7 days ago
Dirt Race Crash Ends With Car Flipping After Driver Retaliates
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
In the MARS Late Model series at Farmer City Raceway in Illinois, two drivers got into a terrifying crash, which resulted in a car completely flipping on its head.
During the race, Daryn Klein (No. 10) attempted to pass Bob Gardner (No. 4), but the move didn't work out.
Klein's car hopped on top of Gardner's, and another driver, Dylan Thornton, also hit the No. 10.
Gardner was left with massive damage to his car, and in a fit of rage, he prepared to retaliate against Klein for the aggressive overtake attempt.
Cars line up before entering the track for the Port-A-Cool¨ Texas World Dirt Track Championships SUPR Late Model series on March 8, 2014 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Cars line up before entering the track for the Port-A-Cool¨ Texas World Dirt Track Championships SUPR Late Model series on March 8, 2014 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Photo byHe rejoined the track and drove into incoming cars. The rest of the field managed to avoid him, though Gardner wasn't done with Klein just yet.
The No. 10 cut across the track, got side by side with the No. 4, and whacked his rival, leaving Klein's car flipped upside down.
All of this action happened on the first lap of the race, though none of the other drivers were injured after the dangerous incident.
Luckily, this happened at a dirt track with cars that didn't reach high speed - lessening the risk for a scary outcome.
Gardner ended up disqualified from the race. He offered his side of the story in a personal YouTube video.
"What I did was uncalled for, was wrong, was out of my character — but I did it, and I'll suffer the consequences for that, whatever that may be.
"In the heat of the moment, I wanted to flatten Daryn's left rear tire; in my mind, he put me out of contention for not only that heat, but for the rest of the night for a possible win, and in my mind, he wasn't going to finish that heat race.
"I just wanted to flatten his left rear tire so he could race the heat race, give him a little payback.
"Whether anybody thinks that's right or wrong, that was my intention. Obviously, it didn't go that way."
The racing series issued a six-month ban from all dirt racing events, with a potential for reinstatement or an extended penalty.
"Bob Gardner has been a loyal supporter of the MARS Late Model Championship tour and has attended every event that has been held since MC Promotions took ownership over the series in 2023, with the exception of one show," the series' post-race report read.
"Gardner placed fourth in series standings in both 2023 and 2024 and was currently 11th in 2025 series standings heading into Farmer City.
"This penalty report is being made public due to the severity of the on-track incident, to provide clarity and transparency of the incident, and to show we do not condone this type of behavior at our events."
