Photos for Headline Surfer / Carlos Pardo is killed after crashing on lap 197 of a 200-lap NASCAR-sanctioned Corona Series race in Mexico, which he was honored as the winner following his death. The main photo image above shows the utter destruction of Pardo's car, which was broken apart and barely visible. A video of the crash by Greg Engele was downloaded from YouTube to provide a multimedia perspective that shows the devastating results of this crash. Though he was rushed by helicopter to a nearby hospital as shown here, Pardo was not conscious after the crash and died a short time later.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline SurferDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Carlos Pardo, a driver in NASCAR's Corona Series in Mexico, died Sunday, June 14, 2009, after crashing while leading on the final laps during a race held at the Autodromo Miguel E. Abed Amozoc in the Mexican State of Pueblo. He was 33 years old.
Pardo lost control after being hit by another driver, Jorge Goeters, which caused him to lose control of his car and crash sideways into the end of a lower retaining wall at over 200 km/h or 124.274 mph.
Pardo's car was virtually destroyed upon impact and Pardo had to be extracted from what was left of the crumpled wreck. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.
Pardo's fatal crash comes in at No. 993 in the HeadlineSurfer.com ranking of the Top 1,000 Worst of the Worst Motorsports Crashes.
The accident occurred during the 97th lap of a 100-lap NASCAR Mexico Corona Series race. Pardo was declared the winner of the race since he was leading the race at the last completed lap before the accident occurred, beating Goeters by 0.044 seconds. Pardo, driving for the Motorcraft team, had started the race from the last row.
The accident that took the life of 33-year-old Mexican native Carlos Pardo, occurred during the 97th lap of a 100-lap NASCAR Mexico Corona Series race.
Pardo was declared the winner of the race since he was leading the race at the last completed lap before the accident occurred, beating Goeters by 0.044 seconds.
Pardo, driving for the Motorcraft team, had started the race from the last row.
Pardo was survived by wife Ana, and their infant child. Pardo's brother, Ruben, also competes in the NASCAR Mexico Corona Series, and finished sixth in the race that Pardo won posthumously.
In a bit of irony, Pardo won the the inaugural NASCAR Mexico Corona Championship in 2004. Goeters won the championship series the following year.
Did You Know?
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 the 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 improvements.
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.