Crash in Pueblo Kills NASCAR Mexico Driver Carlos Pardo

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

This isn’t something anybody likes to report, but during the 97th lap of Sunday’s race at the Autodromo Miguel E. Abed in Pueblo, Mexico, driver Carlos Pardo died from injuries sustained during a vicious crash. After being bumped by another driver, he lost control, ran head-on into an infield barricade, and died 45 minutes later. He was running in front with three laps to go. I didn’t even know about NASCAR Mexico, and while I’m not sure if the series shares safety specs with its American cousin, there are plenty of infields in the States protected by concrete barriers—and not the impact-absorbing SAFER barriers employed at the outside—so it’s not like this couldn’t happen here. Godspeed, Mr. Pardo.