This video was shot in South America (Brazil we think) but the location is irrelevant, the thing that is valuable in this video is the ability to see someone do literally everything wrong on a pass down the track, to the point of not even having his helmet secured properly and we’ll get to that in a minute.
As a drag racing announcer, there’s nothing more thrilling than seeing a driver guide one of these ill-handling missiles back on course after it tries to get away from them. There is an amazingly fine line between “saving” a run and wadding your car up while also potentially hurting yourself and this guy found it in a major league way. After his powerful VW made a weird move off the starting line and basically negated any real hope at laying down a decent number, the driver steered it back into the “groove” of this unprepped track and let the car have it again. As soon as the boost came up it busted the rear tires loose and went head on into the wall like a pile driver. Believe it or not, it gets worse.
The car flies off the wall and spins like a centrifuge. You see the doors fling open and you can see the driver in there flopping about, but where’s his helmet? Oh, right, his helmet flew out the door and across the track as the car was spinning. We’re going to go with the guess that he did not have the helmet strapped when he launched the car. Top fuel drivers do not lose helmets at 300mph when they wreck so a guy in a Beetle going less than a hundred probably should not lose his either.
Everyone wants to be a hero out there and look like they are the best driver going but if this run isn’t proof that lifting and giving it another shot is the better option, we’re not sure what else would illustrate that point. We’re betting this guy wished he just idled the thing down the track (which is clearly the straight on a road course) rather than deal with fixing the car and what HAD to be a sore body the next day.
Not to mention his ruined helmet.
Could of had a grand piano fall on it (?)
what the heck kind of track is that? looks real stupid. even seat belts were wrong.
we run an fed. I pull the belts tight to make sure the driver doesn’t move around just in case. it’s all about safety when making any run.
George Rays, Brazil Edition.
And the winner of the world’s fastest solo demolition derby is a right stupid Batida……
I’ll wager Brian has heard the griping at ECTA as have I. “Why are they so “fussy” on this safety stuff? My drag strip doesn’t care about xxxx.” If I hear that I just tell them that the ECTA clearly has a higher regard for your butt than you do. The stupid don’t get it but the smarter ones seem to have a light bulb come on over their little heads.
Dan
Might be BC Speedway in Brazil. Most of the places to drag race in Central and South America are road courses who have made improvements to accommodate it.