YouTube video download / Phil Krueger had several major crashes in his racing career, among the first was during qualifying for the 1981 Indy 500 where he smacked the outside concrete wall and failed to qualify for the race.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline SurferDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Phil Krueger has had several bad wrecks and as horrible as this one looked, he escaped without major injury when he lost control of his car and struck the outside retaining wall with the rear-end, which cost him a chance to race in the 1981 Indy 500.
As a result of the May 12 crash Krueger had to sit out the race.
The crash looked worse than it actually was, at least in the harm that could have befallen Krueger as occurred in crashes at Michigan in 1984, and again at the same venue in 1989, both of which left him unconscious and fighting for his life. Both crashes are chronicled later in this countdown. Krueger did not lose consciousness in this crash.
As bad as this crash was, a lot of the energy was dispersed with the car falling apart as it travelled along the track before ending up in the grass. Thankfully, Krueger did not strike the retaining wall there.
The crash looked worse than it actually was, at least in the harm that could have befallen Krueger as occured in crashes at Michigan in 1984, and again at the same venue in 1989, both of which left him unconscious and fighting for his life. Both crashes are chronicled later in this countdown.
Krueger did not lose consciousness in this crash. As bad as this crash was, a lot of the energy was dispersed with the car falling apart as it travelled along the track before ending up in the grass. Thankfully, Krueger did not strike the retaining wall there due to several spins.
Motorsports fans are drawn to racing for different reasons: The excitement of speed, skill of drafting & passing; strategies on when to pit for fuel, tires or repairs; the will to win and so forth. Ultimately, though, it's the big crashes like th one here at left from Daytona that fans seem to like more than anything. And though nobody wishes serious injury or death to drivers, crew members, emergency personnel & especially spectators, the sad reality is carnage is always lurking. Despite the latest technology & improvements in aerodynamics of vehicles, driver equipment and enhanced track safety features, the fine line between life & death is always at play in any given sanctioned motorsport. Given that Headline Surfer® puts such an emphasis on racing with Daytona Beach International Speedway, the 24/7 internet news outlet is counting down its listing of the top 1,000 Worst of the Worst motorsports crashes. While on the surface it may come across as gratuitous gore to critics, there can never be enough discussion about the need for constant vigilance in looking at safety.
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.