Daytona International Speedway has been the scene of some horrific crashes throughout its storied history. Saturday night the World Center of Racing added yet another one.
On the final lap of the NASCAR Xfinity race as the field jostled for their final finishing spots, Myatt Snider running inside the top 10, got airborne as the field roared towards Turn 3. Snider’s Chevy turned backwards and got into the outside fence; the car then violently exploded with the engine and rear axle separating into fiery pieces that scattered all along the grass and track. In a testament to NASCAR’s safety advances Snider was able to exit the remains of his mangled car and walked to the ambulance.
After just about 20 minutes, NASCAR announced that Snider had been checked, treated and released from the infield care center.
“It’s the last lap and everybody’s trying their best to push as hard as possible,” Snider said. “And, you know, I’m trying to keep as much momentum as I can get…I felt a push and I started feeling the car go. Right? And I’m like, ‘crap’ like this. I might be along for a ride here.
“Sure enough, I got turned around to the side and then I was facing backwards, and I started seeing the racetrack and I’m like, ‘hmm, this is getting better as it goes’.
“I think what happened is that the left rear started yawing towards the fence and then the fence caught it and that’s what really started tearing everything up. And then I got drug into the grass from what I could tell.
“You know, I’m extremely blessed to be as okay as I am. And you know, glad that Jordan Anderson Racing builds such a safe race car. And man, I really wanted to get the top five finished. We were so close. I felt like we were in contention all day. So that’s just the nature of the beast in racing.”
As for what he remembered about crash itself:
“It was violent,” Snider said. “I saw sparks kind of going everywhere and, you know, you don’t really know what’s going on. You just kind of know you’re going some direction and it’s not the right one.
“I was just kind of holding on kind of hunching over, keeping everything together as much as I could. I can’t profess enough how glad it ended. I’m all good”
Snider said one of his legs was a little sore, but he expects to be able to race next week.
“I think I’ll just double check on it tomorrow because it is sore, but I think I should be fine to race. It’s just a matter of getting the opinions of the experts, but yeah, I think I’ll be fine”
He added that Saturday’s crash was the hardest he’s ever been involved in.
“I had one hard hit in an ARCA race in Kansas before that was, child’s play compared to this,” he said. “I just saw sparks and crap flying everywhere and it was quite the adventure.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.