Larry Pearson bad wreck at Bristol in the Legends race with Slow Mo replay

[Saikano2012]

I missed this race, because I didn't know about it. I am still pissed about missing it. -_-

[sneezabonk]

I hope this answers the questions for the people who were wondering why they dont do these races regularly

[samothsamothsamoth]

He, Morgan Shepherd is 70 years old and a regular in Nationwide Cup. Red Farmer is 74 and drove sometimes Arcar, James Hylton drove since 2 or 3 years regulary with 77 years Arcar. Many sprint cars driver in their seventies are competetive. Google and you will see...

[lakelandchief]

Do you have the full race?

[erasetoimprove]

anybody notice that the green light was still on just prior to impact? One would wonder if this wreck could have been prevented by throwing the caution faster. We've seen yellows in Cup racing within the first second of a wreck occurring.

[jws381]

I was there. I've never seen a safety crew cut a car open so fast. I knew it was bad when the whole safety crew rushed to Pearson's car and ignored the car on fire just down the track.

[BJC20199]

another reason why old people shouldn't drive.

[48crazyhorse48]

just watched trackside and he still cant walk.

[jeffgordonfan071697]

LOL

Marty Reed: I'm tellin you what we are havin so much fun here.

5 sec. later BOOM!!! He gets T-Boned

Very scary accident though glad to here they were okay :)

[Miracleman1986]

I think if they want to do a legends race again DO NOT use Hooters pro cup cars ill be honest there not the safest thing out there. They should use the cup/ nationwide chassis but older cars limit there horsepower to about 60%. Know remember the COTS have that steel plate in between the roll cage and the door skin it'd be alot safer to do something like that but dont get rid of it just run anything but hooters pro cup cars!

[minonkracer]

whos bright idea was it to have old people race. dangerous

[tekwar2001]

@minonkracer I witnessed a 74 year old man win two races at North Wilkesboro at Tri-County Motor Speedways earlier this year...they're out there. Red Farmer still races around from what I understand.

UARA Late Model cars just aren't as durable as cup cars on big tracks..

[Number10pen]

that was more than a t-bone a LOT more

[CourtyardPigeon]

I think those guys were jumping up and down because Charlie's car was on fire

[CourtyardPigeon]

I hope that I'm as fit as David Pearson when I'm 75...holy shit...guy looks like he's 50

[wildfast88]

i saw that wreck live and it scared me.....i thought he was dead!

[DrDcat]

when they were waving the emergency guys I was broke down

[18sux29rox]

this was cfor charity and nothing else ..........this didnt have to happen.

[coldwarrior7992]

Excellent job with the video. My wife and I were there, and saw it happen in person. It definitely was the worst wreck I have seen at the track. The sound...even wearing hearing protection...was something I'll never forget.

[crossfire043]

My stomach curls every time I see this wreck...my heart goes out to the entire Pearson and Glotzbach families

[mtu714]

@darnitLC it wasnt a nascar sanctioned event

[darnitLC]

Why would the safer cars not be used for the older drivers too? Good job nascar derrrr

[EastCarolina17]

@darnitLC this wasn't a NASCAR sanctioned event. derrrr

[EaAddict360]

not a NASCAR sanctioned race. nd these things are usually safe, if you don get somebody t-boned in the side

[vatrpr]

Not a Nascar sanctioned event...that's why.

[poormanctr]

i thought i witnessed a death to i was bout to start crying. i have pics and stuff of this. glad he is ok. BUt im just trying to figure why everyone is showing he same espn2hd footage.

[horsefly24]

Saw this in person, and let me saw when the commentators talk about the bubble bursting on the fun, that couldnt be more correct. everyone in the stands had the same reaction and were speechless as they even brought out a tarp as they removed the roof of the car

[LinkMan20]

@horsefly24 I can second this. I was there too, on the front stretch. You could just tell he was going to get plowed but all you could do is watch

[slinginguitarman]

j glotzbach,thanks for the update,hope all goes well,i dont think people who make negative comments really understand just how little reaction time you have in deals like this,and its even a smaller window at bristol.

[TheLastComa]

You can see me in the background! Awful wreck, i'm glad he made it out alright, thoughtI had witnessed a death.

[nawitus]

Yanks can't even drive in a circle..

[AMPLIGHTNING]

@nawitus they are 70+ years old there legends the responses are slower

[packers96worldchamps]

larry taught me drivers ed and he's a really nice guy

[baweery]

owned

[ncrxgrt]

Poor Charlie and Larry. My stomach sunk when I saw this on Saturday. What angers me is that I had to come here to find out Charlie's condition.  The only one any news updates is Larry. Kinda messed up how because he's a Pearson he gets more attention then Glotzbach. The fact is, it wasn't good for either drivers and both deserve to be treated with equal concern. Larry Pearson, Charlie Glotzbach, you two have huge balls.

[nadiaboo1]

@ncrxgrt The whole bunch of them have big cajonés!

[JGlotzbach10]

Charlie has a broken sternum, a broken bone in his back and punctured lung. Keep him in your thoughts as he heals up.

[yoitsjoesmoe]

Thank god Larry was not killed in this incident.

Hope for a speedy recovery.

[geoquin4]

For those too dumb to figure it out, a fracture IS a break! Secondly, they did have spotters; however, Larry's car came down the track VERY quickly giving Glausback no where to go. Thirdly, they average around 120mph, but it's still not a speed to laugh about. Do the math, 3500lbs at 120mph and that's still a lot of force. If Glausback had hit Pearson just a few inches back instead of where it was, we'd have seen a fatality here.

[NBAfanDallas]

You're right, if he had hit him a few centimetres more higher, he would have been hit in his side or shoulder or something like that, close to the heart and stuff. That's why I say it's logic that he has an ankle fracture. After all, very bad wreck, hope he recovers soon!

[cookieacdc24]

man that was scary when that car came and jsut nailed him

[FancyGapClawhammer]

Gosh dangit! Me and my dad were waiting to see Mr. September win again!

This was a terrible wreck. Thank God they're both okay.

[6325bbc]

poor guy

[chriswinsagain]

Thanks for posting this video. And so quick too. I was hoping to see it. I'm so glad everyone will end up being ok it seems

[X13uLLD0GX]

damn they should of had spotters, or did they have spotters??

[MortifiedPenguin275]

@X13uLLD0GX Yes, they did have spotters.

[sideswipecp88]

omg big hit hope he recovers

[BigBob8824]

Larry was involved in a violent turn 2 crash with Charlie Glotzbach on March 20, 2010 during a Legends race at Bristol Motor Speedway, knocking him unconscious. Larry Pearson regained consciousness before he was lifted out of the car on a backboard and transported by ambulance to a waiting helicopter that transported him to Bristol Regional Medical Center. Pearson suffered a fractured pelvis, fractured right hand, and compound fracture to his left ankle, and will undergo surgery Saturday night.

[bad90990]

Ok this crash pisses me of really bad!! First off why do we have these old guys in any kind of freaking race car? Especially crap cars like these. I understand why Nascar did not sanction something like this. Thank God that no one was killed during this crap. Bristol Motor Speedway needs a wake up call. Putting 70 year old drivers in crap cars like Hooters pro cup cars at the worlds fastest half mile is insane!! Maybe next time someone will die, then they will realize, this is a bad idea!

[Spyker88]

@bad90990 Thats a very arrogant comment considering there are still drivers that age still driving and still competitive. These particular "old guys" were invited and didn't have to come, but they did and there they were doing what they loved. Also in case you haven't noticed, they have raced like this for most of their career so its not as if they have never had this before. Just because they aren't young pretty boys doesn't mean they can't drive.

[ajohnson2u]

@bad90990 I agree with you. I feel bad for both these drivers. I am glad they are alright. But to ask a 70 year old man, even one in his 60's, to drive a racecar is absurd. For those who defend them, remember this next time you are on the roads you drive every day.........there is a huge reason these older people drive as slow as they do......their reaction times are minimal at best. So, when you scream at them to get out of your way, remember why this accident happened.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u they WANTED to race. They weren't FORCED to. I was glad to see these guys racing, and I hope they get "asked" to race many more times. They probably rather die in a race car than from cancer or a heart attack in bed anyway.

[ajohnson2u]

@erasetoimprove Wanting to and being forced to does not matter and is NOT the issue. These older guys do NOT belong in a race car. They put OTHER peoples lives at risk, not just their own you moron. If you have a death wish and want to do it in a car, are you going to go speeding down the highway with other people out there? You're already braindead.....what's the point in arguing with you?

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u these are the drivers that made NASCAR what it is. As far as I'm concerned, they should be allowed to race in whatever kind of race and car they want to be. I'm not braindead, I just think nobody should be able to stop somebody from racing just because of their age. They passed full physicals including tests on vision and hearing before they even got into this race. They were and still are healthy enough to race. Anybody at a track automatically puts their life in danger just by

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u just by being at the track. If you want to be 100% safe, don't go to a race track as a fan or a driver. Every long time fan understands this. Anyway, this wreck didn't happen because of age. I've seen the young guns do this same exact thing at Bristol and many other tracks many times before.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u Every time you set foot into a race track even if you are in the stands, your life IS IN DANGER. Only a true braindead person wouldn't understand that. There's no point in arguing people putting other people's lives in danger at a race track, because the safety is only as good as the track produces... no matter what the drivers do. If Larry Pearson's tire ended up in the stands killing somebody, would you blame it on their age? Nope... that's just the risk u take by going to a race.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u and that's why simply by purchasing a ticket to a race, you are automatically signing a disclaimer (at 99.9% of all tracks it is this way). Because there is no way to fully protect the fans 100%, at every track in every series debris hits people here and there.... sometimes people get killed. It's a fact of racing. This is also why it is virtually impossible to sue a race track for somebody being hurt or killed in the stands... your purchase = your signature whether u know it or not.

[ajohnson2u]

@erasetoimprove Look. I am not taking away what these men did for the sport of racing. I am not saying they don't have skills and experience. What I am saying they don't have what they had 20 years earlier in life is REACTION TIME. You magnify every risk these drivers take on the track exponentially due to their inability to react at extremely high speeds, therefore creating much higher risks for crashes whether on the track or in the pits.

[ajohnson2u]

@erasetoimprove So, saying that dying at the track is just a fact of life is a retarded statement. People go to these races to see an exciting race, yes. I do as well. But to say that if someone gets killed because of a 70 year old man racing at 180+mph is only accepting the same risks as going to a regular NASCAR event is just absurd. There are risks, yes. But you don't see 14 year olds driving on that track for the same reason a 70 year old shouldn't. Not lack of skills. Lack of reaction time.

[ajohnson2u]

@erasetoimprove You don't put these 'old men' in these extremely fast cars just because of what they did for the sport and because you respect them. Thats what the new Hall Of Fame is for.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u if they wanted to race, let em. You don't BLOCK "old men" from racing just because they're old.

[ajohnson2u]

@erasetoimprove Thats exactly why you block them. You're not very intelligent are you? I understand you like the excitement, but you are definitely too immature to understand the compounded dangers behind something like this. I'm not debating this with you any more as all your responses sound like they are coming from an eight year old.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u everyone involved was well aware of the compounded dangers, which I might add are no where near to the extent these same drivers faced every race of their careers before the days of the safety to the extent there is today. Personally, I find racing a 2010 Late Model at a track that has SAFER Barriers to be much more safe than racing a 70s Cup car at tracks that used concrete and guard rails. Half of those drivers still race at local tracks weekly, anyway... in cars half as safe.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u and I'm definitely not immature, it is not that I don't understand your point of view... I just don't see any point in keeping race car drivers that have no pre-existing conditions that would inhibit their abilities to race safely from racing. There should be no required retirement age, as it seems you suggest. And frankly, I think there is enough safety in racing all-around... and I'm tired of hearing people whine about what's safe and what isn't. It's RACING, it will never be SAFE.

[erasetoimprove]

@ajohnson2u but with that said, I definitely would feel a lot safer going 200MPH in a NASCAR Cup car than I do driving 60MPH on the highway. At least I wouldn't have to worry about all the idiots that don't know how to drive.

[BRO1Productions]

@erasetoimprove Me too.

[10secondfunnys]

had he been wearing proper safety gear such as gloves and full face helmet. the injureies likely would not have been so severe. but im not blaming larry for not wearing the equipment

[allebachcj]

Did they have spotters!? If they did not, that's just plain dumb! Charlie had plenty of time to slow before that impact. I would be shocked if there were no spotters, especially at Bristol my God!

[bad90990]

@allebachcj I bet they did not have spotters. Maybe next time they will let them race with no helmets, then someone can get killed. Bristol Motor Speedway sanctioned this crap event, it really has me fired up.

[plowboytx1]

@bad90990 - Everytime a driver straps themself in a car to race, weather they are 16 years old or 70 years old they know the risk. Nobody forced these guys to do this race, they were invitied. The majority, if not all of them were having a freakin blast up until that point. Great idea Bristol! maybe some of the things could be changed, but it was great to see these heroes of Nascars past. Just a shame it came with an expense, but that happens sometimes. its called RACING.

[plowboytx1]

@bad90990 - Iobviously your either a band wagon Nascar fan or these guys were racing way before you were even a twinkle in your mother's eyes! This kind of stuff was common back then to these drivers. The drivers we got today are a bunch of pansies compared to these older fellas we had back then! These drivers drove in an era when NASCAR was REAL! and not all of this hollywood, pretty boy, bullcrap we got today. That's when racing was a risk, when drivers thought twice about wrecking somebody!

[BobDylanFan1966]

i dident see no neckbrace and i love seein the old fellas race but u have to look the guy are over 50 60 70 years and they need protection and nascar shouldve put tht in affect i hope they consider tht next year so it can be safe for them and fun 4 them and us but nice sein them race again

[BobDylanFan1966]

well when i saw harry gant b4 the race i saw him wearing the old time helmets which was cool and there old number and sponsers and when i saw this race i said to myslef are those helmets dangerous to wear they took those away after dale sr r.i.p and

[kirk1580]

i was wright at the corner wear he hit i saw him bleeding

[DiggityDave83]

Congrats to Rick Wilson on the victory! But this really took the joy out of it.

[poormanctr]

everybody knows a fracture is still a type of break. the point to the matter is he is alive and ok. quit btiching about the difference between the two. and why would you need surgery for a fracture. think about it. SMARTIE

[kernelcinema]

While many people believe that a fracture is a "hairline break," or a certain type of broken bone, this is not true. A fracture and a broken bone are the same thing!

Both of these words mean that the normal bone architecture has been disrupted.

[mrmeaty248]

My heart just sank when I was watching this live. And I've never felt such a feeling while watching a NASCAR (or NASCAR related event).

[imoon001]

thanks for posting the video..heard about it today and wanted to see it..

[CnyAutofreak]

i could not believe the impact Larry Pearson took, the close up (btw excellent job with that) was scary to watch. thank god he's somewhat ok. hope all goes well for him.

[jdb80004]

The ankle was a compound fracture....which means the skin was ruptured clear to the bones, allowing dirt etc into the wound - so, a pretty bad break in the ankle. I too thought that he was killed.....so very glad he was alive and awake, and the other driver too. I hope and pray for a full recovery for both drivers.

[blalock78]

broken left ankle, broken right hand, and broken pelvis last I heard. I was watching with my dad and we were just stunned. Get well soon guys!

[OhSoGood24]

I'm honestly not sure if having spotters there would have done much. Things happen so damn fast at Bristol. Larry has a compound fracture of his left ankle which he undergoing surgery for tonight, a fracture pelvis, and fractured right hand.

[TheMan44217]

For everyone who is saying he had BROKEN bones, they where fractures. He suffered a fractured Pelvis bone, fractured ankle bone, and fractured wrist. No broken bones, luckily.

[Vroomanite]

@TheMan44217

Broken bones are fractures...

[RHardin15]

lol. Do you know that when someone says "Broken" bone, that it is the same thing as "Fractured" bones? One is a medical term, the other just a common term.

Either way, it's the same thing. I pray the best for both drivers involved. I agree that better safety features should be utilized in this event, but remember that it is an event not affiliated with NASCAR, so it's not their fault.

[TheGoodBookBible]

@TheMan44217 It's the same thing.

[ADoyle88]

@TheMan44217 Go google fractured femur or any other fractured bone for that matter. A fracture is a break...

[mnshurricane]

@TheMan44217 You do know a fracture is a break, right?

[bobster124]

its harder for a fracture to heal also

[shawnlocke]

@TheMan44217

please explain to me what the difference is between a fractured/broken bone...so I can then explain to you how there really is no difference

[rkteen619]

@TheMan44217 fractures are small breaks so yes they were broken and that is not what you should be worried about

[poormanctr]

i was there live aswell. kulwicki terrace in turn two. and that impact was so loud. im glad he is ok. that was a terrible hit. he is in for surgery right now. hope that goes well for him. shocked that all he got was a fractured foot wrist and broken pelvic bone.

[GDPargentinean]

OMG what a terrible crash!!! And at Bristol!!!

That has to be about 100MPH crash!

I hope Larry would be OK. That was a very scary moment...

[littlefire1998]

more like 180!

[SpeedDemon88X]

@littlefire1998 Yea, right...if he was going 180 he would have been dead. At Bristol they reach speeds of about 130-140....and I doubt they were even going that fast.

[aceofdaplace24]

about 125 or so..ave lap was 122 early in the race...about 118 late

[themanwiththeM4]

i was sitting in turn 1 staring right at this when it all went down. thoughts and prayers yall.

[bad90990]

@themanwiththeM4 you should have jumped out of the stands and beat the crap out of anyone who thought this race was a good idea to begin with.

[plowboytx1]

@bad90990 - your an idiot! These drivers were having a blast up to that point. So are you saying there should be an age limit on drivers? Tell that to Mark Martin, Morgan Shephard, or any of the older fellas that are still racing, and I would be sure they would tell you to go F*&& yourself and would probably beat the crap out of you. Bad crash, feel bad for their injuries, and thankful nobody lost their lives in this crash. That has nothing to do with the car or the age of these drivers.

[Random9Vids]

He suffering a broken lower left ankle, right hand and pelvis.

[TheMan44217]

@Random9Vids

Actually they where all fractures.

[Random9Vids]

He suffering a broken lower left ankle, right hand and pelvis

[Random9Vids]

He suffering a broken lower left ankle, right hand and pelvis

[kyleheartdrum]

i was about 25 seats up on turn 2, right in front of this crash, it was pretty brutal. Pearson is in surgery tonight

[miamifan03]

that just made me cringe. I'm shocked NASCAR didn't use any saftey measures for this race. Why are they so concerned with drivers today and not these guys?? Hope he'll make a full recovery. :(

[SuperLauren1988]

This wasn't a NASCAR-sanctioned race

[miamifan03]

ok. thanks for clearing that up!!

[Temiree]

Pearson has a compound fracture of lower left ankle, fractured pelvis, and a fractured right hand. His ankle is going to have surgery tonight. Glotzback is in good condition.

[budjeepman]

bet thats the last old timers race we see at Bristol

[tr0uble192]

The last thing we all wanted was for him to be hit when he came down the track.

[Octang1]

That was scary.. I am glad to hear he is OK.

[RacingRulz]

Larry Pearson has a broken lower left ankle, fractured pelvis and fractured right hand. Surgery tonite for the ankle.

[bradk12fan]

I don't understand how, or why the promotors of this race let these legends race without Full-Face Helmets, HANS devices, gloves, or proper shoes. If you watch the pre-race footage, you can see several in-car camera shots of drivers without any of the safety equipment that most racing series now require. Get well soon Charlie and Larry!

[cac90277]

WOW! That is a hard hit for older guys to take. They are not in the shape they use to be. Makes me think, is our entertainment worth losing legends? I'd rather watch an hour of these guys talking about the old days and have them here longer. JMO.

[PNSAforce]

Why is NASCAR running cars with no safety in them at all? These cars are running 15 second laps. This was the consequence of running these crs. I dont know what nascar was thinking

[jrfan07]

@PNSAforce this is not a NASCAR sanctioned event, it isnt organized nor controlled by nascar.

[15georgest]

This wasn't a nascar sanctioned race. Don't know who to blame, the track maybe?

[Spyker88]

No one was to blame, it all just happened too fast for anyone to react. Car spun and the other driver had no where to go and not much time to slow down.

[PNSAforce]

Why is NASCAR running these cars which have no safety in them at all? These cars are running 15 second laps. I dont know what nascar was thinking.

[rustyshackleford01]

This race isn't sanctioned by NASCAR. Its sanctioned by the race track

[LinkMan20]

I was there at the race on the frontstretch. You could see it coming but all you could do was sit there and watch it happen.

[DudeManGuyDude95]

w43

[dalejrfan123]

Watched this live. Scariest wreck I have seen in a while.

[lakelandchief]

What cars where they borrowed from?? Any injuries updates?? WTF was there no HANS device in these cars? Hope there OK.

[14JohnnyRed14]

man i sure hope he's ok,that was brutal.

[nascarfan4lyf]

Ive been to bristol 5 times thats the worst wreck ive seen since mike harmon in 2002. Im hoping larry and charlie are alright it was a race for charity for fun then something like that happens and sucks all the fun and joy out of it. I wish those guys where running arca cars or something thats safer and at least you could put a carbon fiber seat in there and some foam between the door skin and the roll cage that would be so much better.

[18sux29rox]

This is something that I had feared because of the age,cars,and speeds. My first reaction when the contact happen was instant destruction and death thoughts. This happen to 2 men who joined this amazing event, not for money, tv time or a trophy, but for charity to help kids with cancer. This didnt have to happen. Just pray for Larry, David and the whole Pearson Family.............pray.

[Jorge1Jigen]

need safer cars next time.

[Jorge1Jigen]

Glad Larry is gonna be ok. I remember thinking these legends races were a bad idea when they first started having them. The hooters cars are more or less like the late models you see at your local track. They bend like paper clips. Drivers are old school so they shun a lot of the safety gear. If they do have this race next year, which I hope they don't as our racing legends are to precious to risk, they need to put em in hans devices better helmets and truck series vehicles.

[gadgefan48]

I'm still speechless after that wreck. Worst one I've seen since Nadeau in 2003. Hoping for the best for Larry and Charlie.

[danmackay125]

someone got lessons from a arca driver

[bradk12fan]

@danmackay125: Unlike ARCA drivers, the drivers in this race did NOT have spotters to warn them of what was ahead. And both Dale Jarrett, and Rusty Wallace said that he would have gunned the engine the same way that Charlie did to try to get past a wreck.

[gordonfan200]

At the time Eric Martin was killed they didnt have spotters to warn them either. It was because of his accident that they required them at all times in ARCA.

[NascarGuru88]

Oh man, I hope he gets better soon.

[bradk12fan]

@gordonfan200: I know, but having spotters have not really helped the ARCA series drivers at Daytona and Talladega lately.......

[CnyAutofreak]

larry is currently awake and alert at an area hospital according to the last news update from espn before going off air.

[ScottNEwberry]

seen that wreck live. Man this race was so much fun but the fun got sucked out of this completely, like Marty said.

[bigmike8890]

damm this was one of the worst driver side collisons i,ve ever seen in nascar.

i hope larry is ok.

[bouncingoccasions]

@bigmike8890 Google the Eric Martin practice crash at Charlotte

[33skoalbandit]

well hopefully Larry isn't fucked up too bad.

[Montoya42Fan]

Sucks it had to turn out this way for Larry. Had they had been in Cup cars with the HANS device and all the safety features it wouldn't have been so bad. Hoping he's okay!

[itsalleternal]

He probably still would have been injured in a Cup car there, given the hit was directly in the driver's door.

Still, they MUST give Cup-level safety equipment if they want to run this again.

[modjesch]

Worst hit i have ever seen in my life, i hope he is ok =(

[pazzarelli26]

So did I, God that was scary! Poor Larry.

[MusicbyTRAVI]

oh man....just watched this one live....I hope he's ok....that was a really hard hit!

[growingup15]

OMG Already. i just watch this on TV.

[jrfan07]

that was HUGE, thoughts and prayers to larry and his family

[Funkyhippo25]

amazing sport nascar. always watch it when its on since im in australia.

[33skoalbandit]

@BigBob8824 faggot