10 most harrowing wrecks that NASCAR drivers miraculously survived

It can't be denied that a major part of auto racing's appeal is the danger and violence that often plagues the action on the track. NASCAR has seen its fair share of vicious accidents over the course of its 75-year history, and while some have resulted in tragedy, others have gone down as inspirational stories of grit and perseverance.

With that in mind, here's a list of 10 of the most harrowing wrecks in NASCAR history — with the caveat that the driver must have not only survived, but received no terminal or career-ending injuries.

10. Everyone (Daytona, 1960)

The largest wreck in NASCAR history occurred on the first lap of Daytona International Speedway's Modified Sportsman race in 1960. Thirty-seven drivers in total were involved, with some notable names including Speedy Thompson, Wendell Scott and Ralph Earnhardt. Several cars turned upside-down or onto their sides, yet amazingly there were no fatalities or even any significant injuries.

9. Jeff Fuller (Kentucky, 2006)

The 2006 Busch Series' Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway was most well-known for the upset victory of David Gilliland, who won with low-budget Clay Andrews Racing and catapulted himself into what would become a decade-long Cup Series career. However, it was also the site of this vicious wreck involving Jeff Fuller, who spun into an unprotected portion of the inside wall so hard that his car received more damage on the driver's side (which he did not hit with) than the passenger's side (which he did).

8. Elliott Sadler (Pocono, 2010)

Late in the going of the 2010 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch made contact that sent Busch hard into the outside wall, then the inside wall. ESPN's cameras were so focused on Busch that they almost completely missed an even bigger hit well behind him from Elliott Sadler, who got spun while slowing down to avoid Busch. To this day, there is very little footage of Sadler's hit, but it was strong enough to knock the engine completely out of his car.

7. Michael McDowell (Texas, 2008)

Long before he was a two-time Cup Series race winner, Michael McDowell was known for one thing and one thing only: This wreck. During qualifying for only his second career Cup start at Texas in 2008, he got loose entering turn one, overcorrected and slammed into the outside wall so hard that it turned his car upside-down into a series of horrifying barrel rolls. Unbelievably, McDowell walked away.

6. Michael Waltrip (Bristol, 1990)

From one Michael to another, one of NASCAR's most recognizable media personalities was once simply Darrell Waltrip's younger brother — until this wreck during a Busch Series race at Bristol put him in the spotlight. Waltrip collided with an improperly sealed track entry gate at the exit of turn two and his car split open like a crumpled beer can as it came to rest in the middle of the track. Waltrip escaped with no significant injuries.

5. Kyle Larson (Daytona, 2013)

There's going to be a lot of Daytona on this list the rest of the way, so buckle up. The first wreck to crack the top five involves current Cup Series superstar Kyle Larson, back when he was a young prospect making his then-Nationwide Series debut. During a wreck coming to the checkered flag, Larson got spun airborne and flew into the catch fence, leaving parts and pieces scattered everywhere and nearly creating a nightmare PR scenario with a number of injured fans.

Thankfully there were no deaths, and as for the young Larson, he was uninjured despite the entire front and rear ends of his car being gone. The rest is history.

4. Richard Petty (Daytona, 1988)

Richard Petty is often considered the greatest NASCAR driver to ever strap on a helmet. He won 200 races in the Cup Series and remains an iconic fixture in the garage today at 87 years old, which is remarkable considering his career and life nearly ended in the 1988 Daytona 500. Petty went airborne and barrel-rolled down the front stretch. Then he got hit head-on by Brett Bodine in a spectacular accident.

Petty received some bumps and bruises, but was able to limp away from the wreck. He did not miss a single race.

3. Austin Dillon (Daytona, 2015)

No. 3 on the list involves the driver of the No. 3 car but not the one most commonly associated with that number. While the son of the legendary Dale Earnhardt led the field to the checkered flag at Daytona to win the 2015 Coke Zero 400, the hearts of every fan stopped when Austin Dillon got launched into the catch fence and then slammed into by Brad Keselowski while on his roof. 

This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not the same car, at the same track that had claimed Earnhardt's life 14 years earlier. Crew members from a number of teams rushed out to the track to help Dillon, mentally preparing for the worst, and then an amazing thing happened: Dillon emerged from the wreckage, completely unscathed as he emphatically motioned to the cheering crowd.

2. Jimmy Horton (Talladega, 1993)

It's not very often in NASCAR's modern era that a car has crashed completely outside of the track's limits. That's what happened at Talladega in 1993, though, when Jimmy Horton flew over the retaining wall during the 1993 DieHard 500 and rolled down the hill just outside of turn one. Horton was uninjured, but unfortunately, that couldn't be said for everyone involved in the wreck as Stanley Smith suffered a nearly fatal basilar skull fracture and would never race in NASCAR again.

1. Geoffrey Bodine (Daytona, 2000)

If you've seen the wreck in question here, you had to figure it would top this list. Geoff Bodine's fiery, barrel-rolling, catch fence-shredding adventure down the Daytona front stretch during the Truck Series' inaugural race there in 2000 looks like something straight out of a Michael Bay movie — and that was before the airborne, unprotected remains of his truck were then slammed into by two more crashing vehicles. 

Watching the raw feed, the stunned-silent emotion in the announcers' voices told it all. To them, and to anyone watching this race live, it was a foregone conclusion that they had just watched someone die. And yet, Bodine didn't; he was eventually removed from his truck awake and alert, and he would make a full recovery and return to the track only months later.

Honorable (or dishonorable) mentions:

Cale Yarborough (Darlington, 1965) Bobby Allison (Talladega, 1987) John Krebs (Sonoma, 1994) Ryan Newman (Daytona, 2020) Ryan Preece (Daytona, 2023)