The so-called “announcer’s curse” is a real thing and here’s how I know. Moments before Mike Bilina launched off in his familiar wheelstanding, half way out of control, crossed up, 1956 Chevy I said over the PA that whoever built the front suspension should be awarded some sort of Nobel Prize for his work because the thing survives like 10 violent landings per run. Mike then went out and in typical fashion pulled a wheelie that made the ’56 look like a 1.5 story bullding and it was after the third or twentieth landing from the initial wheelie that the front suspension broke, rendering the steering wheel all but a useless grab handle inside the car.
When the suspension broke…it BROKE. The car suffered an incredible amount of wobbling before it lost all steering ability and turned Bilina into an unwilling passenger. The car nosed into the guard wall and the front end surely needs replacing and there’s definitely body work in that trunk’s feature as well. The hit was not anything that gave us concern for Mike’s health but the car is banged up.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MIKE BILINA’S WILD RIDE THAT ENDED UP IN THE WALL –
Is Mike okay?
It sucks that it happened but it had to be inevitable with that constant abuse. This goes into the “play stupid games get stupid prizes” box for me. Sad to see a cool car crash and I hope the driver is ok.
There is no picture showing the carnage?? Just a dozen wheels up photos ?????No hitting anything or after math picts.. Still don’t know what you are talking about….
It’s the rail rash on the dr side fender/door above the moon eyes. The 1/4 is tucked in on dr side where the bumper end would be.
Doug, I’ve got a couple of shots of the car with the damage in yesterday’s pics, they should be up sometime today.
‘Anyone else notice the front wheels are [always] cocked to the right when in the air?
That’s gotta be rough on the suspension when the car touches down.
‘Wonder if it’s a result of driver input or is that where they hang in an unloaded condition…
I could be wrong, but I believe the ’56 has made at least one pass after scraping the rail, hence the damage seen in the above pics.
Search Youtube for “Bilina Hits wall”. The scrapes are from him hitting the wall at Union Grove last year, which barely slowed him down. He just got the car back in the groove and mashed the throttle.
mike is fine! and so is his BEAST of a car!!! not going to let a “lil wall stop him” ~ IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SHOW! and that’s exactly what he puts on…A SHOW!!! and a might AWESOME one at that!!! and for all those posting “it’s sad to see this car get banged up”….I’m sorry u feel that way