1995 Winston 100 (partially found footage of NASCAR Sportsman Division Series race; 1995): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:18, 2 November 2022
This article has been tagged as NSFL due to its discussion of a fatal motor racing accident/disturbing visuals.
The 1995 Winston 100 (also known as the 1995 Sportsman 100) was a race held as part of the 1995 NASCAR Sportsman Division Series. Occurring on 6th October at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the race would be won by Chevrolet's Gary Laton. However, the event is overshadowed by the fatal crash of Russell Phillips, which is considered among the most gruesome accidents in NASCAR's history.
Background
The 1995 Winston 100, alongside the 1995 Duron Paints And Wallcoverings 100 held the following day, were the last NASCAR Sportsman Division Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and two of five to be held for the 1995 season.[1] The race lasted 67 laps or about 100.5 miles.[2] Originally, the Winston 100 was to be held on 4th October, but Hurricane Opal necessitated a delay until the 6th.[3][4][5] Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Russell Phillips winning the pole position ahead of 56 other entries in an Oldsmobile.[5][3][2] This was his first pole in 17 Sportsman starts at Charlotte.[3] Post-qualifying, Phillips stated that "I was just hoping to qualify in the top five so I wouldn't have to work through a lot of traffic."[3]
Of the limited details surrounding the event, it is known that Gary Laton won the race after passing Lester Lesneski late in the race, claiming $3,000 in prize money.[5][3][2] Lesneski redeemed himself in the second race however, dominating the 1995 Duron Paints And Wallcoverings 100 by leading 50 laps to claim victory.[6][5]
Death of Russell Phillips
Phillips had managed to lead the first few laps of the Winston 100,[2] but quickly fell back through the field.[4][3][5] By lap 17, he was in tenth place, when Ford's Joe Gaita collided with Oldsmobile's Morris Bice up ahead, with both spinning out of Turn 4.[7][3][4][5] Phillips was instructed by his brother and spotter John to go high, with Chevrolet driver Steven Howard also ordered to do the same.[4] Howard braked as he went high, but Phillips continued driving at full speed, with speculation being that he was trying to speed by Bice's Oldsmobile rather than avoid it, as it was heading back up the track.[4] NASCAR officials believe that Phillips realised that he was going to collide with Howard, and jerked his Oldsmobile to the right at the last moment.[4] The officials blamed Phillips for the resulting accident, but Howard, in a 1996 interview, felt that the crash was his responsibility.[4]
Regardless of who was at fault, Phillips collided with the right rear wheel of Howard, with the momentum of the latter's vehicle causing both cars to fly.[7][4][3] Phillips' vehicle crashed into the catchfence, with the impact being so severe that the roof and roll bars completely collapsed.[8][4][3][7] Fully exposed to the elements, Phillips was decapitated by a caution light that penetrated the ruined windshield, while the catchfence itself dismembered him.[7][4][3][8] Phillips was 26, and was known for being a race car fabricator, as well as a volunteer fireman.[3][4] He had also recorded a top-10 finish in one of the Sportsman races he competed in at Charlotte, and had a best result of eighth in the Division.[3][4]
The race was stopped for 33 minutes as rescue workers and NASCAR inspectors cleared up the wreckage.[4][3] From those at the event, it became clear that Phillips' accident was among the worst in NASCAR's history.[4][5][7][3] Aside from collecting vehicle parts from the wrecked Oldsmobile, officials discovered that Russell's right hand had been sheared off and was embedded in the catchfence.[4][7] Additionally, workers found Phillips' helmet at the pit road entrance, with his head still within it.[7][3] In total, over a dozen while linen sheets were required to cover up Russell's remains on the track, with many more placed within the walkway of Turn 4's grandstand.[3][8][4] The graphic sight caused some spectators in the stands to faint.[4]
Phillips' death, as well as Dale Earnhardt's similar crash at the 1996 DieHard 500 that caused him serious injuries, resulted in the mandatory introduction of the Earnhardt bar.[7][4] This bar would run down the middle of the windshield, reinforcing the roof's integrity and limiting chances of collapses in future roof-first accidents.[7][4] Meanwhile, the fatal crash marked the beginning of the end for the NASCAR Sportsman Division, as Charlotte's organisers ultimately withdrew from it as this was the third fatal Sportsman accident to have occurred at the track.[8][3][7][4][5] The other fatal accidents involved David Gaines in May 1990 and Gary Batson in May 1992.[8][3][7][4][5] Pocono International Raceway soon followed, resulting in the Sportsman Division dissolving soon afterwards.[5]
Availability
Originally, World Sports had intended to broadcast the Winston 100 live.[5] However, the resulting delay caused by Hurricane Opal prevented this, with the network deciding instead to tape the race and showcase it on tape delay.[9][5] Ultimately, Phillips' accident resulted in the broadcast being swiftly cancelled, while it is also unknown whether any filming occurred following the crash.[9][5] As of the present day, the only footage of the race is of Phillips' crash, as it was televised across multiple news broadcasts.[9]
Gallery
Video
See Also
- 1960 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1960)
- 1960 Daytona Races (lost CBS and NBC televised footage of NASCAR prelude events to Daytona 500; 1960)
- 1961 Firecracker 250 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1961)
- 1962 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1962)
- 1962 Firecracker 250 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1962)
- 1963 Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1963)
- 1963 Richmond 250 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series qualifying session and race; 1963)
- 1964 Atlanta 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1964)
- 1964 National 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1964)
- 1964 Richmond 250 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series qualifying session; 1964)
- 1964 World 600 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1964)
- 1965 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1965)
- 1965 National 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1965)
- 1965 Rebel 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1965)
- 1966 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1966)
- 1966 Southern 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1966)
- 1967 Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1967)
- 1967 Rebel 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1967)
- 1969 Permatex 300 at Daytona (partially found footage of NASCAR Late Model Sportsman race; 1969)
- 1970 Alabama 500 (found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)
- 1970 National 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)
- 1970 Wilkes 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)
- 1970 World 600 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand National Series race; 1970)
- 1971 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)
- 1971 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)
- 1971 Myers Brothers 250 (lost footage and official documents of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)
- 1971 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)
- 1971 Rebel 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1971)
- 1971 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1971)
- 1972 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)
- 1972 Bowman-Gray 100 (lost footage of NASCAR Grand American Series race; 1972)
- 1972 Carolina 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)
- 1972 Daytona 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)
- 1972 Firecracker 400 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)
- 1972 National 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)
- 1972 Rebel 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1972)
- 1972 Twin 125s (partially found footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1972)
- 1973 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1973)
- 1973 Medal of Honor Firecracker 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1973)
- 1974 Mason-Dixon 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1974)
- 1974 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1974)
- 1974 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1974)
- 1975 Champion Spark Plug 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)
- 1975 Dixie 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)
- 1975 Firecracker 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)
- 1975 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)
- 1975 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; 1975)
- 1975 World 600 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1975)
- 1976 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Champion Spark Plug 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Dixie 500 (lost CBS footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Firecracker 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Rebel 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Riverside 400 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Talladega 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 Winston 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1976 World 600 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1976)
- 1978 NAPA National 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1978)
- 1979 Atlanta 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1979)
- 1979 Daytona ARCA 200 (lost footage of ARCA Racing Series race; 1979)
- 1979 Dixie 500 (lost ABC footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1979)
- 1979 Gabriel 400 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1979)
- 1979 Southeastern 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1979)
- 1979 Sportsman 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1979)
- 1981 Coca-Cola 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1981)
- 1981 CRC Chemicals 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1981)
- 1982 CRC Chemicals 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1982)
- 1982 Eastern 150 (lost footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1982)
- 1982 Goody's Sportsman 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1982)
- 1982 Twin 125s race 1 (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying race; existence unconfirmed; 1982)
- 1982 Winston Western 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1982)
- 1983 Goody's Sportsman 300 (partially found footage of NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race; 1983)
- 1983 Mason-Dixon 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1983)
- 1983 Southern 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1983)
- 1984 Delaware 500 (partially found footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1984)
- 1984 Goody's Sportsman 300 (lost footage of NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race; 1984)
- 1984 Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500 (lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1984)
- 1985 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; existence unconfirmed; 1985)
- 1986 Twin 125s (lost footage of NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races; existence unconfirmed; 1986)
- 1988 Miller High Life 500 (partially lost footage of NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1988)
- 1989 Busch Clash (lost footage of pre-season NASCAR Winston Cup Series race; 1989)
- 1990 Daytona ARCA 200 (partially found footage of ARCA Racing Series race; 1990)
- 1992 Atlanta 300 (lost footage of NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race; 1992)
- 1996 DeVilbiss SuperFinish 200 (partially found televised footage of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race; 1996)
- 2002 K&N Filters 150 (lost footage of NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour race; 2002)
- Jason Leffler (lost footage of fatal 410 Sprint Car accident; 2013)
- Jeff Gordon's 2008 UAW-Dodge 400 crash (lost on-board footage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race crash; 2008)
- NASCAR (partially found uncut footage of stock car races; 1960-present)
References
- ↑ Ultimate Racing History listing races held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Ultimate Racing History detailing the results of the Winston 100. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 News & Record reporting on Phillips' fatal accident and summarising key moments in the Winston 100. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 Influential Moments in Racing documenting Phillips' career and his fatal accident. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 Influential Moments in Racing documenting the two races and the fatal accident. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ Ultimate Racing History detailing the results of the Duron Paints And Wallcoverings 100. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 The Crash Photos Database detailing the crash and providing photos of it. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 UPI reporting on the death of Phillips. Retrieved 22 Apr '22
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Influential Moments in Racing detailing the broadcast of the races that never aired. Retrieved 22 Apr '22