NASCAR is a sport deeply rooted in legacy, where familial dynasties are not just common, they’re celebrated. It’s not unusual to see siblings competing against each other on the track or sons following in their fathers’ footsteps. In many cases, both make a name for themselves, while sometimes one stands out more. A prime example is Randy LaJoie and his son Corey LaJoie, each carving out their own path in the sport, with varying degrees of success.

The older LaJoie is best known for being a two-time Busch Series champion, winning in 1996 and 1997. Admittedly, he never quite matched those results while in the Truck and Cup Series. However, 15 Xfinity wins, 118 Top 10s and 3 Cup Series Top 10s are nothing to scoff at. NASCAR evidently agreed with the sentiment, because he was one of the NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees for this season.

Ultimately, the inductees were Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick, but that’s another story. Another achievement that LaJoie can boast of is being regarded as one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers. Though there is one more thing that the 63-year-old is known for, in NASCAR circles. Back in 1984, he was attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500, when he suffered a huge accident.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee recalled the accident

Randy LaJoie told Frontstretch, “So we started tail end, and when I put that thing in fourth and held her wide open. Boy, that sucker was purring. I drove from the back, it was probably 20 cars on that day. Drove up, was passing Sterling Marlin. He was in that Hesco #17 car. I was passing him and I was like, ‘Okay! I got a good run!’ Sucked up to him, was turning left to go by, hit the bump over the tunnel, and next thing I know, I’m sliding sideways. I was like, ‘Oh! This ain’t coming back.’ So I’m looking out the window and I was like, ‘Okay… Reach up, pull the belts.’ I reached up, pulled my belts far as I could get them. When the thing took off, and I could see the earth on one side and the air on the other. I was like, ‘I’m going to take a deep breath.'”

After his recovery, the father of Corey LaJoie, Randy, returned to the scene of the accident, probably for some closure. Along the way, he met with some of the marshals who helped rescue him from the wreckage. There was a heart-stopping moment after he was laid out on a stretcher. To everyone’s horror, Randy LaJoie was not breathing at all, so the worst was feared. Fortunately, the root cause was that his microphone was stuck in his mouth. Additionally, a baseball-sized clump of grass had lodged itself in his mouth. Once his airway was cleared, the driver regained consciousness and was talking once again.

So how did he get to that stage? It all began in the buildup to the weekend when NASCAR held a rookie meeting. Seven-time champion and veteran driver Richard Petty fired a warning to many drivers. He advised them on how to act in the event of a crash, which is useful in minimizing the damage to the body.

What advice did Richard Petty impart?

According to the legend, when racing at 200 miles an hour and going up near the wall, the chance of a crash increases. During that event, it could go one of two ways. Either they will hit the wall quickly, owing to the proximity. In the other scenario, drivers will slide a long way before hitting the wall, and hard.

The trick was to tighten the belts, and take a deep breath before hitting the wall. Randy LaJoie evidently took those lessons to heart and followed the instructions during the wreck. Admittedly, his job was made harder when a couple of their motors blew up in practice. Even after borrowing a motor from Richard Petty, his car had issues. In the end, the crash meant that he failed to qualify for the race.