NASCAR - before the Modern Era

[Dog427435]

[b]This sequence of events was taken at the 1969 Sportsman Permatex 300 at Daytona.
They were not taken by me, but are shots of Don Mac Tavishs crash on lap 9.
This was his debut at Daytona, driving the #5 '66 Merc Comet. He tangled with a car driven by Bob James
and then hit the outside crash wall at a point where a metal guard rail covered an opening in the wall.
The impact with the butt end of the concrete sheared off the whole front of the car, up to the firewall;
its engine was thrown over 100 feet from the wreck. The Mercury then spun around and wound up facing
oncoming cars in the middle of the track surface, with MacTavish completely exposed in the drivers seat.
It was then struck by Sam Sommers. At the speed the cars were traveling, it was impossible for Sommers
to avoid contact. This second impact severed MacTavish's legs completely off and sent his car bouncing into
the grass on the inside of the track. MacTavish was pronounced dead at the spot of the accident.


The Youtube link after the shots is a graphic film of the end of this crash.



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtWUfFiXIkM