There were scary scenes at Boone Speedway in Iowa during the IMCA A-Main qualifier. Damon Murty, who has competed on local and regional dirt ovals across the Midwest for more than three decades, endured a terrifying barrel roll on Lap 7 of the qualifying race, leaving spectators stunned and concerned for his safety.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Murty was fighting for track position on the outside of the No. 26 car on Wednesday, September 9, when the two made contact. Their wheels hooked, sending Murty’s No. 99D car sideways before it was tripped and launched into the air. It violently flipped five times down the main straight before coming to rest on its roof, as officials rushed to Murty’s aid.
Videos shared on social media captured the barrel roll, while fans in attendance at Boone Speedway can be heard exclaiming, “Oh my God,” and calling out Damon’s name. His team later took to Facebook to provide an update on his condition and ask the racing community to pray for him.
“Damon took a very violent rollover in his A Qualifier. He is alert and getting the proper medical treatment right now. Keep him in your thoughts, please,” the statement released by the team read.
Fans took to the comments section to send their best wishes to Murty, with most of them recognizing how brutal the crash looked and that they were thinking about him. But other than the fact that he was ‘alert’ and that doctors were treating him, there was no further update provided by the team.
The race was immediately red-flagged following the barrel-roll crash. At the end, Cameron Starry held off a charge from Kelly Shyrock to win the second Stock Car qualifying race.
Murty is one of the most decorated dirt track veterans in the country, having been on the scene since 1994. Nicknamed the “Chelsea Charger” because he is from Chelsea, Iowa, and is known for his aggressive racing style, he has won more than 300 races in IMCA competition, becoming only the fifth driver in history to reach that mark.
Interestingly, he reached the 300 mark at the Boone Speedway in Iowa, where he suffered this horrific crash. He also ranks first on the all-time wins list in the IMCA Stock Car division.
Murty has qualified for the championship main event at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals 16 times in his career. He has also recorded double-figure feature wins in 13 different seasons, including a career-best 25 wins in 2014. It’s a record that shows just how consistently competitive he has been at the grassroots level.
For now, the focus of the 50-year-old veteran and his family would be on recovering. The exact extent of the injuries he suffered has not yet been revealed, and there’s no update on when he’ll be back.