Claim under review: Elliott Sadler’s 2010 Pocono Raceway crash during the NASCAR race shows him going airborne with debris flying around before landing back on the track.

Verdict: Image altered. Sadler was the passenger in a major crash during the race; however, it wasn’t airborne, and he was able to safely get out of the car. The image has been taken from a reputable source, but was altered before posting on social media.

What was shared on social media?

An account by the username @WheedMBoise shared a picture on X, showcasing Elliott Sadler’s #19 Ford partially airborne with debris flying over the track. This picture was captioned, “Crazy, this doesn’t get talked about more when this is discussed.” The crash seemed fatal; however, the picture was digitally altered.

The crash indeed happened, and it was fatal as well. But the car never went airborne. Sadler went into the wall, which ruptured the Ford’s front and threw the engine out. He was hurt as well, but he managed to walk out.

The original picture, clicked by Rusty Jarrett, shows the car down on the track with the engine beside it. However, the altered image shows it airborne, which is fake.

The whole incident was easy to alter. This crash happened at Pocono Raceway back in 2010. Right before this happened, Kurt Busch crashed out, and all the cameras were focused on him. As Sadler slowed down because of the caution, he was bumped from behind, which sent him off the track and into the crash.

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Is there any official footage of the crash?

Unfortunately, NASCAR does not have any footage of Elliott Sadler’s 2010 Pocono crash. As mentioned, most of the cameras were focused on Kurt Busch, and almost no focus was on Sadler, who was running higher up in the field. The broadcast only cut to his crashed car with the engine thrown off.

Sadler was visibly hurt; however, he was able to walk out of the car. The only verified footage of the crash is a video clip from a fan who recorded it from the stands; however, the crash is still difficult to witness. But one thing is confirmed, that Sadler was not airborne, as depicted in the picture online.

How to avoid such altered NASCAR pictures?

Thanks to all of the cameras and onboard cameras today, it has become rather easy to spot any such fake pictures. The first action to follow is cross-verify any of the images that you see through the video clip of the same incident, which is usually available on the internet. This was a major factor in why the picture was so easily faked.

At the same time, make sure that the picture is coming from a verified source. Although it’s the fans who usually post such pictures, they can be traced back to the original version through a reverse image search on some of the more popular search engines.

There is another aspect that can help fans avoid falling for such fake NASCAR pictures. The detailing on the car. A lot of times, these pictures can also be altered through AI tools. At such a time, look out for the car details. Incorrect paint schemes, outdated sponsors, or missing contingency decals often indicate an altered picture.