WATCH: “That could’ve been a potential JD McDuffie accident”- Chandler Smith rams into the wall after losing brakes at Road America Xfinity race, fans react
Chandler Smith lost his brakes during Road America and crashed into the wall to slow down.
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Chandler Smith (Credits: X and Wikipedia)
Chandler Smith, the full-time Xfinity Series driver for Kaulig Racing, had a scary Saturday. During the Henry 180 at Road America, Smith was speeding down and on his way into Turn 1. Unfortunately, he lost his brakes and was left with hardly any option. The No.16 Chevrolet Camaro driver drove onto the grass and hit the wall to slow down. He eventually stopped in the gravel after a huge crash.
Though the impact caused damage to his car, the most important thing was that Smith jumped out safely. According to the NASCAR protocol, where one must visit the infield medics, he was taken to the medical center for examination. Thankfully, he was declared fit and released. Chandler Smith spoke about the incident after the race to the media, “I was having some brake fade throughout the runs.”
Chandler Smith added, “But I didn’t think that I was abusing them by any means that would make them fail me. Going up the hill on the front stretch, I heard something snap in half. The whole front nose just dropped when that happened. I went to pump the brakes, there was nothing there.” It was a terrifying situation for the 21-year-old, and the NASCAR community is glad he made it out safely.
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NASCAR fans are thankful that Chandler Smith was unharmed during the crash
NASCAR fans reacted to Chandler Smith ramming himself into the barrier. One user said, “Damn, that could’ve been a potential JD McDuffie accident. Thank goodness it wasn’t.” The fan referred to J.D. McDuffie’s crash in 1991, where the No.70 Pontiac driver slammed into a post during the race at Watkins Glen and lost his life tragically. It was a sad day for the NASCAR community. Years later, the fans remember the incident and hope that it never happens to anyone again.
“Kid did a great job there, could have been much worse!” and “This takes a CRAZY mental capacity.. to make this decision in a split second is nothing short of a miracle,” were two of the comments. NASCAR fans are glad that Chandler Smith is safe. The 21-year-old turned into the wall to prevent a worse impact and made this decision in a split second. The fans credited him for what he did. Take a look at other reactions below.
The impact was terrifying, and it is up to the team to look into their brake problems. Chandler Smith’s teammate AJ Allmendinger also raised concerns about the brake during the race. Though the reason behind the brake failure is unknown, Kaulig Racing will look into it and hopefully solve it soon. End of the day, the NASCAR community is thankful that the driver is unharmed.
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Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)