Close look at McDowell's crazy NASCAR wreck...
FORT WORTH, Texas – You know the harrowing crash that Michael McDowell walked away from Friday at Texas Motor Speedway was something if it made Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the pole for the Samsung 500 an afterthought.
Earnhardt Jr. ran a lap at 190.907 mph to earn the No. 1 starting spot for the first time since moving to Hendrick Motorsports, but that fact McDowell will be well enough to make
More..his second career Sprint Cup start on Sunday was by far the most remarkable thing about this day.
McDowell, a 23-year-old driver from Phoenix, lost control in Turn 1 as he began his second qualifying lap and rammed head-on into the steel-and-foam energy reducing barrier protecting the concrete wall at the top of the 24-degree banking.
"I will count my blessings tonight and just thank God," said McDowell, whose car whirled off the SAFER barrier, spun on its roof a couple of times and then barrel-rolled eight times before coming to rest on its wheels.
The front and rear portions of the Toyota were virtually ripped away, but the driver's compartment of the new car NASCAR was developed with driver safety as a stated first priority remained intact. The wall also did its job, absorbing some of the impact as stacks of foam crushed behind the rolled steel tubes that make up the outside surface.
A few flames could be seen as the car tumbled down the track, but they went out quickly. McDowell started moving around as soon as it came to rest and emergency workers helped him climb out. He walked to an ambulance and was taken to the infield care center, where he was checked and released.
"I got to see the replay and it wasn't very good," McDowell said.
"That's one of the worst wrecks I've seen for sure in a while. I’m not excited I had to participate in it."
David Gilliland went out a few cars before McDowell and had a problem, dropping liquid on the track. A powder substance used to absorb fluid was put down, and as McDowell went into Turn 1 after running 182.933 mph on his first lap, a puff of white dust could be seen coming out from under the car.
"I came off Turn 4 on that first lap and it just felt a little bit off," McDowell said.
When the car slipped, McDowell tried to correct it but the car snapped to the right.
"I knew when it turned back to the right it was going to be big," he said.
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Added: Apr 6 2008 In: entertainment
By: cpmcd2000 
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