Sprint cars are notoriously dangerous and hard to control, and that's due to a number of factors. High power, low grip, and a crowded field all play their part. But it's even more perilous for track workers, who have to dodge a flying race car, on occasion.
As the investigation into the death of sprint car driver Kevin Ward, Jr., continues, this insane video of a track marshal nearly getting his head ripped off shows that it's not just dangerous for people out on the track, but also for those off the track. Sprint car races are often small-town, community events, and they don't have the huge runoff areas of a major international track like the Circuit of the Americas, or the barrier systems like at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The result is that when something goes wrong, like it did at this race last week in Watsonville, California, it can go very wrong indeed. Everyone here was lucky to escape unharmed.