Darrell Waltrip feared the worst after watching his younger brother Michael Waltrip suffer one of NASCAR’s scariest crashes at Bristol Motor Speedway during a 1990 Busch Series race. A visibly emotional Darrell provided his thoughts in a post-race interview after witnessing his brother’s car be “sawed in half” by the brutal impact.
The 1990 NASCAR Budweiser 250 at Bristol descended into chaos when Michael’s Pontiac slammed into the Turn 2 wall near a crossover gate, shredding the car into pieces and scattering debris across the track. The crash shocked commentators and fans, especially considering Michael emerged from the wreck despite the car being “sawed in half.”
“The car is sawed in half by that concrete barrier there. One of the most spectacular and violent crashes I have ever seen,” the commentator said. Older brother Darrell, who was 16 years Michael’s senior, also revealed his thoughts and feelings on the crash.
“I just praise God that he’s alive,” he told reporters, with the impact of his brother’s crash clear in his voice. “I was looking right at it, and I couldn’t move. I just froze. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. The car just disintegrated, and I knew he was in it. … He’s a Waltrip. He’s got a pretty hard head.”
Michael walked away with minor injuries. “I think I’m all right,” he said. “Got some contusions and a little bit of confusion, but that’s probably not too unusual.”
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It was unbelievable I was able to walk away,” he added years later. Michael also recalled the conversations he had with staff who rushed to the vehicle to check on him.
“I’m like, ‘I’m fine. What’s wrong with you all?’ They said, ‘Do you see your feet?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, they’re still on me.,'” he said.
“They’re like, ‘Your feet are on the track and your steering wheel isn’t there anymore.’ I was like, ‘I’m not hurt.’
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“When I got to the hotel that night and watched the replay on the news, I understood what all the fuss was about. It was unbelievable I was able to walk away.”
Mike Harmon suffered a similar crash in 2002. His Chevrolet struck the same gate and was smashed into pieces. But like Michael, Harmon walked away from the crash.
“It reminded me exactly of my accident. We’re just thankful Mike Harmon is still wandering around,” Waltrip said. Those crashes were catalysts for change at Bristol. Safety barriers were installed and gate reinforcements.