#44-Mike Harmon was involved in a spectacular crash Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway, after posts required to secure the Turn 2 gate were not put in place. Harmon emerged from the wreckage unscathed aside from a bruise on his right side. Harmon was entering Turn 2 some 10 minutes into the weekend’s first practice when witnesses at the scene claimed he blew a right front tire, sending him hard into an outside wall that doubles as a crossover gate. When closed, the wall is bolstered by six, four-inch by four-inch, 3/8-inch thick metal posts. Those posts were not put in place Thursday, and when Harmon impacted the wall, it gave way. Harmon’s #44 Chevy was bisected by the concrete outside retaining wall. He then shot straight down the track and into Johnny Sauter’s path. Sauter hit him and came to rest in the middle of the backstretch. Sauter was uninjured. After being checked out by attending physician Dr. Nelson Gwaltney in the infield care center, Harmon entered an ambulance on his own power and was transported to Wellmont Regional Medical Center in Bristol, Tenn., as a precautionary measure. He was released and returned to the track. Eleven years ago, Michael Waltrip was involved in a virtually identical accident in the same corner of the same track. He was flabbergasted that it could happen again. Practice was delayed nearly three hours while the track made repairs to the damaged gate.(see more and many photos at NASCAR.com)
And from BGNRacing.com: BGNRacing.com talked to Mike Harmon on his way back from the hospital to the track. He’s in great spirits and thankful that he walked away unhurt. He has a scratch on his right side from something that ripped through his fire suit, but is otherwise unhurt. He says that something broke on the car midway through the corner and he had no control after that. The #44 team did not have a back up car ready so he will use the #94 team’s back up car. He’s still planning on driving tomorrow night. Also see images there at BGNRacing.com (may take a bit to load).
Also see an image gallery at ThatsRacin.com (right hand side/top).(8-22-2002)
