At least 30 NASCAR fans were injured Saturday when a car sailed into the fence at Daytona International Speedway, and large chunks of debris _ including a tire _ flew into the grandstands. The accident happened about 4 p.m. on the final lap of the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300, which serves as a prelude to the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500. Fourteen people were taken from raceway by ambulance, and 14 were treated at the track, speedway officials said. Halifax Health spokesman Byron Cogdell said 12 people were transported to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach and six others were taken to Halifax Health Medical Center of Port Orange. Cogdell said two people taken to the Halifax in Daytona Beach arrived in critical condition, and one of those had life-threatening injuries, both were upgraded to stable condition. "First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with our race fans," Chitwood said. "Following the incident we responded appropriately according to our safety protocols, and had emergency medical personnel at the incident immediately." "We've always known since racing was started this is a dangerous sport," he said. "But it's hard. We assume that risk, but it's hard when the fans get caught up in it. It's Daytona, you want to go for the win here," Smith said. As the cars began wrecking all around Smith and Keselowski, Stewart slid through for the win, but Larson plowed into Keselowski and his car was sent airborne into the stands. "I know I took a couple of big hits there and saw my engine was gone," Larson said. "I was in the wreck and then felt like it was slowing down and I looked like I could see the ground. Larson's car appeared to hit where the cross-over gate _ a section that can be opened for people to travel back and forth from the infield to the grandstands _ is located in the fence. "We're very confident that we'll be ready," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president for racing operations. The chaos comes with it," Keselowski said. ___ 
 
 AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Daytona Beach and Associated Press writer Jennifer Kay in Miami contributed to this report.
– More than two dozen NASCAR fans were injured today when large chunks of debris, including a tire, sailed into the grandstands when a car flew into the fence on a frightening last-lap accident in the second-tier Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. As emergency workers tended to injured fans and ambulance sirens wailed in the background, a somber Tony Stewart skipped the traditional post-race victory celebration. The Orlando Sentinel reports that at least 28 fans were injured, four were fastened to backboards, and six were described as seriously injured. The crash began as the field closed in on the finish line and sent rookie Kyle Larson's car sailing into the fence that separates the track from the seats. Large chunks of Larson's car landed in the grandstands. The car itself had its entire front end sheared off, with the burning engine wedged through a gaping hole in the fence. "There obviously was some intrusion into the fence and fortunately with the way the event's equipped up, there were plenty of emergency workers ready to go and they all jumped in on it pretty quickly," NASCAR President Mike Helton said. "Right now, it's just a function of determining what all damage is done. They're moving folks, as we've seen, to care centers and take some folks over to Halifax Medical." Click for more.