Joe Weatherly's Fatal Crash

[BTBattlefronTV]

I heard that Weatherly wasn't using his shoulder harness period, and he wore his lap restraint loosely. That, combined with no window nets or HANS device, killed him, in my opinion.

[daveinindy]

That was one hell of an impact. Net or not net, he's in serious trouble. RIP.

[brian96597]

I don't believe for a second a window net would have saved his life. IMO the force of the impact alone would've killed him.

[altfactor]

Today, with better restraining gear, he would have lived, and probably resumed racing.

[supahdadd]

If you watch closely at 0:04, he bounced over the tires on the inside of turn six (on the right side of the track), which probably caused him to lose control, slide across the track, and hit the wall on the outside (driver's side).

[supahdadd]

The crash was in turn six and seven, just after the esses and up the hill.

@SCRTpilot: These are American stock cars, which, back then, were still built pretty much "stock". Just a few added safety features like a roll cage, heavier brakes, etc. Still not cure what exactly caused Weatherly's crash.

[wildman2349]

That's turn 6. Turn 7 was not used on Riverside's NASCAR course. They went straight from 6 down a short straight to a sharp decreasing radius turn 8. Very tricky.

[Nxtl68]

There's a lot of safety features I wish we had back then, but we just didn't know. RIP Joe.

[kevs56chev]

What caused the impact? Blown tire? He's way low in the turn and oversteers right into the wall like hes unconcious or something.....

[clintonearlwalker]

I'm nearly certain that I seen a video once from a different angle that showed Weatherly's head actually coming out the window and striking the wall. It was pretty horrible. RIP

[1967mustanggta]

At 0:06 you can see on the wall just how horribly awful this wreck was. He was killed instantly. God bless him. And the Fireball Roberts.

Remember 1993 and into the season When Davey Allison and Alan Kuewicki died months apart - but not on the track. Iknow I spelt Alan's name wrong.

The sport is known for its loses as well as its wins.

[SCRTpilot]

why aren't the drivers sitting in the middle of the cars? Much safer if you ask me.

[altfactor]

Today, Weatherly would not only have survived, but would have been back racing within a couple of months.

[C0LL1N]

That was a hard hit, keep in mind back then the tanks they called cars would hold up to crashes better than the drivers

[racefan32]

Billy Foster was also killed at Riverside January 20, 1967 when a wheel drum blew out and he hit the wall suffering the same type of head injury as Joe Weatherly. It wouldn't be until Richard Petty crashed at Darlington and nearly came out of the car that window net came into being.

[Cultshaker55]

/care

[jerry3890]

It was turn six. I was down by turn 5 and saw it, I wouldn't have been far from that photographer

[caganb]

He died the way he wanted. Racing cars. RIP

[bblocker68]

The Wiki page says he refused to wear a lap belt:



[Revolution1117]

@nascarfan789-- Earnhardt was the best, but a stubborn "old-schooler". He REFUSED to wear both the full-face helmet and the HANS device. Christ, I think he even still wore those old "bubble" goggles!

[njjroberts]

it a common injury still to this day it called basal skull fracture , IT HAPPENS WHEN U CRAsh AND and ur head dont hit the sterring wheel the seat belt keeps u in seat but ur head carrys on, ull see couple nascar crashes that look innocuios but it same injury, very common, so even a window net might not saved him

[MontrealMan1970]

he would have face planted the net that would have face planted the wall = same result. net is to keep them from flyin' out of the car. The videos never show the severity of the wall impact like with Dale Sr

[hayseed6969]

@MontrealMan1970 totally agree

[DC322]

That was the same year when Fireball Roberts died from burns injuries during a race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway when his car caught on fire. Ned Jarrett got him out of the burning wreckage but Roberts was burned badly and succumbed a couple of months later.

[blueangel0394]

who was narrating?

[110modified]

Craig T Nelson was the narrator

[blueangel0394]

thanks man

[kensethmartinfan]

a window net wouldnt have saved his life. he wore no neck restraint because he liked to "flap around".

[speedwaysedan12]

it would have been softer than a concrete wall???

[nevadaracer00]

A window net would not have saved him. They are flexible and more designed to keept things out of the car than the driver in the car.

Dr. Noise and nascarfan789, Earnhardt Sr., died from basal skull fracture, which is where the head is jerked forward so hard the base of the skull fractures and the sinal cord is snapped/pulled from the brain.

[doctornoise]

thanks for clarification mate!

[OSUSam]

The really bad thing is, Joe wouldn't wear a shoulder harness. Only a seatbelt. That's why his head went so far out the window. Such a shame.

[sphmusak]

I think Joe crashed in the notorious Turn 6 here at Riverside. The drivers had to slow considerably to make the uphill right turn after flying through the S's. Many a driver smacked into that wall since the cars would bunch up there sometimes, each driver trying take the shortest line around the famous turn. We saw all thebig names...Petty, Yarborough, Baker,Pearson,The Allisons, Gurney,...man on man, those were the days!!

[nascar1111]

I didn't get to see him race, i've saw him on movies before racing. He seemed to be a very nice man, i've red about him and everything. To honor him, I made a car that looks like his 1963 Championship Car on Midnight Club Los Angeles, and when I race it, I win everytime.

R.I.P Mr. Weatherly, you will not be forgotten.

[Blackoutspecialist]

So, i'm guessing that you have the south central DLC and that you are using the 64 Impala for this tribute car?

[nascar1111]

Yeah, i use the 64 impala. I also made a Fireball Roberts car out of a Malibu on MC:LA

[Blackoutspecialist]

cool.

[zachos]

Damn and smash goes the head.

[smcnew97]

if this kind of crash happened today it might have been a minor crash but they did not have proper safety back then, which meant when the car hit the wall his head also hit. With a window net he would have survived and probably climbed out unharmed

[doctornoise]

if I remember correctly Earnhardt was actually killed from chest injuries rather than head injuries. Probably both in all honesty. Such an impact. :(

[Rickrolled8024]

R.I.P. Joe Nascar will never forget u.

[switchhitter08]

The safety belts then were not what they are today. Also, the cars on the track then were factory cars fancied with roll cages. But even roll cages then couldn't save a driver. In a 1970 Darlington race, Richard Petty was thrown halfway out of his car when he hit the inside wall near the pits, which brings us back to safety belts. It was another four decades after that when NASCAR mandated that each driver wear a HANS device, something that could've saved Dale Earnhardt's life in 2001.

[tiki2188]

Oh no doubt. If that was all then cool, I thought you meant like "why didnt he? they wouldve saved his life" thats why I said they didn't exist lol

But yeah, crazy to see what it used to be like

[tiki2188]

Didn't exist. This was from 1964...

HANS device? They weren't using window nets even.

NASCAR really has come a long way. Not a fan of alot of the stuff they do, but no one can argue about the safety of it.

[rodstroker33]

This happened 45 years ago no such thing as a Hans device / safer barrier

These were pure stock cars not what is NASCAR today

[bill11012]

it is sad how many drivers have died with out a ( now ) $350 head and neck restraint.

[MsFarQ2]

but you're 100% right in that a combination of HANS and a net, plus a rigid harness system goes a long way to helping drivers walk away these days

[MsFarQ2]

yeah i see what you mean with the HANS device, definitely keeps the neck nice an' upright... But I still reckon that just the window net might have helped him live, they didn't have proper harnesses back then like they do now so he would have been moving around a bit. But you could be right...

[MsFarQ2]

are those videos on YouTube? not wanting to be morbid, but it would be interesting to see the mechanics of it in action..

[MsFarQ2]

Do you reckon a HANS would have helped?? I think maybe not, the net would have been vital in that crash methinks

[firestarsfan]

im not sure how much good a window net would have done there

[fistteam]

"Back and to the left!" It was the racefan on the grassy-knoll! I saw him in the video slow motion! Look again and you'll see him there!

[thunderroad66]

Windows net were not made mandatory until after Richard Petty's crash at Darlington in 1970.

[kanniballken]

great to se someone remembers victoria bc s billy foster .Canada should do more to remember this great one

[Nascarfanfedex11]

Screw you Australian

[WW2obsession]

He's no Australian, he's a fucking hell-spawn bent on driving the Youtube community insane by laughing at people who die.

[halowarmsmyheart]

@Nascarfanfedex11 Shut Up, Would You Wanna Be In That?!?!

[Nascarfan880]

@halowarmsmyheart lol this is my new account, i was replying to someone, i wanst talking about wealthery..

[halowarmsmyheart]

@Nascarfan880 Oh o_O

[shariapple]

I guess some people would rather the drivers get killed in a race to prove that they are REAL MEN. shame on you punk ass bitch.

[AlfaJohn43]

Actually, window nets became mandatory after Billy Foster's fatal 1966 Riverside crash in turn nine. He lost his brakes entering turn nine during practice and hit the boilerplate. The next day, every car had jerry-rigged wire refrigerator shelves in the driver's window. Nets came a little ater.

[normalboy64]

wow that must have hurt. Having your head smashed at a wall going 170 mph.

[samsemtex]

what a ridiculous place to have a wall...

[ShawnVanAngle]

racing in the 60s an early 70s= great speed an little safety. rip

[myhouserulesyou]

All the NASCAR drivers used as "fire suits" at the time was their street clothes treated with a boric acid solution. There were no fuel cells and no "full coverage" helmets. We're talking REAL MEN here! Back then, you REALLY put your life on the line every time you drove, unlike today's sissified and spoiled "drivers". NASCAR has destroyed itself through the cars being too much alike and their silly Jeese the Jackasson "drive for diversity" program. I'LL NEVER GO TO ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR "RACES"!

[dsmcclellan]

These guys had the biggest balls of them all. Little in the way of safety gear, besides a helmet. Basically getting in your street car and pushing it to the limit. All my respect.

[deduncan32]

I wish that they had window nets in those days, if they did I would have probabaly been able to meet my step-grandfather. Yes Joe, if he was alive today he would have been my step-grandfather. He was married to my grandmother Joann (Weatherly) Michael-maiden name. I have heard nothing but remarkable things about this man, and his legend that will live on forever. If anyone knows of my grandmother personally and would like to contact her email me.

[TheBigRedEvil]

Was this at the Final Turn at Riverside, the banked one?

[WillG75]

No, it was at the end of the esses.

[VooDooRocketry]

Riverside's Turn 9. The drivers were booking through that turn with the driver's side to the wall. It shortened a few lives, but Weatherly was the most famous as he was a jokester. Everyone loved Joe, while cruel it's easier for a bastard to pass on as no one cares. He was one of the best of his day.

[19crash84]

This was actually in the esses I believe.

[Timerider]

No I worked Riverside as an Usher for many years

and actually this is turn 6 just after the S's in front of the only Grandstands at the track. (At that time)

[surfab13]

@19crash84 it was turn 6 at the end of the esses

[MattW32TV]

@19crash84 it was in the slow right hand turn after the esses

[Revolution1117]

@VooDooRocketry I was at that race in '64 at Turn 6, after the esses where Joe. crashed. My Dad used to take me every year ('63-'67). It was great (now I feel privileged) to see guys like R. Petty, D. Gurney, Parnelli Jones, tearing up the course.You're right about turn 9; these guys were coming into that thing after a 1.1mile backstretch!

[gobackto82]

@VooDooRocketry it was turn 6

[acdclover333]

yes a window net would of totally saved his life. Its so sad.

R.I.P JOE WEATHERLY

[Heneryfordrules]

R.I.P. God Speed , and to the Idiot below me

you have shit for brans but you got that from your mom and dad

[Awesomeshades57]

how easy do you think it would be to flawlessly pilot a car with no safety equipment, restrictor plates, or balance through multiple turns at 150 mph? these things happen! bitch.

[k0ehl3r]

i think you should learn how to spell and formulate a sentence before you criticize anyone, let alone a nascar champion, fucking asshole

[D2DRacing]

that was a huge impact regaurdless of what happind to his head..

[iwishNo1]

i tried looking for a picture or words saying his death in a book, but i couldn't find it.

[e521soediv]

the 60's were bloody.

[mattjones2300]

ouch

[mightycowhero]

i read about this in a novel. about an old retired driver reflecting on the old days while watching jeff gordon.

[nascarfanatic24]

R.I.P. Joe. You were a great NASCAR Driver that passed on too soon.

[Gujester]

We don't need dicks on youtube though.

[waltsa200]

I don't believe a window net would have helped. The driver side was smashed in quite a bit and his head would have still made contact with the wall only with the net between it. Remember, the seat belts were not very good back then.. not sure if the shoulder strap was used in 64, even with it belts stretch under pressure.

[wirbelwindbattleship]

He was actually not wearing his seat belt at all if I read right.

[3fan4eva]

No shoulder straps werent manditory until after this wreck and Petty's at Darlington

[waltsa200]

I can hardly believe that this video clip claims A WINDOW NET would have saved Joes life. That is REALLY , REALLY STUPID!!

[HaystackCaldoon]

I remember watching Dave Marcis crash at Pocono a few years back. The slow-motion replay of the accident made it clear just how lucky he was that Pocono doesn't have higher outside retaining walls. Mr. Marcis's head came outside the border of the car even though the net caught his helmet. John Nemechek wasn't so lucky in Homestead a few years earlier. His head came out of his truck (again, caught by the window net) and hit the wall itself; he died shortly afterwards.

[waltsa200]

Hatstack, your story backs what I said earlier, I believe the window net was designed for arms that were forced out in a crash/flip.. Thank you for the info.. I had never heard how the John Nemechek crash/death detail before now... The "window net issue would be a good call in question on NASCAR related broadcasts/shows like Dave Despain's.

[simonkirk04]

It's too bad that the window net was not there yet back in the 1960's. R.I.P.

[racerjake24]

i thought he died on 1966...

oh well i was wrong

[joboots007]

Also Lil Joe had only had a lap belt on since he

didn't like wearing a shoulder harness,which NASCAR

made mandatory after this wreck!!

[Elwo0d]

This crash and Richard Petty's crash at Darlington helped to develop the window net.