The Last NASCAR Driver To Survive A Basilar Skull Fracture 

5:04 “If I don’t close my eyes, I’m still in control” What a kickass statement

I don't even want to imagine pulling your helmet off when you've essentially separated half your skull from the rest of your body. Even scarier, being aware of it while it's happening

At 4:31 the way the first safety crew member at the window waves for the rest of the safety crew is haunting, reminiscent of Schrader waving for the safety crew after Dale’s crash. Glad Rick survived and recovered.

This dude is a straight badass. Not only survived but came back to win. Legend.

4:35 That impact was brutal. You could tell by how crumpled up the nose was. It was almost made into a triangle. Thank goodness he survived.

this is really specific but really interesting

first off the fact that he even survived the damn injury is nuts, like kudos to him for fighting it off considering its record of being quite lethal. perhaps something just as crazy is that he continued to run well after the fact, like no self-inflicted dnf's in the next year? AND A WIN?? like bro that's some next-level shit right there. not only does this guy get to say he survived a basilar fuckin skull fracture, but also claim wins in the same sport he injured himself in afterwards! idk bout you but that maybe the greatest flex in racing history

No wonder Rick Carelli had been touched by an angel. Such a lucky driver to survive that scary injury and ended up staying alive because of that.

You should go over on how Ernie Irvan survived all odds since youve done Stanley Smith and now Rick Carelli.

Truly a man with no fear of dying. Goated. 🐐

Nothing but a miracle that he not only survived but thrived after that. 💙💙

I went through almost everything Rick did besides a broken skull after getting hit by a habitual drunk driver in 1983. To this day I can't remember a day since not being in some sort of pain or deficit. 4:42 "..knocked my eyes crooked.." Rick probably also had a severe mid-line brain shift like myself that stretched and damaged his optical nerves. He said he had damaged nerves, my guess is neck nerves. My SCM doesn't function on one side of my neck, so my head permanently tilts to one side now. 5:00 "I couldn't die if I didn't go to sleep." I had a severe brain hemorrhage in 2005 caused by a weakened blood vessel in 1983. I felt myself going, but I decided I was ready yet. 5:25 Bleeding heavily from the ears. My guess is he also ruptured both equilibrium tubes and was left with severe tinnitus. This really sucks, the ringing is so loud from brain injuries. Rick is so lucky to survive, let alone be able to race again. My neurologist told my RN mother that he couldn't figure out how my brain didn't separate from the spinal cord. The point of all of this is, if you look at someone like Rick, you don't how lucky you are not to go through something like he did.

Wow, I forgot about NASCAR Rumble. I loved that game.

We need more "Gone too soon" videos: Marco Simoncelli in MotoGP, Anthoine Hubert in Formula 2 and Roland Ratzenberger in Formula 1 in 1994

He said he was told to pit multiple times but he didn’t, he kinda did it to himself but it’s good to hear he was able to survive that kind of injury.

That's scary that he was awake the whole time. I never knew that. So glad he survived! Great video.

I was seven years old when this crash happened and I still vividly remember that truck drifting down to the inside after impacting the outside wall. I vividly remember my mom being on the verge of tears saying “he didn’t drive it down there….this is bad…..this is bad…..” That will stick with me for as long as I live.

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This guy is an absolute unit, imagine being awake the entire time! This guy is made of different stuff

Rick Carellii is what I remember NASCAR of that era being, a gladiator, true talent. Surviving that is just miraculous, then to be Kurt Busch's calm on the spotter stand tells you the measure of the man and driver! Mr Carellii if you see this, you still have fans sir!!! That hit was awful, think Dale Earnhardt 100 mph slower, that's how close that was by my estimation. Great NASCAR talent and treasure GREAT VIDEO MY FRIEND GREAT VIDEO

It’s not just safety improvements that have made racing safer in the last ~20ish years, it’s major advances in trauma care too. From basic field care through surgery and hospital care. Things that were done for Newman in 2020 before he was even cut out of the car we’re not even available in the ICU at the top trauma centers back in this time.

As a coloradan, rick is my hero. Almost nobody from around here makes it to the big leagues of motorsport, which makes sense when your state has basically one asphalt oval that is used, one drag strip, and a couple tracks that have closed down.

The "High Plains Drifter" a true local legend for us Colorado fans. Thanks for the video!!!

If there's one thing to be grateful for...is that this accident happened on a smaller track instead of a superspeedway like Daytona. I know Carelli said speed wasn't the issue but I think any accident at a higher speed can influence a worse angle in terms of a crash that can kill. Indeed a miracle how he survived and saw a greater perspective in his profession afterwards to just make the most out of every day since, on and off the track.

The one time claustriphobia would save someone

Really interesting. I know I wasn't born yet when he had that crash and I wasn't a fan of trucks until now. But this was a great story

I wondered what happened to him. Good on the update as well. Not sure why he wouldn't pit when he could see he was going to have a blowout!

My stepdad was the rear tire changer when rick won at st louis

I never would’ve guessed Rick Carrelli went through something like that. Like, I knew about his racing days, but I did not know about that crash or injury before now

I had heard of Rick Carelli and how he survived a basilar skull fracture, but I never knew that he was the first Truck Series winner. It sounds like he had a hell of a career in racing!

Thank you for posting this. I use to watch him every Sunday at Lakeside Speedway. Always ran a clean race. Glad to see him still in NASCAR!

I was there when Rick won the first truck race in Tucson and saw him race there a lot. I crewed for a good friend in the Southwest series, John Baker who lost his life to a basilar skull fracture at Irwindale speedway. Somehow I never knew this about Rick. Great video and information about a very scary part of our sport.

Great video. I love seeing the new generation of fans discover the badasses of the past. There are so many great stories like Rick’s out there. Great research and scripting. I appreciate the work you put in.

Wow! Resilient! That's an incredible story!

Watched him race at Colorado National many times. I never knew his injuries were that bad until this video. Thanks for the video.

Wow. That is incredible.

Cool story, thanks for sharing! Glad he got that W for closure.

The " high plains drifter " I remember seeing him in a tour car at saugus speedway , Great job on this one ! thank you take care

Rick Carelli? Wow, I had no idea. Edit: this happened in the late 1990s. That explains why I don't remember that crash. I watched every Busch and Cup race back then, but never watched the truck races.

As someone from Arvada Colorado its insane how much local racers there are here although half you never hear of so this is a new one for me

“The High Plains Drifter” Everyone can hear that if you watched trucks in the 90s.

Rick Carelli drove that beautiful looking #6 Remax truck. And then Memphis happened.

I never knew that about Carelli. I had watched the trucks since its inception, and I knew he went from the 6 to the 66 and won in the 66, but I didnt know that was the reason why. Like he said, you have a ticket in this world, and a ticket out, and it wasn't his time yet. Underrated driver.

Rick raced and won in super late models at Colorado National Speedway in the early 2000's a few times. He is still a legend around here.

The High Plains Drifter, one of my favorites.

To suffer that injury and never go unconscious is wild

Rick was my favorite truck driver back then. I thought he was dead after that crash (watching live). So thankful he survived. His & Dennis Setzer’s crash at Loudon were horrific. They both cheated death.

Great story! I had no idea about the specifics of this story. 👍

Fun fact: this was the inaugural Memphis Motorsports Park race, and everyone was scared to go back after this wreck happened

The High Plains Drifter, one of the best! Still involved using his knowledge.

That is one scary situation

what a video 👏

One of your best videos in a long time

The High Plains Drifter was one of the first stars of the truck series and my favourite of those early years when they ran all those short tracks

He is lucky he did not end up like Blaise Alexander and Adam Petty. I am happy he is still alive to this day.

Rick Carelli was actually the fourth NASCAR driver to survive a basilar skull fracture. Larry Pollard sustained one in the 1988 Budweiser 200 Busch Grand National Series race at Dover and survived.

The "High Plains Drifter" could drive a car. I watched him school Ron Hornaday at Saugus, Stockton 99 and Redwood Arces when they were racing the Southwest Tour. At Stockton he hung in the top five around till the end and with 10 laps or so left. He then drove to the front and got Hornaday coming out of turn 4 on the final lap I had to read the newpaper the next day to find out who won. In Eureka he didn't flinch while leading. On every restart Hornaday would turn up under Carelli coming out of turn two and get into his quarterpanel. Rick firmly closed the door each time going into turn three. Those two were great to watch.

I'm sorry, But, WHAT WAS HE THINKING?? He should have pitted immediately after the contact

The High Plains Drifter

Grew up watching Ricky at lakeside. Drove my dads l/s late model on occasion. Side note. Pops car was involved in the crash that shut down the track. It now sits abandoned

Well since you've covered Smith and Carelli's stories you may as well go over to the most well known, Ernie Irvan Seriously though, I thought Smith's survival and recovery was miraculous. But Carelli didn't sleep for three days and was conscious during the entire moment when his head cracked like a walnut

6:00 "His organs are great. Is he a donor?" Gotta love how some doctors want to write you off, just to harvest your organs.

Love the video and the story but does it have to have the doom and gloom music even after his first win back from his crash?

Oh, scary crash/ injury, and survive, and Rick won few times in different tracks, and Good/ about his races of different cars/ truck, too video

Those first few years of the truck series were something special. I remember them well

Mesa Marin was in my home town. Unfortunately it's now a neighborhood

Great Video Bud!

Rick's always been a good dude, had some great wins at Mesa Marin....

My former stepdad was on his pit crew in the late 80s early 90s. Got to watch Rick almost every weekend at Colorado National Speedway. Got to watch him go to trucks then his crash. Then he went to spotting for Kevin Harvick.

Rick Carelli, one tough dude, and a lucky s.o.b.

I was there on a truck team and we heard the pop from the hit with wall and everything went quite then.

I wonder how different his career would of been if he pitted

As a kid who watched him at Lakeside, I dubbed him Rick'er Wreck Carreli

He was also in Nascar 99

Never knew how Carelli survived his horrific injuries at Memphis without closing his eyes and still race after it. Amazing that he's alright and doing things post racing career. Stanley Smith did passed away years later after his Talladega crash.

Around here Rick Carelli is a legend, the guy to beat if you wanted to win, I believe he won over 50% of his races at Lakeside in both modified’s and late models.

This guy is a madman hardass, and thats why he didn't die.

He should have pitted.

The High Plains Drifter!

The fact that he had his skull fractured, then the next year competed basically how he did before is insane!

He was actually the 4th driver in NASCAR history to survive a basilar skull fracture, not the third. Larry Pollard in 1988, Stanley Smith in 1993, and Ernie Irvan in 1994 were the first three.

I shoot sporting clays with Rick He’s a great guy and a load of fun to be around !!!

I hate to be this person, but that basilar skull fracture he sustained was absolutely avoidable. He should’ve pitted when the fender came down on the tire

STORY #2 TALKED TO RICK PITTS CNS (COLO NATIONAL SPEEDWAY) SAID GOOD LUCK AND SEE YOU NEXT WEEK/ HE SAID WE RUN WATKINS NEXT WEEK / THEN SMILE ON HIS FACE / HE SAID YOUR THAT GUY THAT LIVES IN NY MEMORIES OF A FRIEND

I remember him

Sorry he brought this wreck on himself, he should've pitted when they told him to. This is probably why NASCAR throws black flags over this now. None then less im glad he srurvives but this was very preventable even back in 1999. He wasn't the only one being a moron that day NASCAR was too for allowing it.

Amazing

Ernie Irvine is definitely the most well known survivor of the infamous Basilar Skull Fracture. Another survivor of it is Stanley Smith.

Christ Almighty.... Lucky, lucky, *L U C K Y* man. Wow.

"Rick Carelli remains the last NASCAR driver to survive a basilar skull fracture, and hopefully it remains that way forever". Yeah, we can't have other guys defying the odds and ruining that stat. 😄

Most people don’t survive decapatation

8:50 your wish is granted. Any further wreck where a driver suffers a basilar skull fracture, they will die.

Don't mind me, i clicked this video because of The thumbnail. I only know this car from NASCAR rumble

Marty Robbins

how the hell did he live hans device? that looked worse then dale sr 500 2001 wreck that killed him

NASCAR Busts: Dario Franchitti

Ahhhh NASCAR Rumble

google Jon Wilhite

Why is bro making this sound creepy with the background music

How is he a spotter if he has no depth perception😭