Formula Drift Pro Driver Taylor Hull’s night at Anderson Motor Speedway was shaping up to be his best yet, until one wild ride changed everything. From eighth place to airborne in seconds, the crash was as dramatic as it was unexpected. But what happened after the wreck might be the most surprising part of all.
If you’ve watched enough NASCAR highlights, you know a “wall ride” is one of those jaw-dropping, hold-your-breath moments that instantly go viral. It’s the kind of move where a driver slings their car against the outside wall and somehow keeps it rolling. It’s part desperation, part spectacle, and all chaos. Remember Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ wall-ride at the 2022 Martinsville Speedway race?
Most of the time, it looks like something ripped straight from a video game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it ends in a crumpled mess. But either way, fans can’t look away. These incidents live on in replays and social media debates long after the checkered flag drops. And while we’ve seen wall rides on NASCAR’s biggest stages, one recent race in Dale Jr.’s series proved they’re just as unpredictable (and dangerous) on the grassroots tours where drivers fight just as hard.
Taylor Hull’s crash stuns crowd
Few moments in motorsports grip the crowd quite like a heart-stopping crash. And fans at Dale Jr.’s Cars Tour Showdown witnessed exactly that when Taylor Hull’s late model took an unexpected, terrifying wall ride at the Anderson Motor Speedway. The incident occurred during the Bennett Equipment & Supply 225 with 85 laps to go.
Running in the eighth place, Hull’s car suffered a big slide coming onto the frontstretch. It then launched into the sidewall, turning on its side, before landing on the racetrack on its wheels again. “You don’t typically look staring at the asphalt to the racetrack from the windshield like that,” Hull admitted, still shaken but speaking with composure.
Hull further explained how the chaos began in making the left turn while coming onto the frontstretch. “Just doing the best I could kind of riding at the beginning, trying to stay on the bottom, and the car was getting all free in. Jade [Avedisian] was right behind me…gave me a little type, got me off the bottom.”
“You don’t typically look staring at the asphalt to the racetrack from the windshield like that.”
Taylor Hull ok after riding the side of the wall and clipping the flag stand at Anderson Motor Speedway. He also revealed that he wants to run the full @CARSTour schedule next year. pic.twitter.com/5hpCLvPDth
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) August 17, 2025
In motorsports parlance, getting “free” means the car’s backend tries to slide. This is something usually compounded by loose marbles (tire debris) near the top of the groove. Hull lost traction coming off the turn. This sent him up the track in a dramatic ride that also clipped the flag stand slightly.
Remarkably, after such a wild sequence, Hull walked away, demonstrating the improved safety designs now standard in short track racing. As he reflected, “It’s not too bad. I mean, you race, you drift. I’ve done a lot of different stuff…wrecked a lot of race cars. Unfortunately, it goes along with that, but all in all I’m fine.” His calm acceptance underscores a long-running truth: serious racers face risk as a daily companion. Hull’s main regret was simple: “Just mad I totaled our race car.”
As for what comes next, Hull said, “We were hoping to get to Florence. We’ll see how bad the car is torn up, and…our goal is to come out and run the car full-time next year.” For now, Hull’s resilience and candid perspective offer a raw reminder of just how quickly racing fortunes can change, and why every driver behind the wheel is, at heart, a survivor.
Dale Jr. headlines Anderson event with iconic throwback scheme
The zMAX CARS Tour makes its return to Anderson for the first time since 2017, setting the stage for a nostalgic moment. NASCAR Hall of Famer and CARS co-owner, Dale Jr., leads the entry list in a stunning throwback scheme. He’s re-lacing his iconic No. 8 Budweiser-MLB “baseball car,” paying tribute to the livery he drove to a victory at Daytona in July 2001, shortly after his father’s passing.
As you know, this number holds more than just paint for Dale Jr., the Earnhardt family, and NASCAR. It symbolizes emotion, legacy, and the cultural crossover between NASCAR and Major League Baseball. The original scheme was a bold collaboration between Dale Jr., Budweiser, and MLB. Its revival now serves a dual purpose. It honors history and promotes the MLB Speedway Classic, which pitched a Major League game inside a NASCAR venue for the first time earlier this month.
Since announcing the plan back in May, Dale Jr. has expressed a deep personal connection to the scheme: “I’ve watched that July 2001 race at Daytona so many times. It’s such a great memory for me. I am excited that we have this chance to collaborate with Bud and MLB to bring that scheme back again because of what it means to me and so many others,” he said during the announcement.
With Dale Jr.’s iconic No. 8 car leading the entry list, fans are reminded of NASCAR’s rich past while witnessing the sport’s grassroots future unfold. This convergence of history, star power, and grassroots growth marks an exciting chapter, underscoring the evolving relationship between American motorsports and its diverse fan base.
The post Driver Walks Away After Terrifying Wall Ride During Dale Jr.’s Cars Tour Showdown appeared first on EssentiallySports.
