Kaz Grala slams head-on into outside wall at Dover during Cup Series practice
During Group B practice at Dover, Kaz Grala lost control out of Turn 4 and hit the wall head-on with the front of his car. It was one of those right-angle hits you hate to see in NASCAR, a little reminiscent of Erik Jones at Talladega last week.
Now, this was not at the same speed as Erik Jones at Dega. Kaz Grala appears to be fine and was able to leave the car under his own power. Grala ran 27 laps on one set of tires and that was one lap too many.
This Dover track is not taking in rubber, almost like Bristol a few weeks back. Drivers were on edge and slipping and sliding around. Grala just lost it and now his No. 15 Rick Ware Racing car is totaled.
Good news, Kaz Grala appears to be fine. This was not as violent as that Talladega wreck, but it was still violent. Any wreck like that is going to hurt a little bit, no matter what track you are at. Grala, 25 years old, has raced every Cup Series event this season besides Talladega last week.
Racing for Rick Ware Racing, Grala has performed well this season. A top-15 finish at Atlanta, and another top-20 finish at Bristol, Grala has done well in this 15-car. He was a DNF at Daytona racing for Front Row Motorsports, but this is his first time wrecking the RWR car.
Unforutnately, Grala is not going to qualify today. That car is destroyed and there is no way that Rick Ware can get a backup ready to go in time to qualify. It will be a fun race for the driver as he tries to work his way up through the field on Sunday.
Kaz Grala wreck eerily similar to Erik Jones last week
With the Erik Jones wreck being so fresh, it is hard not to think about it when watching that Grala wreck. Right angles into the wall usually lead to issues. Those are the most violent wrecks because the car can’t absorb the impact as well.
One thing is for certain, the SAFER Barrier is one of the greatest innovations in all of motorsports. Having the barrier there does not make these wrecks feel good. However, they are able to make the outcome better than slamming into concrete.
Jones suffered a compression fracture as a result of his wreck. Grala was checked out and then released from the care center. He does not appear to have any lingering issues and will be fine to race on Sunday.
Kaz Grala wasn’t the only casualty in practice. Rookie Zane Smith took damage to his left rear quarter panel and had to bring it in early during the session. This track is not taking in rubber, almost like Bristol a few weeks ago, and it makes getting around there more difficult.