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Close, it seems, only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and NASCAR. Reds Kagle’s wreck at the 1961 World 600 — featured in Ben White’s new book, NASCAR Then & Now — could have been worse (and was certainly painful), but it was undoubtedly too close for comfort.
Kagle was piloting his #2 1961 Ford around the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the 1961 World 600 race. After completing nearly 220 laps, Kagle’s car rose to the top of the banked oval, and slammed into the guardrail at full speed.
Twenty feet of steel girder punctured the Ford’s front fascia, ultimately traveling through the engine compartment, firewall, and exiting through the driver’s doorjamb. Sadly, the accident cost Kagle his left leg, but had the beam punctured at a slightly different angle, the accident could have become a tragic fatality.
The World 600 would be Kagle’s last race until 1977, when he competed in two different NASCAR Late Model Sportsman (now known as the Nationwide Series) events. The second, held at Beltsville Speedway in Maryland, would ultimately net him his first career win.
If you dig seeing how NASCAR transformed from a grassroots dirt track series into a sponsored multimedia circus, White’s book is a good place to start. Look for it on shelves at a bookstore near you.
Photos courtesy of Motorbooks Publishing
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