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ET8 AUTOSPORT.COM 22 AUGUST 2019PIT + PADDOCKNASCARCollapsed landing gear caused a plane
carrying ex-NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr
and his family to crash off a runway last
week before bursting into flames.
Earnhardt’s jet caught fire and burned
out within minutes during the incident
at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in
Tennessee. The plane had careered off
the end of the runway and through the
fencing at the end of the airstrip.Earnhardt, his wife Amy, daughter Isla,
their dog and the two pilots escaped the
Cessna Citation 680 before it burst into
flames. The Earnhardts were transported
to Johnson City Medical Center, with
Dale Jr treated for cuts and abrasions.
Nearby CCTV cameras caught the crash,
allowing National Transportation Safety
Board investigators to identify that the
right-side main landing gear collapsed
after a second or third heavy ‘bounce’
along the runway as it attempted to land.Senior investigator Ralph Hicks said:
“We’re going to be on the scene for two or
three days, documenting the perishable
evidence at the site.”
Earnhardt’s former Cup Series crew chief
and now co-commentator Steve Letarte said
that the Earnhardt family were “relatively
OK, healthy, [with] no major medical issues”.
“Much like the reports said it was a scary
situation,” added Letarte. “Now they’re
together, resting and recovering.”
CHARLES BRADLEYBTCCThe British Touring Car
Championship will trial
reverse pit-garage access
next month at Silverstone
to increase fan engagement
ahead of a possible part-
time 2020 introduction.
All cars will face the backs
of their garages and towards
the paddock, rather than the
pitlane as is customary.
Although the BTCC offers
pitlane walks to fans, it ishoped that this measure will
enable more spectators to
see the cars being worked
on by mechanics.
BTCC chief Alan Gow
said: “The garages will all be
dressed up, and the public
gets to see everything going
on in the garage.
“At the moment, we dress
up the garages to face the
pitlane and be seen just by
ourselves. The fans only
ever get to see the back of
the cars, and the oil drums.“It’ll also give the teams
and drivers more time to
interact with the public.”
The scheme will be
trialled across the 28-
September round at the
Silverstone National circuit
and will also operate at
Donington Park and
Snetterton next season.
It is thought that the
BTCC will become the first
major championship to
introduce this measure.
MATT KEWBTCC to try fan-friendly pit garage tweak
Earnhardt and family escape
from Tennessee plane crash