Sports
Details released from retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2019 plane crash and family escape
Details released from retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2019 plane crash and family escape. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a pilot struggled to open a crashed airplane’s wing emergency exit as the aircraft began to burn and fill with smoke before the race car driver and his family managed to escape from the main door, according to new details about the 2019 accident released by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Documents released Thursday by the NTSB provide pilot, passenger and witness statements about the Aug. 15, 2019 plane crash at an airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee.
Earnhardt was with wife Amy, 15-month-old daughter Isla, two pilots and the family dog when their Cessna Citation Latitude crashed. The NTSB said three passengers suffered minor injuries.
Earnhardt retired from full-time racing following the 2017 season and is now working as a NASCAR analyst for NBC Sports, though he has raced since the plane crash.
In a preliminary report, NTSB investigators have said part of the landing gear collapsed and a section of the right wing hit the runway as the plane bounced twice before touching down a third time with about 1,000 feet of paved surface remaining.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 2019 plane crash
The plane went through a chain-link fence before coming to rest on the edge of Tennessee Highway 91.
Pilot Richard Pope told the NTSB that he was carrying extra speed on the approach to the runway because the airplane “slows down so easy,” according to a summary of the pilots’ statements to the NTSB.
Pope said the initial touchdown was “pretty hard” and the airplane came off the runway. The flight crew reported that thrust reversers, which help an airplane decelerate during landing, were applied after the first touchdown.
Pilot Jeffrey Melton said that after thrust was increased, “the power never comes,” the NTSB reported.
“After they attempted to increase power, and they did not feel the power come, power was pulled to idle, and the thrust reversers were again applied as the airplane touched down for the third time,” the report said.
Earnhardt and the two pilots were unable to open the emergency exit door over the wing after the plane came to a hard stop, the report said.
READ: “You need to ask Lewis why he changed his mind” Toto Wolf Said on Triangular Contract Issues Between Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari and Mercedes
“As they were attempting to get the rear exit door open, heavy smoke was coming from the lavatory,” the report said. “Mr. Earnhardt reported that he told Mr. Melton to try the main cabin door. At this time fire was now visible in the lavatory.”
Melton then kicked open the main cabin door wide enough so that he could exit.
“Earnhardt then handed his daughter, who was in his arms, to the pilot, and then they each squeezed out the opening,” which was roughly the size of a conventional oven, the report said.
Witness Cheryl Campbell told the NTSB in a written statement that she was driving when she saw the rear of the aircraft burst into flames after it crash-landed. In her statement, Campbell said she had served in the Air Force and had been a flight attendant for a major airline for two decades.
Campbell told investigators that she ran to the aircraft and saw a man who was not wearing a uniform “struggling and not walking.” Campbell said she asked the man his first name but she did not directly identify Earnhardt.
“He tried to get up and could not and was asking if his wife and child were out and ok,” Campbell wrote. “I assured him I had checked his wife and child and both were ok. I also told him his dog was ok when he asked.”
A final report from the NTSB has not been released.
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Sports
“How young is too young” Underage Driver Wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Had Caused Commotion
“How young is too young” Underage Driver Wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Had Caused Commotion
Young drivers entering NASCAR is not new. While prime examples include Chase Elliott, who debuted in the K&N Pro Series at 15, and 17-year-old Connor Zilisch who competes in Xfinity, from time to time, people still wonder if the organization’s age limit is too low. Case in point, recently an underage driver wreaked havoc at a Dale Earnhardt Jr-owned CARS Tour race. The unfortunate incident inevitably saw fans questioning NASCAR’s age-related stance.
And it’s safe to say that the driver being who suffered the aftermath of the wreck wasn’t happy either!
When stock car racing took root in the late 1940s, NASCAR’s premier series was limited to people 21 or older. Usually, drivers between 35-45 years of age were regarded as prime. But the turn of the 21st century has encouraged youngsters to try their hands at the steering wheel. Take Dale Jr, for example, who got his NASCAR debut at 22!
However, now the age limit may be further plummeting down even lower! Although the sanctioned age to drive full-time in NASCAR’s top-three touring series is 18, other affiliated series are flexible. And this flexibility put Late Model sensation Landon Huffman in serious danger.
Notably, when Dale Earnhardt Jr announced his CARS Tour ownership alongside three other veterans, he gave an interesting insight. He grew up racing Late Model races on the West Coast, and hence underlined experience as important. “What seems so simple to us, because we have been around it our whole lives, is not so simple to the weekly competitor who is struggling to get to the track or has a question about what is right or wrong or what he should or shouldn’t do,” the JR Motorsports team owner opined.
But something happened recently that directly contradicted Dale Earnhardt Jr’s philosophy, as an inexperienced racer sparked chaos at a CARS Tour race at Ace Speedway. Late Model sensation Landon Huffman washed up against an unexpected debacle. While battling for the lead, an underage racer violently pushed Hoffman’s car to the wall, as the latter’s roof came off. Huffman shared the video on X.
Jumior’s popular driver also proclaimed his intense dislike for NASCAR’s falling age limit. He wrote in another tweet, attaching his car’s picture after the wreck, “Led over half of the second twin and then this. Exhibit A why kids under the age of 14 should not be driving late model stock cars”.
Huffman’s views echo some veteran drivers’ opinions. Last year, Tony Stewart was baffled at some racing series picking up 12-14-year-old kids. “It makes zero sense to me,” he had said at the time. On the other hand, RFK Racing owner Brad Keselowski also empathized with the children, who he believes are missing out on their teenage growth. “We hurt them in their ability to develop their own lives,” he shared.
But that’s not all. After Huffman’s terrifying accident, NASCAR fans are also getting active on the same topic. Looks like Dale Earnhardt Jr’s series got a few raps for allowing children to compete.
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Chase Elliott is F**kingly Rich- Expensive things owned by Him Exposed
Being the son of former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott and a six-time recipient of the NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award, Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott remains one of the wealthiest drivers on the grid. Part of that wealth funds the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion’s lavish lifestyle.
Elliott, who has a net worth of $12 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), indulges in a lifestyle filled with luxury and opulence, owning several expensive items that offer a glimpse into his extravagant world.
In this article, we take a closer look at the lavish lifestyle of Chase Elliott: The 28-year-old driver resides in a luxurious mansion situated in the Georgia mountains in Dawsonville, Georgia. The three bedroom, fourbathroom mansion spans three floors, boasting an open-concept layout on the main floor with a kitchen, living room, and half-bathroom, while the second story houses three bedrooms.
2. Motorhome
To navigate the demanding NASCAR season schedule, Elliott owns a luxurious Prevost motorhome, estimated to cost between $800,000 to $2 million. Customized to his preferences, the 47-foot motorcoach features a front entrance with driver and co-driver seats, a lobby area equipped with two televisions and a video game console, and an iPadcontrolled system for managing lights, temperature, and security.
3. Private Jet
Elliott’s passion for flying is evident in his ownership of a $1.8 million Cessna Citation 525 private jet. Beyond mere transportation, Chase Elliott has admitted that flying serves as a distraction for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, allowing him to focus on activities away from the racetrack
4. First car
Right off the bat, Chase Elliott made his stance clear when he revealed during an appearance in the Pat McAfee show that the Hendrick Motorsports driver was not a car collector. While the fact may come as a surprise for many given Elliott’s profession, he admitted that racing was his “speed fix.”
However, Chase Elliott did own a car once, and a very special one at that. A teenage Elliott, who was still coming through the ranks of Super Late Model Racing, was gifted a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck by his parents Bill and Cindy Elliott.
In addition to his lavish possessions, the former Cup Series champion enjoys spending time on the golf course, indulging in his passion for the sport.
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Mercedes declares its prestaties Hamilton: “Lewis has become the slachtoffer van”
Lewis Hamilton probably imagined his last year at Mercedes differently. The Briton performs very poorly in the slow W15 and is regularly unable to keep up with teammate George Russell . The result? 27 meager points and ninth place in the championship. But why is that? Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director , tries to explain it using the set-up. Hamilton experiments quite often.
“It’s mainly about learning more about the car,” Shovlin told Auto, Motor und Sport . “Lewis is often open to major changes to the set-up this year. He wants to know better how he can get the most out of the car. Lewis has sometimes fallen victim to that, but if you don’t change anything, you don’t learn anything. It would be wrong to say: ‘it is what it is, let’s make the best of it’.
Shovlin also believes that Mercedes should come up with a solution. It’s not entirely Hamilton’s fault. “The bottom line is that we need to find a better balance. Then we don’t have to constantly deal with compromises. Often we solve one problem and get another in return. The goal should be to have a strong front axle without that it is at the expense of stability at the rear. The car must also turn well in the slow corners without causing oversteer in the fast corners.”
Mercedes just hasn’t found that balance yet, Shovlin admits. “We have not yet managed to be competitive everywhere and we cannot achieve that in one race. That is what we are currently working on. We no longer want to choose between being fast in slow or fast corners. If If you adjust the car low to the ground, you are fast in the slow corners due to the downforce produced. However, in the fast corners there is a possibility that you will hit the asphalt. The reverse works exactly the same you get maximum downforce in the fast corners, but you pay the price in the slow corners. It is difficult to find the compromise over an entire lap.”
“How young is too young” Underage Driver Wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Had Caused Commotion
Chase Elliott is F**kingly Rich- Expensive things owned by Him Exposed
