A huge crash on the final lap of the 2013 Daytona 500’s Drive4COPD 300 race on Saturday night left 33 fans injured, two of them in critical condition. It started with a contact between Regan Smith and car number 32 driven by rookie Kyle Larson. Larson’s car then went airborne and tore up the safety fence, sending debris into the grandstands.

The only left from the car was the passenger shell, with the burning V8 engine stuck in the fences. Injured fans were transported to the nearby Halifax Medical Center to be treated for trauma related injuries.

The race was won by Tony Stewart, but he skipped the celebration: “As much as we want to celebrate right now and as much as this is a big deal to us, I’m more worried about the drivers and the fans that are in the stands right now because that was … I could see it all in my mirror, and it didn’t look good from where I was at,”

Despite all the safety measures Motorsport is still by and away the most dangerous sport. Maybe that’s why it is still so exciting. Check out a couple of videos of the crash below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00qvVICvSeo

via Associated Press