I lived in Greensboro, NC for about 30 years. I knew about the old Fairgrounds raceway that is now partially located under the parking lot. The other bits are just roads near the Colosseum. I learned a good bit about it's NASCAR history, but as this fatality predates that Association, I'm surprised/not surprised to learn of this awful thing. Great Accomplishment for the Flock Brothers, this was also new info to me. Thanks again, JJ!
Don't kid yourselves, there will be future fatalities, in ways that haven't made themselves known yet. Safety is always improving, yes, but don't think for a minute there can't be another fatality.
I would tell bro to chill, but he's cooking with gas and this take is scorching. It's 100% right as well, nothing is completely safe. Especially in a sport with such chaos as NASCAR
6:15 - that’s not an actual photo of the “Slick” Davis crash. It’s a photo used in the book “NASCAR: The Complete History” by Greg Fielden under the 1948 section. I can’t remember exactly what the caption was, but that photo of an unknown driver’s accident was used to show the type of dangerous accidents that occurred in early stock car racing, to which the author then went mentioned NASCAR’s first fatality of W.R. “Slick” Davis. So Slick Davis was mentioned under the photo, but the photo does not actually contain slick’s car nor accident I’ll have to find the book I have for verification, but I’m 90% sure that’s the case with that specific photo.
The attitude towards safety in the early days of post-WW2 motorsports was summed up by the late Sir Stirling Moss in an interview - "My dear boy, NOBODY WAS SHOOTING AT US" (my emphasis). At the time, many of the racers had learned how to work on cars in the military during the war, and many got into racing as a way to get the adrenalin high that combat had produced. It's the old thing of "You're never more alive than when you're a second away from Death". Combine that with the Racers attitude of "I'm better than ALL these guys", and, well, accidents are inevitable...
This is a bit of a dumb question, but is there any chance “slick” Davis and the car owner Bill Davis we’re related since they had the same first and last name?
It was pretty early on when Bill France realized the sponsorship potential of having late model stock cars be the main show since car manufacturers could market their cars with it. Especially once the strictly stock part got loosened up enough for the grand national cars to be faster than modified cars
It was in the mid to late 1950’s that the “strictly stock” class really took over completely, and it evolved into the grand national- or Cup- series pretty quickly. Modified racing continued to be popular as an open wheel class in companion to the grand national cars. Needless to say the two classes evolved into very different machines. Today modifieds are some of NASCAR’s most beautiful looking cars… while the current cup cars look like ugly boxes with tires.
I believe the drivers during this early stage of racing didn’t except the importance of safety standards as it was probably common practice that driver accidents and deaths are what comes with racing; in other words it was part of car racing and life. I think it was the main reason NASCAR didn’t push driver safety standards and regulations till the early 70’s.
I'll never understand why people feel the need to basically sit *on* the safety fence at events like this. It's like sitting right beside a target at a shooting range while the one taking shots is using a shotgun. "I wanted to see the shot hit the target!!"
Competition and the need for speed by fans, drivers, car owners, and car manufacturers was what really caused driver safety regulations and standards to be ignored due to the fact car owners were looking to win, car manufacturers were looking to test their vehicles and parts at all cost; drivers were trying to get money and fame, and fans wanted to see some fast racing and crashes. NOBODY CARED ABOUT INJURIES AND DEATHS!
I lived in Greensboro, NC for about 30 years. I knew about the old Fairgrounds raceway that is now partially located under the parking lot. The other bits are just roads near the Colosseum. I learned a good bit about it's NASCAR history, but as this fatality predates that Association, I'm surprised/not surprised to learn of this awful thing. Great Accomplishment for the Flock Brothers, this was also new info to me. Thanks again, JJ!
Don't kid yourselves, there will be future fatalities, in ways that haven't made themselves known yet. Safety is always improving, yes, but don't think for a minute there can't be another fatality.
chill bro
I would tell bro to chill, but he's cooking with gas and this take is scorching. It's 100% right as well, nothing is completely safe. Especially in a sport with such chaos as NASCAR
@@HenryDaNinthwe haven't had a fatal crash in 23 years, bro
@@motherofraiden not in the big 3 series, bro
Openings in pit wall. Like Mark Martin’s crash.
Very interesting video my brother
Another good video. Keep diggin' brother. Thanks.
2 deaths in 1 day is so sad
😂 millions die everyday b.
@@KennyPowersGaming as in race driver
@@KennyPowersGamingand you?
I was going to make a video on this myself for a long time now but you beat me to it lol
6:15 - that’s not an actual photo of the “Slick” Davis crash. It’s a photo used in the book “NASCAR: The Complete History” by Greg Fielden under the 1948 section.
I can’t remember exactly what the caption was, but that photo of an unknown driver’s accident was used to show the type of dangerous accidents that occurred in early stock car racing, to which the author then went mentioned NASCAR’s first fatality of W.R. “Slick” Davis. So Slick Davis was mentioned under the photo, but the photo does not actually contain slick’s car nor accident
I’ll have to find the book I have for verification, but I’m 90% sure that’s the case with that specific photo.
Disclaimer: When referring to Bill Davis, we are not talking about the car owner in the 90s and early 2000s.
No shit that bill Davis is still alive
One of the worst Nascar Cup series wrecks had to be of Friday Hassler when his Chevelle got T-boned in a wreck, it was horrible.
Yes! That one was real bad as that car looked like it was nearly severed in the driver’s and front passenger’s compartments.
I believe that Hassler was killed instantly, suffering a broken neck. It was very nasty, the footage shows blood on the driver's door.
@ He was killed instantly. His neck was nearly severed because his head was twisted backwards when he put on the stretcher into the ambulance.
The attitude towards safety in the early days of post-WW2 motorsports was summed up by the late Sir Stirling Moss in an interview - "My dear boy, NOBODY WAS SHOOTING AT US" (my emphasis). At the time, many of the racers had learned how to work on cars in the military during the war, and many got into racing as a way to get the adrenalin high that combat had produced. It's the old thing of "You're never more alive than when you're a second away from Death". Combine that with the Racers attitude of "I'm better than ALL these guys", and, well, accidents are inevitable...
Safety has come miles in all of Motorsport. RIP to those trailblazers
They will be missed
Love the history videos!
Wow. I know Tim flock's grandson. Never looked much into his history but this was a cool tidbit
This is a bit of a dumb question, but is there any chance “slick” Davis and the car owner Bill Davis we’re related since they had the same first and last name?
Dang R.I.P. to everyone who has lost their lives in all of Motorsports history
Whelen Modifieds are technically older than the Cup Series?
Makes me wonder whwn the Cup Series took over as NASCAR's top series. 🤔
Yeah, I always consider the modifieds to be at the same level of the cup series for this reason
I'm thinking when Darlington or maybe Daytona came to be? Just guessing......
It was pretty early on when Bill France realized the sponsorship potential of having late model stock cars be the main show since car manufacturers could market their cars with it. Especially once the strictly stock part got loosened up enough for the grand national cars to be faster than modified cars
@@gregorygolden1296 Daytona;1959
Darlington:1950
It was in the mid to late 1950’s that the “strictly stock” class really took over completely, and it evolved into the grand national- or Cup- series pretty quickly. Modified racing continued to be popular as an open wheel class in companion to the grand national cars. Needless to say the two classes evolved into very different machines. Today modifieds are some of NASCAR’s most beautiful looking cars… while the current cup cars look like ugly boxes with tires.
I believe the drivers during this early stage of racing didn’t except the importance of safety standards as it was probably common practice that driver accidents and deaths are what comes with racing; in other words it was part of car racing and life. I think it was the main reason NASCAR didn’t push driver safety standards and regulations till the early 70’s.
I'll never understand why people feel the need to basically sit *on* the safety fence at events like this. It's like sitting right beside a target at a shooting range while the one taking shots is using a shotgun. "I wanted to see the shot hit the target!!"
It’s just the thrill of being right there in the thick of the action.
👍
How about a video about Herman Beam aka “The Turtle”
👍🏻🇨🇦🏎️🇨🇦👍🏻
Competition and the need for speed by fans, drivers, car owners, and car manufacturers was what really caused driver safety regulations and standards to be ignored due to the fact car owners were looking to win, car manufacturers were looking to test their vehicles and parts at all cost; drivers were trying to get money and fame, and fans wanted to see some fast racing and crashes.
NOBODY CARED ABOUT INJURIES AND DEATHS!
put the text up longer, thanks
Profit over safety😢