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SAFER Barrier saves McDowell

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McDowell's wrecked Toyota
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Rookie Michael McDowell walked away from one of the most terrifying crashes in recent memory during Friday's Sprint Cup Series qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway and clearly it was the combination of the SAFER Barrier and the HANS Device that saved his life.

McDowell's Michael Waltrip Racing No. 00 slammed headfirst into the first turn wall during his qualifying attempt for the Samsung 500 field. The impact into the SAFER Barrier wall pushed the wall completely back (as it was designed to do) and sent his Toyota through a series of violent barrel rolls down the track's banking before finally coming to rest. (Watch Video)

McDowell climbed from the car unhurt and waved to the crowd which roared its approval.

“I don’t know if it was because of the oil-dry or if there was oil up there," McDowell said. “The first [qualifying] lap, it just didn’t quite feel right, so I was going to run the second lap. I don’t know if something broke or if we just got into the oil dry. It was hard to see.

“I got down in there and kind of pulled a little bit to the right, and it got a little bit loose and to the left. I just tried to gather it up, and by that time, you’re going so fast, it just hooked and went.

“Once I hit the wall, I knew it was going to be pretty big. There was a lot of momentum there. The first hit wasn’t bad, actually. The second hit was all right, and then we just started tumbling down the track. I’m very grateful and blessed to be here right now."

McDowell said he never lost consciousness, kept his eyes open and felt “like I didn’t stop flipping."

“It wasn’t a fun ride, that’s for sure," McDowell said. “I stand here with a smile on my face because I’m fortunate. … I’m not a doctor, but I’m going to guess that I’m going to be pretty sore tomorrow."

McDowell had gotten loose and slid sideways before turning sharply toward the wall – “Just wish I didn’t overcorrect there," McDowell said.

“Honestly, it got away from me so fast that it felt like oil or something broke," McDowell said. “It’s unfortunate because I don’t want to blame anybody. I’m in the driver’s seat. Maybe I opened up the entry a little bit and got up in the oil."