NASCAR driver Blaine Perkins flips six times after car goes flying in scary collision
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A NASCAR race had to be temporarily halted in Alabama when driver Blaine Perkins flipped his car six times.
Perkins, 23, was racing at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday (22 April) when he got into a crash with both Jade Buford and Dexter Stacey.
On Lap 47 of the race, Perkins' No. 02 car was struck by Stacey on the backstretch as it broke loose off the second turn.
Stacey's car made contact with the inside retaining wall and lost control, clipping Perkins' car in the process.
As a result, Perkins' car found itself in the path of way of Buford’s No. 5 Big Machine Racing Camaro, which made contact and caused Perkins' car to go airborne.
When Perkins' car crashed back down to the track, where it began to roll.
The driver's car flipped six times before settling on the ground, with officials at the track waving the red flag to bring the race to a halt.
NASCAR said the race was stopped for approximately 12 minutes, but incredibly Perkins managed to climb out of the damaged car and walk away from the wreck.
The racing company said the driver was transported to a local hospital after the wreck, with fans sending an outpouring of support to the 23-year-old.
"Praying for GOD'S fantastic blessings of healing, comfort and peace for Blaine and his family!!! Can't wait for you to be back in the car!!" one NASCAR fan wrote.
Another commented: "WOW…that crash from Blaine Perkins is one of the scariest I have seen in a while. Those are violent flips. I am incredibly happy to see Perkins walk away from it."
Perkins' family shared an update on his wellbeing for fans in the aftermath of the incident, saying: “Blaine is alert, in good spirits, and continues to be observed at a local hospital. We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers. We will continue to provide updates as they are available.”
Perkins, Stacey and Buford were scored 34th, 35th and 36th, respectively, in the race, with Buford and Stacey both evaluated and released from the infield care centre after the crash.
The accidents didn't stop there, though, as another red flag went up during the race on Saturday when Daniel Hemric's car ended up on its roof in another incident. He was also treated by the infield crew and released.
Perkins does not appear to have released his own statement on his health at the time of writing (24 April).
