The US 500, the most prestigious race in the Championship Auto Racing Teams series, was ruined by tragedy on July 26th, 1998, when three fans were killed and six others were wounded by debris from a car at Michigan Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.
CART was an open-wheel racing circuit created in the late 1970s. Drivers often achieved speeds of up to 230 mph in the straightaways. While rounding the fourth turn at MIS, Adrian Fernandez lost control of his car and crashed into one of the raceway’s retaining walls.
As he crashed, the vehicle broke into pieces. His passenger front tire and a portion of the suspension flew over the 15-foot-high wall and into the stands. The pieces were traveling at nearly 200 mph.
The debris struck fans in the eighth and 10th rows. Two people were killed instantly. Another fan died moments later, and six others received minor injuries. Michigan International Speedway later added additional protections to prevent future accidents.
This article was written citing information and media from MLive Sports Illustrated, and ESPN. For more sports, news and entertainment follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like the MWSN page on Facebook.
