TBK-Light.com :: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte

It was behind the wheel of his NASCAR Sportsman car at Charlotte in ’95 that Steven was thrown in to maturity with a crash that claimed the life of Russell Phillips.

"I really didn’t want to race again, it spooked me out. I had my car here for a long time. Once I got rid of it I started getting over it – that part. I read a lot of articles about him, he was a Christian person, and what made it worse than anything was that we were parked beside of him – the whole week.

"He was a nice guy. To my you know it was a racing accident. He had already fell back from the pole and we was coming up through the pack, me and Ronnie Sewell, we was coming into three and the wreck happened coming off four, the original wreck that is. I stayed low and Ronnie went around me on the outside. I got there about 300; 500 yards from the wreck and my spotter said go high. I went high, and I don’t know if he thought I was going to stay low or what but when I went high, he (Phillips) came around and we hit. Then we wheel hopped the cars and he hit the wall."

The accident sheared the top of Phillips car off as the roof impacted at an angle with the retaining fence. "I remember seeing, kind of remember him." Steven recalls of the wreckage. "I remember seeing the top was off the car and that’s when another car slid into me and spun me back around. But, I really don’t think I ever did see him. If I did, that would have got me.

"More or less what it did to me was made me think, If you go out here in your car, are you ready to go to heaven if you don’t come back in. It made me do a lot of thinking, more or less in that perspective, ‘cause I didn’t want to die right then – I didn’t want to die at 21 years old or 22."

It was an accident that would have many drivers hanging their helmets up. Charlotte Motor Speedway officials announced the division would not return and replaced it with the ARCA series. As for Steven, he would not let the incident affect him as he concentrated on Greenville-Pickens for 1996 and adding his name to the wall of champions famous at the South Carolina track.

Author:	OldAsphalt [ Wed May 28, 2014 2:55 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
prefer charlotte over texas because fuck eddie gossage

Author:	Racefan4ever [ Wed May 28, 2014 5:43 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
Underdogfan wrote: de31168 wrote: Well since Humpy isn't part of the scene anymore, lets bring the IndyCars back! Oh yeah ...bring it all back to Charlotte!! Charlotte would be a hell of a lot safer than fucking Texas. Yes they should bring it all back. It's fucking auto racing. IT IS DANGEROUS.

Author:	de31168 [ Wed May 28, 2014 6:30 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
Underdogfan wrote: de31168 wrote: Well since Humpy isn't part of the scene anymore, lets bring the IndyCars back! Oh yeah ...bring it all back to Charlotte!! Fireball Roberts died there too. Why are we still racing cup there? Three other guys died in the sportsman series before Phillips did and Blaise Alexander died 2 years before Martin. So it wasn't like every tragedy was the last straw.

Author:	Jeff [ Wed May 28, 2014 8:26 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
Three guys died in the Sportsman Series...the more I find and read about that series, damn, what made them think that was a good idea? ARCA ran Charlotte a few more times after Martin died, I think the last ARCA race at Charlotte was in 2004.

Author:	Wreckinturn4 [ Wed May 28, 2014 2:14 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
I found this about the Russell Phillips, provides further insight to the crash http://www.straightcircles.com/stevenhoward.htm Quote: It was behind the wheel of his NASCAR Sportsman car at Charlotte in ’95 that Steven was thrown in to maturity with a crash that claimed the life of Russell Phillips. "I really didn’t want to race again, it spooked me out. I had my car here for a long time. Once I got rid of it I started getting over it – that part. I read a lot of articles about him, he was a Christian person, and what made it worse than anything was that we were parked beside of him – the whole week. "He was a nice guy. To my you know it was a racing accident. He had already fell back from the pole and we was coming up through the pack, me and Ronnie Sewell, we was coming into three and the wreck happened coming off four, the original wreck that is. I stayed low and Ronnie went around me on the outside. I got there about 300; 500 yards from the wreck and my spotter said go high. I went high, and I don’t know if he thought I was going to stay low or what but when I went high, he (Phillips) came around and we hit. Then we wheel hopped the cars and he hit the wall." The accident sheared the top of Phillips car off as the roof impacted at an angle with the retaining fence. "I remember seeing, kind of remember him." Steven recalls of the wreckage. "I remember seeing the top was off the car and that’s when another car slid into me and spun me back around. But, I really don’t think I ever did see him. If I did, that would have got me. "More or less what it did to me was made me think, If you go out here in your car, are you ready to go to heaven if you don’t come back in. It made me do a lot of thinking, more or less in that perspective, ‘cause I didn’t want to die right then – I didn’t want to die at 21 years old or 22." It was an accident that would have many drivers hanging their helmets up. Charlotte Motor Speedway officials announced the division would not return and replaced it with the ARCA series. As for Steven, he would not let the incident affect him as he concentrated on Greenville-Pickens for 1996 and adding his name to the wall of champions famous at the South Carolina track.

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Author:	Ayro [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:28 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte

Author:	de31168 [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:53 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
I like Humpy and his outspoken nature and the promoter within.

Author:	Starlancer [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 4:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
Wasn't the Charlotte Indy incident a wheel going into the crowd? Something that could happen at every other oval they have ever raced on? It just seems odd that Charlotte comes off as a deathtrap for something that could literally happen to me at Placerville Speedway given the right circumstances.

Author:	de31168 [ Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:38 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Sprint Cup/Nationwide @ Charlotte
^^ Yes. And lessons were learned and fences are now higher and curved further out and cars have wheel tethers. Freak accidents will never stop though. Atlanta is the real winner with 2 wheels in empty backstretch and empty turn 4 stands in 2 separate occasions.

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