I’ll always remember Dale Jr and Steve Park’s crash on lap 1, Park’s car hitting the guard rail and flipping several times, and Jr literally sprinting across the field to check on him
Here in Central Florida, lightning detectors are on all playing fields and golf courses. When the siren goes off, lightning has been detected in the area and the game stops. Only when the siren sounds the all clear can anything resume.
In 98 I was a mech for American Racing in Sarasota. We raced wing sprints a lot in Gibsonton (east bay raceway). In July and August that year. We had rain/lightning call offs 6 weeks in a row. The 4th of July race. Bubba the Love Sponge was on our team. He got the inside wall in number 3 . Track was a swamp.
@@Jagg61 I used to be around that area in '96-'97 & a chic I used to bang had a brother that raced at that track! Just didnt care for Floriduh that much & came back to Georgia
I'm an avid golfer and the one golf club I played/worked at had a pretty robust lightning warning system with shelters(most courses do, but this one was a notch above the rest I'd seen). I was there onetime when it went off and some scary lighting started - there were quite a few groups of older guys without a care in the world still golfing. Lightning is so dangerous and people don't treat it with respect until they have a close call or know someone who's struck. In my case, I know someone who was struck and died from lightning.
@jayg339 I was almost hit a couple times in Florida doing tractor work. I started the policy. Rain is ok to an extent. But lightening. I am out. Tampa Bay and a place in japan tie for most lightening deaths per year.
And here I am thinking that Feb 18, 2001 was the day that changed NASCAR. This story is about how NASCAR was late implementing safety protocols that industry was already using.
It did change that day, there was less drivers and cars being taken out of races by one guy that would never cleanly pass someone, he always had to wreck them. It takes great skill to pass someone without touching them, of course Dale's way of thinking was fuck it, I'll just knock them out of the way...
@chrispix61 Dale Earnhardt didn't ram anyone to cause the accident that ended his life on the track. He attempted to block a driver from overtaking him on his left. When he did so, his car clipped the right side front bumper of that driver's car. Which sent him to the right, in front of another driver's car and into the wall. The car he nearly hit before hitting the wall. I seen this race 23 years ago when I was 10 years old. People always make jokes about how Nascar is just a race with straights and left turns but. Seeing as all drivers are tailgating each other at about 200 mph. There's very little margin for error, and that's what makes Nascar an intense sport. You have to make quick and careful decisions. One wrong move, and that's all it takes.
Because of his death, which was blunt force trauma to the head from hitting a wall at 150mph, they now have straps that hold the head and sternum back when hitting hard objects like cars and walls. Nobody has died since.
@@mumbles215virtually everybody refused to wear them before his death. They were a fairly new thing and drivers didn't see the risks it mitigated and worried about it restricting their ability to move their head to see better around them.
I was there, there was warning. Not from the track, but there was a severe thunderstorm warning coming across my phone before that last wreck even happened
Yup. It's called personal responsibility & people should work much harder on getting some. In a country where freedom is so important, yes, one has the freedom to be a moron, but then some poor team of people gotta deal with cleaning up their crispy-critter ass because they were too stupid to accept that 300 million volts randomly flying through the vicinity might be a problem. 🙄
I remember that day. My friend and I were there and we knew there was a storm heading our way, but as it was said, we didn't know just how bad it was until it was right over us. We were just getting to my car, which was down and over the hill from where that happened. We didn't see the fan get struck, but it was still scary all the same!
I remember a race back in the mid-2000s at Loudon. I was there for it. The storms were moving in, it was getting late in the day. We could see the sky flickering and they were still racing while the storms were about a mile away off turn 4. While scampering back to our cars the lighting was striking trees and flash banging right over our heads.
I'm an ironworker, if we hear about lighting within 10 miles we all start yelling lighting and get off that building fast as hell. Had a strike hit our tall crane it jumped to the shorter crane then hit the building. It was a Sunday so only a few people were there and luckily no crane operators that day.
I was 2 miles down the road on that day playing paintball. That thunderstorm that came down that day was unforgettable. Some roads were closed on our way home due to the incident at the raceway. RIP
I was at this race and man was that a freaky moment… the lightning was fierce. From under the grandstands, with water splashing through, you could immediately see the medics heading to that area. It was a solemn walkout even as a Gordon fan, but had to be thankful to hop into the car after hearing that sad news quickly spread around. RIP to that fan. Enjoy life and stay safe out there!
Just terrible going to a sporting event and not coming home. I’ve been to Pocono a few times and when the weather rolled in the one year it was fast. We were still setting up in the infield when a massive storm hit on the Friday of the 2018 race. I kept thinking of the poor person who was killed by lightening at the track. 😞
I was at that race. The rain came down quickly and was like a bucket was dumped. It was crazy trying to get out of the stands, crossing a river of water trying to get to the parking lot. We were in our car and saw the lightening strike and the immediate EMS response.
I was at this race. It was definitely a scary day. Thankfully because I only live 10 minutes away and we had family alert us so we could get out at fast as possible but I think the issue Pocono never addressed is the lack of cover for fans. Under the stands doesn't exactly provide cover from the rain and I think Pocono needs to upgrade
Hello! You don't need rain to have lightening. My ex brother in law was playing on his h.s. baseball team. It was overcast but no rain. The rain was at least 3 miles out of town or more. As he reached to catch a ball near thw outfield fence, he was struck by lightning. His fingers fused together & he's lucky to be alive as a preacher today.
its no joke I can tell you that....Out at Langley raceway, doing the photography from the infield. Off in the distance 20 plus miles out, you could see the black clouds and you just question which direction are they moving. Thinking few more minutes head in where if it starts to rain be close to shelter... now this is back in the day, camera was metal as was lens....and bam....not so far away....not nearly far enough....the lighting hit the ground and lit us up... me and many others started running...I felt it sting me, as one might get from a 110 shock. Trust me...I didn't want another....we hauled a&&....and even then it wasn't enough. We got one of those hurricane rain dumbs...wind and rain I was soaked to the bone in seconds....crazy night...Did I mention the bleachers were all Alu....people on those were running as if lions had been turned lose....
We were at that race. We got back to our hotel and that's when we found out about the death. So sad to lose a fan. We weren't near that section, but still feel sad.
the NASCAR people/officials should have put in place the spotters sooner due to a race a Pocano in the late 2000's with rain in a single corner that caused a number of drivers to wreak out and have to stop the race.
I was there too with my parents and my sister. But the time we got even half way across the parking lot we felt like we were swimming thru the rain because it was coming down so hard.
They were halting games for lightning in the MLB, NCAA, and NFL well back into the 90s. There have been preseason and spring training games canceled because of it. NASCAR was VERY late to the game.
@@teebob21 yeah its just policy in the various leagues for any outdoor facility. NFL I think its 5mi from the stadium if its not a dome, they move at a minimum the upper deck fans into the concourses and pause play.
I was in the parking lot about 300 feet away from the guy that lost his life. We were sitting in the car waiting to leave when the lightning struck. Loudest thing I'd ever experienced, and it actually wiped out our car's alternator. Had to get towed home. I unfortunately got to see the paramedics doing CPR on the guy but it was too late. That was the last time I was at Pocono, and I'm not sure I'll ever go back
Recently during State Championships, we had lightning put a long several hour pause on our cyclocross racing. Because of this, many people went home. However, many of the pros raced age categories instead of level categories. Partially because of this, i came in 5th place, behind 3 current pros and 1 regular local pro guy. Thanks lightning.
I was at that track. We were all moving out and we heard a loud bang of thunder. It’s was terrifying but I’m glad that my family was ok during the storm and that we were able to get home that day. But after that, it mostly cleared up in Long Pond after the rain happen.
Not just NASCAR have that rule. A lot of motorsports and sports have it such as IndyCar, IMSA, NHRA, NFL, MLB, PGA, LGA, USGA, Outdoor band competitions, MLS, NCAA outdoor sports, Short Track Racing, World of Outlaws, USAC
Went to the 500 somewhere around 85 maybe 86,87 and we were enjoying the race when a large green cloud, from all the leaves being carried along came out of nowhere. Before you new it the rain was coming down in buckets and everyone in the " aluminum stands" were running for their lives and lighting bolts were hitting everywhere. I forget how many people got hit by lightning but we made it to my truck and left the race completely soaked. About an hour later while driving home they restarted the race, I'll never go back to that track in the summertime.
The BS in these stories is getting quite pungent... Lightning strikes tend to cause serious injuries and/or death... You claim multiple people were struck...how many? How many with serious injuries? How many deaths?
I was volunteering as an usher at that race. They gave no warning. People ran to their cars for shelter. 2-5 minutes after getting in our car we heard and saw the lightning strike that killed the man in the parking lot. We had just ran through that exact spot a few minutes earlier. The fans only had normal weather reports on their phones, but yet NASCAR has top-of-the-line weather reports, but yet they warned no one. That was my last race.
Only had "normal weather reports" on their phone...LOL! Pretty sure those normal reports predict thunderstorms... Always looking for something to blame, other than yourself...
Crazy because on summer swim team we had the same rules, since forever. Lightening strikes in the general area then the swim meet is held off for 15-20 minutes or more. I just assumed this was a standard of practice everywhere.
I lived in Tornado Alley for years. We got so many severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches that people ignored. Maybe they're braver than me, but after being told i was too cautious over and over, i called NOAA and spoke with an engineer about the weather warnings and what my reaction should be. Turns out i was the only sane one, not the other way around. He explained about micro bursts and the dangers of lightning, etc in depth. One of the best calls i ever made. Choose your risks, but make sure you know them first. 👍🏻🤗
And that would keep fans in the stands for longer where more could get injured and killed by a single lightning strike while they are all packed together in the stands.
I was there and three rows away from that fan holding on to the canopy that they were under. No parking lot. All on the rows of tailgaters in the grass.
Yeah I was diagonal to their car I was 11 at the time and they were trying to take their canopy down and it struck their canopy along with my dad's van. Loudest thunder strike ever. May he rest in peace.
Not sure how that incident made them make that a rule considering you said the fan was struck in the parking lot after the race was already over. Does the rule not allow fans to leave until the clock is up? I'm a little confused.
Venues don't have the power to hold people either. They can strongly suggest a course of action, but they can't stop you if you want to make a run to your car.
It's more of a liability thing. They can warn and advise against going out into the open during thunderstorms but can't stop you. If they try to sue, they have that policy in place to say the person did it of their own volition.
It happened after the race, but it could have also occurred during the race. They're not gonna wait for someone to die during the race to enact the rule.
I seen a tower beacon flashing in this video. Yes Pocono International Raceway does have a cell phone tower beside that race track with a flashing light on it.
I was at that race. It was one of the scariest sporting events ive been in attendance at. That had to be one of the most powerful thunderstorms I've ever seen.
I was at this race. We were in our car when that lightning strike happened. The rumor was that it hit a portipotty, but we had no evidence that's what happened.
I was diagonal to the car where the guys were. They were trying to take down their metal tent like the canopies so it didn't blow away. It struck the tent and the cars around it. I was only 11 at the time we had just gotten into the van when it hit and dad's vans antenna was fried and it ended up messing with the electronics of the van. But definitely not a port a potty. Sad day.
It is become a standard for most, if not all outside events. It is the standard that emergency managers all use when preparing for any type of event that will take place outside.
I was there that day. We did know about the weather report ahead of time. Rain was super common at the track so no one was too worried about it. We didn’t find out until later how bad it was.
I was at the truck race the previous day and I had always been told that that's the day a fan got struck not Sunday, the race finished but a storm rolled through immediately after.
That race was GIVEN to him as soon as can't remember name started around Gordo ITS RAINING , GORDON had stayed out stayed hoping for rain and NASCAR poured it on him😮
I was actually at the race that day I saw the ⚡️ strike the guy down and I was about 13 years old and his car was close to my dad’s car which when we scanned our tickets to go into the track no weather warnings yet when nascar said go back to your cars me and my dad stayed under the grandstand for shelter with the majority of the other fans I’ll never forget the smell of walking past the guy to get to our car
A theme park that I worked at also had a similar policy, shutting down all large rides if there was lightning within 10 miles, and everything else between 5 and 1 mile.
Here in Ontario Canada there's a similar rule in minor league baseball where upon lightning in a certain radius of the park, game was immediately stopped and everyone had to get to the dugouts for 15 minutes I think it was
I was at louden twice where the lower parking area flash flooded and people lost their cars the other time I watched lightning hit the bleachers, and Dover where a severe storm hit and we had nowhere to go. We could not even got ponchos on because the wind was blowing so hard. I’m surprised this has only happened once. Advertisement money is more important than fans lives.
I was there at the Pocono track for that race and by the time we even got half way back to our car we felt like we were swimming. I didn't hear about the death until after we were almost home though from our vacation.
Crazy to think that this is the one and only race my mom took me to when i was a kid, either 12 or 13 years old at the time. I remember it so vividly, especially when i see videos about it. The rain didn't even start slow it was just instant down pour, so after they ended the race early, we got up and started heading to the car but we weren't running just because we were going to be soaked running or not that was until that one bolt of lighnting( we hauled ass after that 😂). To this day, I have never been so close to a lightning strike. The flash was instantaneously followed by the loud crash of the thunder. You could literally hear the electricity in the air. We didn't know someone died until we got home and saw it on the news either later that night or the next day. Scary to look back at that moment to think that lightning strike could've harmed or even killed us. TLDR: My mom took me to this race when i was 12 and got to experience that lightning strike firsthand and didn't know someone died until we got home 4 hours later.
Same story here brother. I was there with my parents and my sister and I was 15 but that is something I do not want to repeat. Sure I'd love to go back and see a race in person, but not at the cost of someone's life. I also didn't hear about the death until we were almost home either, I want to say we were about 3 hours into the 4 hour drive home when we caught word of the fatality.
@dylantroutman6575 Yeah, I wouldn't want to repeat that day for the same reason. The fact that someone died at that race track within the same vicinity, just a horrible thought. What started as a fun and enjoyable day for a good memory to look back on just to be tainted by a sad and horrible outcome like that. I may have not known the person who passed but i remember that day beacuse of that person and hope he or she is still resting in peace. Sorry you had to experience that moment, too, and I'm glad you and your family walked away alright.
@dylantroutman6575 I appreciate you sharing the fact that you were also there. Also the fact we both managed to stumble upon this exact video. Small world.
A third person to add. I was there and diagonal to the car where they were. I was 11 at the time it was maybe my second or third time there and we had just gotten into my dad's van when it struck. Was the loudest thunder I ever heard. They were trying to take down their canopy tent that was metal and it hit the canopy along with my dad's van frying his antenna and messing with the electronics of it. There was atleast 2 guys who got hit the one unfortunately passed away but the other ended up surviving. May he rest in peace.
I live 3.5 miles from the track. We have four swimming areas in our development that shut down the first time thunder is heard until 30 mins after. We moved here in 2004 and it’s always been a rule.
My wife and at the time my young kids were there for that race....was a very scary situation......our car was parked very close to were that guys was struck
When I was around 16 me and a friend where almost struck by lightning. It was maybe 15ish feet away from us. I have no idea how we didn't get shocked, it was pouring rain and where the lightning hit the road all the water evaporated off the road leaving a large area that was dry.
Happened in 2012 my big ol butt, we sat through multiple Charlotte motor speedway races between 1996 and 2004 and we sat through multiple red flags cause of massive storms in the area...
All the scary and terrifying crashes that Pocono has had and yet the track has had more fan deaths than driver deaths(in NASCAR).
I’ll always remember Dale Jr and Steve Park’s crash on lap 1, Park’s car hitting the guard rail and flipping several times, and Jr literally sprinting across the field to check on him
@@tyvulpintaur2732 Faster than he ran from his family in a burning plane?
@@kramnull8962 what?
@@tyvulpintaur2732 Don't get amnesia now.
@@kramnull8962 there was no burning plane
"Kenseth in the wall
Biffle in the wall
Kenseth spins into the pack"
is forever burned into my memory.
Thanks to jimmie lol
You're forgetting "Trouuubbbblllleeeeeee!"
....and Denny Hamlin"
You need a life.
The words “Mikeyyy!!!!” Are the words that ring in my ears every race I watch
Biffle is the French word for “slapping someone across the face with your penis”
Even in highschool sports the 30 minute lightning delay is a thing
Also when you're a lifeguard
@@declandickson2839loved those 30 min delays as a lifeguard lol
Military boot camp too
Swimming classes too
My toilet too
Here in Central Florida, lightning detectors are on all playing fields and golf courses. When the siren goes off, lightning has been detected in the area and the game stops. Only when the siren sounds the all clear can anything resume.
hello from Pine Hills off of Tampa Ave near beautiful Orange Blossom Trail! LOL
In 98 I was a mech for American Racing in Sarasota. We raced wing sprints a lot in Gibsonton (east bay raceway). In July and August that year. We had rain/lightning call offs 6 weeks in a row. The 4th of July race. Bubba the Love Sponge was on our team. He got the inside wall in number 3 . Track was a swamp.
@@Jagg61 I used to be around that area in '96-'97 & a chic I used to bang had a brother that raced at that track! Just didnt care for Floriduh that much & came back to Georgia
I'm an avid golfer and the one golf club I played/worked at had a pretty robust lightning warning system with shelters(most courses do, but this one was a notch above the rest I'd seen). I was there onetime when it went off and some scary lighting started - there were quite a few groups of older guys without a care in the world still golfing.
Lightning is so dangerous and people don't treat it with respect until they have a close call or know someone who's struck. In my case, I know someone who was struck and died from lightning.
@jayg339 I was almost hit a couple times in Florida doing tractor work. I started the policy. Rain is ok to an extent. But lightening. I am out. Tampa Bay and a place in japan tie for most lightening deaths per year.
And here I am thinking that Feb 18, 2001 was the day that changed NASCAR.
This story is about how NASCAR was late implementing safety protocols that industry was already using.
It did change that day, there was less drivers and cars being taken out of races by one guy that would never cleanly pass someone, he always had to wreck them. It takes great skill to pass someone without touching them, of course Dale's way of thinking was fuck it, I'll just knock them out of the way...
So there can't be multiple days that change NASCAR?
I was thinking the same thing.
@chrispix61 Dale Earnhardt didn't ram anyone to cause the accident that ended his life on the track. He attempted to block a driver from overtaking him on his left. When he did so, his car clipped the right side front bumper of that driver's car. Which sent him to the right, in front of another driver's car and into the wall. The car he nearly hit before hitting the wall. I seen this race 23 years ago when I was 10 years old.
People always make jokes about how Nascar is just a race with straights and left turns but. Seeing as all drivers are tailgating each other at about 200 mph. There's very little margin for error, and that's what makes Nascar an intense sport. You have to make quick and careful decisions. One wrong move, and that's all it takes.
Exactly 2 months before I was born
If you told Dale Sr. that the only death at the track in the 20 years after he died was a lightning strike he would be grinning from ear to ear.
Why?
Because safety keeps improving and less people dying.
Because of his death, which was blunt force trauma to the head from hitting a wall at 150mph, they now have straps that hold the head and sternum back when hitting hard objects like cars and walls. Nobody has died since.
I believe they had them in dales time too but he refused to wear them
@@mumbles215virtually everybody refused to wear them before his death.
They were a fairly new thing and drivers didn't see the risks it mitigated and worried about it restricting their ability to move their head to see better around them.
I was there, there was warning. Not from the track, but there was a severe thunderstorm warning coming across my phone before that last wreck even happened
Yup. It's called personal responsibility & people should work much harder on getting some. In a country where freedom is so important, yes, one has the freedom to be a moron, but then some poor team of people gotta deal with cleaning up their crispy-critter ass because they were too stupid to accept that 300 million volts randomly flying through the vicinity might be a problem. 🙄
Lightning is something u don't want to underestimate
It will shake you up even when you think you are safe.Make you twitch
Especially when you're sitting in aluminum stands, this place is known for the storms coming out of nowhere in the summer.
I remember that day. My friend and I were there and we knew there was a storm heading our way, but as it was said, we didn't know just how bad it was until it was right over us. We were just getting to my car, which was down and over the hill from where that happened. We didn't see the fan get struck, but it was still scary all the same!
I remember a race back in the mid-2000s at Loudon. I was there for it. The storms were moving in, it was getting late in the day. We could see the sky flickering and they were still racing while the storms were about a mile away off turn 4. While scampering back to our cars the lighting was striking trees and flash banging right over our heads.
Every time you think it’s stupid to have to wait 30 minutes for lightning, think again
There's a reason people say that most safety regulations are written in blood
I'm an ironworker, if we hear about lighting within 10 miles we all start yelling lighting and get off that building fast as hell. Had a strike hit our tall crane it jumped to the shorter crane then hit the building. It was a Sunday so only a few people were there and luckily no crane operators that day.
@@shanetaggart6060 lighting?
@@shanetaggart6060 would the operators have been harmed, though? I mean, they're basically inside the equivalent of a Faraday cage...
@@believeinmatterYou know what he was saying man. He was probably typing fast and just misspelled the word. No reason to be a prick about it.
I was 2 miles down the road on that day playing paintball. That thunderstorm that came down that day was unforgettable. Some roads were closed on our way home due to the incident at the raceway. RIP
Rip. An unfortunate tragedy that hopefully never happens again
I was at this race and man was that a freaky moment… the lightning was fierce. From under the grandstands, with water splashing through, you could immediately see the medics heading to that area. It was a solemn walkout even as a Gordon fan, but had to be thankful to hop into the car after hearing that sad news quickly spread around. RIP to that fan. Enjoy life and stay safe out there!
Just terrible going to a sporting event and not coming home. I’ve been to Pocono a few times and when the weather rolled in the one year it was fast. We were still setting up in the infield when a massive storm hit on the Friday of the 2018 race. I kept thinking of the poor person who was killed by lightening at the track. 😞
I was at that race. The rain came down quickly and was like a bucket was dumped. It was crazy trying to get out of the stands, crossing a river of water trying to get to the parking lot. We were in our car and saw the lightening strike and the immediate EMS response.
R.I.P. Brian Franklin Zimmerman (March 26, 1971 - August 5, 2012)
I was at this race. It was definitely a scary day. Thankfully because I only live 10 minutes away and we had family alert us so we could get out at fast as possible but I think the issue Pocono never addressed is the lack of cover for fans. Under the stands doesn't exactly provide cover from the rain and I think Pocono needs to upgrade
Thank the Lord you were able to make it home safely.
Same, I live 10 min from Daytona so during a delay if I can get out of the parking lot I go home lol
Hello! You don't need rain to have lightening. My ex brother in law was playing on his h.s. baseball team. It was overcast but no rain. The rain was at least 3 miles out of town or more. As he reached to catch a ball near thw outfield fence, he was struck by lightning. His fingers fused together & he's lucky to be alive as a preacher today.
Tragic day in Nascar (for me) was Dale Earnhardt Sr. hitting the wall and actually passing from the crash. That changed Nascar as well...
Lol I was saying that to myself as I started the video
its no joke I can tell you that....Out at Langley raceway, doing the photography from the infield. Off in the distance 20 plus miles out, you could see the black clouds and you just question which direction are they moving. Thinking few more minutes head in where if it starts to rain be close to shelter... now this is back in the day, camera was metal as was lens....and bam....not so far away....not nearly far enough....the lighting hit the ground and lit us up... me and many others started running...I felt it sting me, as one might get from a 110 shock. Trust me...I didn't want another....we hauled a&&....and even then it wasn't enough. We got one of those hurricane rain dumbs...wind and rain I was soaked to the bone in seconds....crazy night...Did I mention the bleachers were all Alu....people on those were running as if lions had been turned lose....
We were at that race. We got back to our hotel and that's when we found out about the death. So sad to lose a fan. We weren't near that section, but still feel sad.
I remember recently nascar now has spotters outside the track if it rains to avoid what happened in daytona last year
the NASCAR people/officials should have put in place the spotters sooner due to a race a Pocano in the late 2000's with rain in a single corner that caused a number of drivers to wreak out and have to stop the race.
I was there that day. It was one hell of a storm. The track didn't give a warning but you could see it coming for a while.
I was there too with my parents and my sister. But the time we got even half way across the parking lot we felt like we were swimming thru the rain because it was coming down so hard.
Didn't the stick and ball sports adapt this protocol as well? It changed more than just NASCAR
It was a rule in NCAA when I was a freshman in 2006! NASCAR were way behind the curve on this one
They were halting games for lightning in the MLB, NCAA, and NFL well back into the 90s. There have been preseason and spring training games canceled because of it. NASCAR was VERY late to the game.
It’s an American sporting law iirc. All sports here have to abide by it.
@@LocalCatgirl0689 LMAO no it's not. It's not a law. It's just a best practice.
@@teebob21 yeah its just policy in the various leagues for any outdoor facility. NFL I think its 5mi from the stadium if its not a dome, they move at a minimum the upper deck fans into the concourses and pause play.
Can’t safe guard everything, gotta love life and take chances
Informed consent of risk. Definitely people should choose their risks. But letting them know what their risk is, is also important.
This was the first race one of my best friends ever watched
What parking lot at pocono , I’ve never seen it , it must be hidden . Useualy just pay 5/10$ to park on some guys lawn for the day
Dirt lots off of long pond road
??? Doesn't sound like you've been to Pocono raceway.
Go back to the day when it was true blooded American Racing Ford Chevy & Dodge Buick
Damn. I'd actually never heard of this situation. Thanks for sharing.
Seeing that lightning strike in the same spot continuously is terrifying.
RIP
We've used this technique in the flying business for ages. Lightning strike within 5 km of the airport means a 30 minute stand down for ground crew
Tragic to hear but I'm glad they instituted that policy
Good to finally know the history of this rule
I was in the parking lot about 300 feet away from the guy that lost his life. We were sitting in the car waiting to leave when the lightning struck. Loudest thing I'd ever experienced, and it actually wiped out our car's alternator. Had to get towed home. I unfortunately got to see the paramedics doing CPR on the guy but it was too late. That was the last time I was at Pocono, and I'm not sure I'll ever go back
A lightning delay for 30 minutes seems ridiculous until someone gets hit by lightning
Recently during State Championships, we had lightning put a long several hour pause on our cyclocross racing. Because of this, many people went home. However, many of the pros raced age categories instead of level categories. Partially because of this, i came in 5th place, behind 3 current pros and 1 regular local pro guy. Thanks lightning.
🎉❤🎉😢😢😢😢😮😮😅😊😊😅
If lightning strikes between 3-10 miles within the track the clock starts.
I remember being ushered under the stands at Charlotte for lightning long before 2012.
I was at that track. We were all moving out and we heard a loud bang of thunder. It’s was terrifying but I’m glad that my family was ok during the storm and that we were able to get home that day. But after that, it mostly cleared up in Long Pond after the rain happen.
Not just NASCAR have that rule. A lot of motorsports and sports have it such as IndyCar, IMSA, NHRA, NFL, MLB, PGA, LGA, USGA, Outdoor band competitions, MLS, NCAA outdoor sports, Short Track Racing, World of Outlaws, USAC
NHRA doesn't do shit. If its raining, they won't race anyway. They don't tell fans to do anything, so anyone can do whatever they want.
Went to the 500 somewhere around 85 maybe 86,87 and we were enjoying the race when a large green cloud, from all the leaves being carried along came out of nowhere. Before you new it the rain was coming down in buckets and everyone in the " aluminum stands" were running for their lives and lighting bolts were hitting everywhere. I forget how many people got hit by lightning but we made it to my truck and left the race completely soaked. About an hour later while driving home they restarted the race, I'll never go back to that track in the summertime.
The BS in these stories is getting quite pungent...
Lightning strikes tend to cause serious injuries and/or death...
You claim multiple people were struck...how many? How many with serious injuries? How many deaths?
The thing is you can only hide where it doesn't hit..
That’s how golf courses operate, if lighting strikes within 12 miles, course is closed for half hour, and every strike resets that 30 minutes
I was volunteering as an usher at that race. They gave no warning. People ran to their cars for shelter. 2-5 minutes after getting in our car we heard and saw the lightning strike that killed the man in the parking lot. We had just ran through that exact spot a few minutes earlier. The fans only had normal weather reports on their phones, but yet NASCAR has top-of-the-line weather reports, but yet they warned no one. That was my last race.
Only had "normal weather reports" on their phone...LOL!
Pretty sure those normal reports predict thunderstorms...
Always looking for something to blame, other than yourself...
Crazy because on summer swim team we had the same rules, since forever. Lightening strikes in the general area then the swim meet is held off for 15-20 minutes or more. I just assumed this was a standard of practice everywhere.
I work in TV and now EVERY outdoor event has this rule. All the cam operators have to come down and seek shelter for 30 mins. Kinda a pain
I lived in Tornado Alley for years. We got so many severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches that people ignored. Maybe they're braver than me, but after being told i was too cautious over and over, i called NOAA and spoke with an engineer about the weather warnings and what my reaction should be.
Turns out i was the only sane one, not the other way around. He explained about micro bursts and the dangers of lightning, etc in depth. One of the best calls i ever made.
Choose your risks, but make sure you know them first. 👍🏻🤗
Jeff Gordon wins his 82nd career win...He's always been one of the greats. I miss his many battles with Dale Earnhardt Sr.
And that would keep fans in the stands for longer where more could get injured and killed by a single lightning strike while they are all packed together in the stands.
I was there and three rows away from that fan holding on to the canopy that they were under. No parking lot. All on the rows of tailgaters in the grass.
Yeah I was diagonal to their car I was 11 at the time and they were trying to take their canopy down and it struck their canopy along with my dad's van. Loudest thunder strike ever. May he rest in peace.
In construction, we stop all work activities when there is a lightning strike 20 miles out.
Not sure how that incident made them make that a rule considering you said the fan was struck in the parking lot after the race was already over. Does the rule not allow fans to leave until the clock is up? I'm a little confused.
Glad im not the only one utterly confused by this
Venues don't have the power to hold people either. They can strongly suggest a course of action, but they can't stop you if you want to make a run to your car.
It's more of a liability thing. They can warn and advise against going out into the open during thunderstorms but can't stop you. If they try to sue, they have that policy in place to say the person did it of their own volition.
It happened after the race, but it could have also occurred during the race. They're not gonna wait for someone to die during the race to enact the rule.
I seen a tower beacon flashing in this video. Yes Pocono International Raceway does have a cell phone tower beside that race track with a flashing light on it.
Most race tracks have temporary service. Verizon or whoever will park a trailer in the in field just for the weekend.
@@andrewahern3730 I’m talking about the towers that are outside of the race tracks, you know the normal everyday cell phone towers?
Gordon with the win tho. GOAT
I live in Wilkes Barre PA right next to the pocono mountains where the pocono raceway is and I remember that storm. It was so crazy
MAY GOD BLESS HIS SOUL TO RIP AND MAY GOD BLESS HIS FAMILY FOREVER AND EVERMORE❤️🙏
I remember this race. I was a huge fan of Jeff Gordon. I was super happy that he won that race.
I was at that race. It was one of the scariest sporting events ive been in attendance at. That had to be one of the most powerful thunderstorms I've ever seen.
I was at this race. We were in our car when that lightning strike happened. The rumor was that it hit a portipotty, but we had no evidence that's what happened.
I was diagonal to the car where the guys were. They were trying to take down their metal tent like the canopies so it didn't blow away. It struck the tent and the cars around it. I was only 11 at the time we had just gotten into the van when it hit and dad's vans antenna was fried and it ended up messing with the electronics of the van. But definitely not a port a potty. Sad day.
Shitty situation
i live close to the track, i was there that day , as i know the area, my self and my family was out of there as soon as we saw the storm coming.
It is become a standard for most, if not all outside events. It is the standard that emergency managers all use when preparing for any type of event that will take place outside.
I was there that day. We did know about the weather report ahead of time. Rain was super common at the track so no one was too worried about it. We didn’t find out until later how bad it was.
I live 5 miles from Pocono Raceway and I remember that happening
I was at the truck race the previous day and I had always been told that that's the day a fan got struck not Sunday, the race finished but a storm rolled through immediately after.
Gordon and winning a race because of rain at pocono 🔥
That race was GIVEN to him as soon as can't remember name started around Gordo ITS RAINING , GORDON had stayed out stayed hoping for rain and NASCAR poured it on him😮
@@tommyjenkins7453 that's because before Ryan Newman got to him it was raining 💀
That was my first and only NASCAR race I went to.
KA-CHOW! Looks like Lightning "McQueen" had arrived in the middle of the race, and really kicked up a "Jackson" Storm! ⚡🌩🏎🏁
Ride the lightning 🌩
Guilty as Charged
But damnit, it ain’t right
@@Ob1tuber ...There's someone else controlling... me..?
@@TransNFLGirl death is in the air
Strapped in the electric chair
@@TransNFLGirlDeath in the air
@@TheDarkEternalKnight07strapped in the electric chair.
Imagine watching a massive accident, seeing car bits flying everywhere, watching people risk their lives, and then getting packed up by Zeus.
NASCAR: lightning you are forbidden from showing yourself for 30 minutes.
Lightning:⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️!
Sorry for the family's loss
I was actually at the race that day I saw the ⚡️ strike the guy down and I was about 13 years old and his car was close to my dad’s car which when we scanned our tickets to go into the track no weather warnings yet when nascar said go back to your cars me and my dad stayed under the grandstand for shelter with the majority of the other fans I’ll never forget the smell of walking past the guy to get to our car
A theme park that I worked at also had a similar policy, shutting down all large rides if there was lightning within 10 miles, and everything else between 5 and 1 mile.
Here in Ontario Canada there's a similar rule in minor league baseball where upon lightning in a certain radius of the park, game was immediately stopped and everyone had to get to the dugouts for 15 minutes I think it was
I remember hearing about this back in 2012 😢
This should be for any outdoor event, not just nasca
I was at louden twice where the lower parking area flash flooded and people lost their cars the other time I watched lightning hit the bleachers, and Dover where a severe storm hit and we had nowhere to go. We could not even got ponchos on because the wind was blowing so hard. I’m surprised this has only happened once. Advertisement money is more important than fans lives.
When I was growing up in the 1960s, we didn't need a detector to tell us it was lightning 🤷♀️
Neither did fans that day. Or people today.
Yeah, because you listened to AM radio that crackled with static every time lightening struck nearby.
I was actually going to go to that race but ended up moving from PA to NC a month before. But I had a few friends there
I was there at the Pocono track for that race and by the time we even got half way back to our car we felt like we were swimming. I didn't hear about the death until after we were almost home though from our vacation.
I remember walking back from a race at Louden and seeing lightning strike within 100 feet of a group walking ahead
Crazy to think that this is the one and only race my mom took me to when i was a kid, either 12 or 13 years old at the time. I remember it so vividly, especially when i see videos about it. The rain didn't even start slow it was just instant down pour, so after they ended the race early, we got up and started heading to the car but we weren't running just because we were going to be soaked running or not that was until that one bolt of lighnting( we hauled ass after that 😂). To this day, I have never been so close to a lightning strike. The flash was instantaneously followed by the loud crash of the thunder. You could literally hear the electricity in the air. We didn't know someone died until we got home and saw it on the news either later that night or the next day. Scary to look back at that moment to think that lightning strike could've harmed or even killed us.
TLDR: My mom took me to this race when i was 12 and got to experience that lightning strike firsthand and didn't know someone died until we got home 4 hours later.
Same story here brother. I was there with my parents and my sister and I was 15 but that is something I do not want to repeat. Sure I'd love to go back and see a race in person, but not at the cost of someone's life. I also didn't hear about the death until we were almost home either, I want to say we were about 3 hours into the 4 hour drive home when we caught word of the fatality.
@dylantroutman6575 Yeah, I wouldn't want to repeat that day for the same reason. The fact that someone died at that race track within the same vicinity, just a horrible thought. What started as a fun and enjoyable day for a good memory to look back on just to be tainted by a sad and horrible outcome like that. I may have not known the person who passed but i remember that day beacuse of that person and hope he or she is still resting in peace. Sorry you had to experience that moment, too, and I'm glad you and your family walked away alright.
@dylantroutman6575 I appreciate you sharing the fact that you were also there. Also the fact we both managed to stumble upon this exact video. Small world.
A third person to add. I was there and diagonal to the car where they were. I was 11 at the time it was maybe my second or third time there and we had just gotten into my dad's van when it struck. Was the loudest thunder I ever heard. They were trying to take down their canopy tent that was metal and it hit the canopy along with my dad's van frying his antenna and messing with the electronics of it. There was atleast 2 guys who got hit the one unfortunately passed away but the other ended up surviving. May he rest in peace.
@@fryguy5886 Small world indeed
I was there running around singing the thunder buddy song with my best friend. Then this happened.
I live 3.5 miles from the track. We have four swimming areas in our development that shut down the first time thunder is heard until 30 mins after. We moved here in 2004 and it’s always been a rule.
That also happened at Dover as well.
My wife and at the time my young kids were there for that race....was a very scary situation......our car was parked very close to were that guys was struck
I was at that race, wind was crazy
Rest in peace 🙏
I was there between 2 and 3. Our neighbor ran to our RV with the news. I was 5 at the time. Tragic
We have the same rule at my jobsite..
When I was around 16 me and a friend where almost struck by lightning. It was maybe 15ish feet away from us. I have no idea how we didn't get shocked, it was pouring rain and where the lightning hit the road all the water evaporated off the road leaving a large area that was dry.
Dale Earnhardt sr forever changed NASCAR actually.
"A 'VAN' would be struck by lightning and killed, out in the parking lot". ----The poor van😏.
30 minute lightning or thunder on the soccer field also effects time too.
God. Is. Good. Amen
Happened in 2012 my big ol butt, we sat through multiple Charlotte motor speedway races between 1996 and 2004 and we sat through multiple red flags cause of massive storms in the area...
Jeff Gordon paid for the funeral and gave money to the family a good man
I was there that day, the weather turned so fast.