A nylon rope used to suspend Fox Sports’ overhead television camera came loose during Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600, delaying the race by about 26 minutes and injuring at least 10 fans.
The incident happened 121 laps into the 400-lap race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Long strands of the rope tangled some cars, causing damage to then-race leader Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota and the No. 9 Ford driven by Marcos Ambrose.
The falling rope injured 10 fans, according to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Seven were treated and released at the track, while three were transported a local hospital for observation.
Two of those fans were taken to CMC Northeast, and one to CMC University.
The nylon rope fell on the grandstand along Turn 4 of the race track. The track described the rope as a guide to the “CamCat’’ overhead camera system, which Fox uses for a variety of sports.
The All-Star race on May 18 and the Coca-Cola 600 marked the first time the system has been used at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“It snapped down and then flew down everywhere,” said Alec Schaffer, 22, of Richmond, Va., who was not injured. “Hats, popcorn, concessions were flying. It flew back up and everyone started holding the wire. Everyone was like what is going on and then we realized it was the cable.
“It was grabbing people’s hats, drinks, everything. Someone’s hat had to have gone 25 feet in the air.”
One of the injured fans, Todd Seymour of Lenoir, said that despite some fans saying they heard the rope snap, he did not. Instead, the rope hit the back of his head and came to rest on his right shoulder and right arm.
“I picked it up and it took back off,” Seymour said. “When it took back off it caused the burn.”
Seymour had his right forearm was treated with Neosporin and wrapped in white gauze about 6 inches in width.
He said his injury was more of an abrasion than a cut, though he did see one fan in front of him bleeding “really bad.” That fan left through the stairway and onto the concourse between sections D and E.
The overhead camera technology is commonplace for NFL and premier college football games, but is relatively new to NASCAR telecasts. Fox used it at Daytona this year and ABC/ESPN has used it for the Indianapolis 500.
One fan in the area where the rope fell said it initially snapped, then an attempt to cut it down caused it to fall into the grandstand.
Fox Sports, in a statement, expressd concern for the fans.
The statement also explained that that the camera system consists of three ropes – a drive rope that moves the camera back and forth, and two guide ropes on either side. The drive rope failed near near the Turn 1 connection, Fox’s statement said, and fell to the track.
The camera, supported by the guide ropes, did not fall.
“A full investigation is planned, and use of the camera is suspended indefinitely,” Fox’s statement said.
This camera system had been used successfully at this year’s Daytona 500, last week’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
NASCAR spokesman Brett Jewkes also released a statement: "NASCAR will work closely with our partners at Fox on their investigation of the CamCat issue tonight,” it said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the fans.”
This was at least the second time this year that fans have been injured during a race.
In February, more than two dozen fans were injured in Florida by a violent, 12-car wreck on the last lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The wreck tore a hole in the safety fence and sent debris – including a wheel – careening into the frontstretch grandstand.
With two cars, including the race leader, severely damaged through no fault of the race teams, NASCAR took the rare step to red-flag the race, then allow a 15-minute grace period for each crew to inspect its car and try to fix any damage. Busch said of his car, “it’s pretty killed,’’ including damage to his right front bumper and grill.
Despite that concern, Busch’s crew addressed enough damage that they kept him in the lead after racing was resumed. NASCAR decided to allow cars to regain their track position from before rope’s fall.
Busch’s engine failed around Lap 252, ending his night. He spoke to reporters about the rope incident and his thoughts about the moving camera.
"I heard a big thump along the right front tire. It felt like a blow-out,” Busch said. “Maybe now we can get rid of that thing.'' According to CMS spokeswoman Danielle Frye the three people taken to the hospital had "minor injuries that are not life threatening." She said seven people were treated with "minor cuts and scrapes" on site and released.
In May of 2000, more than 100 fans were injured outside of the CMS when an 80-foot section of the walkway fell an estimated 25 feet onto a highway below. Fans were crossing the bridge to a parking lot following the completion of the NASCAR All-Star race.