This, from ESPN.com’s NASCAR reporter, Terry Blount.

The medical guy at the track says eight spectators were injured after Carl Edwards’ car got airborne near the finish line and ended up in the catchfence, shedding parts like a bomb sheds shrapnel.

I’m not going to link to the story. I’m going to run the whole thing, paste it, right here. Please note the quotes from the medical guy at the track.

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Eight spectators suffered injuries at the end of the Aaron’s 499 Sunday when the No. 99 Ford of Carl Edwards went airborne and slammed into the catchfence on the frontstretch.

“None of the injuries are dangerous or life-threatening,” said Dr. Bobby Lewis, medical director at Talladega Superspeedway. “It’s mostly bumps and bruises with possible minor fractures.”

Two women were airlifted to an area hospital.

“One has a lacerated lip and possible broken jaw,” Lewis said. “The other person was not injured, but has unrelated medical problems.”

Edwards was leading the race about 500 yards before the finish line when he tried to block Brad Keselowski from passing him. But Edwards hit the right front quarter panel of Keselowski’s car.

It caused Edwards’ car to spin before it came off the pavement and flew into the fencing above the outside wall.

“NASCAR puts us in this box [restrictor-plate racing] and will race this way until they kill somebody,” Edwards said. “Then they’ll change it. We’re very lucky nobody got [seriously] hurt today.”

When the car hit the catchfence, pieces exploded off the car as catch fencing bent back severely, but did not break.

“I’m not sure if it was pieces of car or pieces of debris from the fence that hurt the spectators,” Lewis said.

OK. Reality check here.

Have you ever had a “minor” fracture?

Do you consider a broken jaw to be a “minor” injury?

Apparently, fractures can be minor when they happen at NASCAR events.

And that “unrelated” trip to the hospital? Someone suffering from sunburn on the other side of the track? Or someone maybe scared half to death (like, heart attack, stroke, panic attack?) when a car traveling 200 mph ended up in the fence just feet from her face?

This is ridiculous. This isn’t sport. This is gladiatorial spectacle.  And Carl Edwards is right. NASCAR will do what it does until someone else gets killed. That’s the only way changes are made in that sport. And especially in NASCAR.