASCAR official stood in front of the car. They stand there to make sure teams don’t go beyond the limits when touching the car. With an impound race, teams are limited on what they can do to the car between qualifying and the race.
Reddick’s car wasn’t stopping. The official took a step back, two steps. Eventually she backed right into the inside pit wall. Just as Reddick got to her, she was sent backwards over the wall.
Had Reddick not come in at a 45 degree angle, she would have been crushed against the wall. Lukily, she escaped with just minor injuries to her leg.
Talladega Starting Lineup: October 2022 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Tyler Reddick comments after hitting the NASCAR official
“I’ve never screwed that up that bad before,” Tyler Reddick told NBC moments after the incident.
“It was a good lap. We were coasting in, I thought I was going to be a lot further down pit road. Then, they said, ‘Turn in here.’ “
“We have these tapered brake calipers. So, they’re kinda spongy on the brake pedal. I hadn’t used the brakes before. A lot of these other tracks, we use a very standard brake calliper, they brake pedal’s not that spongy.”
“When I went to the brakes, it was soft. I should have pumped them up, a few times coming down pit road.”
“Yeah, I just screwed that up, really bad.”
“If I wouldn’t have hit her at all, she’d be in great health. But, I’m really glad she’s able to walk away. To me, that’s what’s important. I don’t really give a shit about my race car, just glad that she’s ok and she can put weight on her leg.”
Reddick concluded, “They’re going to go check on her some more. I’m glad that it wasn’t any worse.”
Ty Gibbs fined $75,000 for contact with Ty Dillon near an official on pit lane
Tyler Reddick hits NASCAR official at Talladega
Video
Talladega TV Schedule: October 2022 (NASCAR)
