Safety put to the Test in Chris Cockrum Accident

On Saturday during the Sparks Energy 300, Chris Cockrum got a bump from Garrett Smithley in the wrong part of the track sending him down into Joey Gase.
"My spotter let me know he was gonna bump me in the center of the corner in which he did but the second bump he did was at the worst part of the track. Because at that point on the track the cars unload and get very light exiting the corner so when he bumped me it just turned the car and had the 52 not been there I think I would have been able to save it" stated Cockrum in a one on one interview I had with him. Cockrum would then shoot down the track hitting the inside retaining wall nose first sending him into a 360 spin in mid-air. I asked Cockrum what his first thoughts were as he was barreling toward the wall and his answer may surprise you. "I didn't think anything but this is gonna hurt so I just released the steering wheel and held on to the

seat belts and when I hit the wall as the car was spinning I noticed the throttle was hung wide open so as I was spinning I had to reach up and cut the motor off." Chris Cockrum and Joey Gase's cars were both unrepairable relegating both to terrible finishes at a track that both have had success at in the past. This type of crash along with the one Joey Logano and Blake Koch were involved in at the end are true testaments to how far NASCAR has gotten in Safety Innovation. We appreciate Chris Cockrum for taking time to tell us about his horrific crash and we are really thankful he walked away! (Koelle,2016)