Eagle Eyes Falls from Sky

Published on 28-May-2013 by Bridgett Davis

Motorsports    Motorsports Daily Review

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Eagle Eyes Falls from Sky
It's  always a frenzy on any night of Nascar, but Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it took a bizarre turn for the worse.
 
One could easily call it the weidest sequence of events this season.  
 
Kevin Harvick was the last car remaining when the smoke settled on the track, crossing the finish line during a move made on a yellow flag because of debris. 
 
Looking back at the move, it was unpretentious -- something done hundreds of times -- that seemed to work for his team. Harvick made a pit stop for two fresh tires, giving up second spot in the field. Meanwhile, Casey Kahne didn't pit, thinking track position was a better tactic. 
 
Good idea, wrong outcome.
 
Harvick got a good jump, quickly took the lead, and Kahne couldn't fight back to his rear bumper.
 
The real storyline of the evening, though, was not Harvick's win and Kahne's loss. Rather, the epicenter was a nylon cable holding an overhead camera snapping, causing extensive damage to Kyle Busch's car and injuring ten fans. The good news was no one got seriously hurt.  
 
In a statement, the Fox television network said the cause of the malfunction was unknown. Of course, Fox is responsible, but Sunday's race was one of many unusual events that have taken place in Charlotte. Previous incidents include a pedestrian falling off a bridge, the appearance of a giant sinkhole, and the infamous tires in the grandstands. It's almost as if weirdness is a trait of that track.
 
Fortunately, NASCAR handled the situation in a quick and uncomplicated manner.  
 
I guess Marcos Ambrose summed it up best when he said of the snapped cable, "It was like getting attacked by a giant squid. It was just flapping, and I didn’t know what was going on.”
 
That probably won't happen next time in Charlotte. But given the history, it makes you wonder what will.