Sprint Cup Series
In 1987, a pileup ushered in changes to NASCAR superspeedway racing. On the 22nd lap of the Winston 500, a tire blew on Bobby Allison's car, sending it into an airborne spin at over 200 mph. The car crashed into the catch fencing protecting the grandstands, ripping down a large section, demolishing his car, and colliding with several other cars. Although one spectator reportedly lost an eye, and many other fans suffered cuts and bruises from flying debris, no one was killed.
Following that race, NASCAR introduced safety rules to slow the cars at Daytona and Talladega for the remainder of the 1987 season. 390 CFM carbs were mandated two months later at the next race in question. During the final lap of the 1987 Pepsi Firecracker 400, Ken Schrader got loose and flipped over near the finish line, collecting Harry Gant.
After Schrader's flip, NASCAR decided further regulation was necessary. In 1988, starting with the season-opening Daytona 500, NASCAR mandated restrictor plates at the two tracks. But it was the 1990 Pepsi 400 that led to the modern "Big One" crashes.
Further information: Restrictor plate#NASCARRead more about this topic: The Big One (NASCAR)
Famous quotes containing the words cup and/or series:
“In poorer lands
No one touches the water of life.
It has no taste
And though it refreshes absolutely
It is a cup that must also pass
Until everybody
Gets some advantage....”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“Rosalynn said, “Jimmy, if we could only get Prime Minister Begin and President Sadat up here on this mountain for a few days, I believe they might consider how they could prevent another war between their countries.” That gave me the idea, and a few weeks later, I invited both men to join me for a series of private talks. In September 1978, they both came to Camp David.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)