This article lists drivers who have been fatally injured while competing in or in preparation for (testing, practice, qualifying) races sanctioned by the
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
(NASCAR). A separate list compiles drivers who have died of a medical condition while driving or shortly thereafter and another section shows non-driver deaths.
The
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
has seen 29 driver fatalities, the most recent of which occurred on February 18, 2001, when
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably dri ...
was killed on the last lap of the
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
.
Safety in the sport has evolved through the decades. Technological advances in roll cages, window nets, seat mounts, air flaps, driving suits, and helmets as well as the
HANS device
A HANS device (head and neck support device) is a type of head restraint, a safety device in motorsports. Head restraints are mandatory when competing with most major motorsports sanctioning bodies. They reduce the likelihood of head or neck inj ...
, on-site medical facilities with helicopters, improved track emergency responders, and
SAFER barriers have contributed to the prevention of further deaths.
Driver fatalities
NASCAR Cup Series fatalities
This list shows
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
fatalities.
Breakdown
Fatalities in other series
Drivers who have died of a medical condition
This list covers both drivers who crashed their cars after suffering a fatal medical condition, i.e. they did not die of the injuries they may have sustained in the ensuing accident, and those who managed to stop their cars but succumbed to a medical condition a little later.
Non-driver fatalities
This section includes bystanders participating in an event who were killed while on the sidelines.
NASCAR Cup Series fatalities
This list shows
NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
fatalities.
Fatalities in other series
See also
*
Death of Dale Earnhardt
On the afternoon of February 18, 2001, American stock car racing driver and team owner Dale Earnhardt was killed instantly due to a basilar skull fracture in a final-lap collision in the 2001 Daytona 500, in which he crashed into a retaining wa ...
*
List of Daytona International Speedway fatalities
Daytona International Speedway has seen 40 on-track fatalities since its opening in 1959: 23 car drivers, twelve motorcyclists, three go-kart drivers, one powerboat racer, and one track worker. The most notable death may have been that of Dale Ea ...
Notes
References
External links
Tragic StatsRacing-reference.infoTony JankowiakMotorsport MemorialMidwest Roadside Safety Facility – designers of the SAFER Barrier
{{DEFAULTSORT:NASCAR fatalities
Lists of auto racing people
Lists of motorsport fatalities
Motorsport in North America
Fatal accidents
North America sport-related lists