Here's The Terrifying Moment Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Steering Wheel Fell Off Mid-Race

There are few things scarier than a steering wheel coming off in your hands, especially when you're fighting with a pack of angry drivers. Thankfully Nascar driver Earnhardt saved the day with some quick thinking and impressive dexterity at Talladega

Neil Winn

03 May 2016

Yikes! @DaleJr controls the car WITH HIS HAND after his steering wheel comes off. That was awesome. #NASCAR https://t.co/KivxuTmuvG
— FOX SPORTS: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 1, 2016

This weekend’s Nascar race at Talladega Superspeedway looked like something straight out of ‘The Ballad of Ricky Bobby’; drivers took each other out, cars literally took flight and Danica Patrick said that she experienced the “hardest hit of her career”. But the scariest moment of the whole weekend belongs to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Keen to get back out on track after a rapid pit-stop to mend hit ailing car, Earnhardt failed to reconnect his steering wheel to the column. As a result, when he re-entered the track, the wheel came straight off in his hands. Thankfully this was during a caution period, allowing Earnhardt to control the car with the column. Once back on the straight he casually reconnected the wheel and got on with the race. Bravo.

Earnhardt later owned up to his mistake on twitter:

My steering wheel came off during a caution yesterday. I take full responsibility for not making sure it was connected properly beforehand..
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) May 2, 2016

There was no issue with the wheel or coupler. This is just a rare case of being in too big a hurry to return to the action...
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) May 2, 2016