Thanks to a tip given to us in coded language from imprisoned former drag racer Mr. Dirt we have the crazy story of one Dan Ticktum for you today. In short, Ticktum went all kinds of southern short track stock car mental during an MSA Formula race at Silverstone in England. The 16-year old pulled a Bowman-Gray Stadium style move when he was involved in an early lap incident with another driver. Because of a chain reaction crash that happened at the same time (perhaps triggered by the troubles that Ticktum experienced) the entire race was yellow flagged as the situation was sorted.
Rather than pull back into the pits to see what condition his open wheel race cars waist, Ticktum instead sprinted past the field, past a multitude of race officials, flags, and warnings before wrecking the other driver, Ricky Collard. Straight from a story on Racingnews.co, we have this incredible gem of a paragraph:
The MSA report found that Ticktum ignored 13 yellow flags, four double-yellow flags, two white flags and 15 safety-car boards and overtook 10 cars. All that was to catch back up to his rival during the safety-car period, before making contact, under yellow.
MSA stands for Motorsports Association and they are the governing body of the MSA Formula series that Ticktum was driving in. While stuff like this seems to happen at America’s bullring stock car tracks on a weekly basis during the racing season, we have never heard about an incident this egregious happening during an open wheel style formula race. Yes we have seen guys force each other off the track and race dirty but the “seek and destroy” stuff doesn’t seem like it happens there very often.
As you’d imagine racing officials in the UK were aghast at what had happened and back in late November they handed down a two year ban on Ticktum which is harsh but using a race car as a weapon is pretty bad stuff. In a twist, the ban will run through September 2016 and if there are no other incidents involving Ticktum (in other series, perhaps?) the second year will be suspended. He apologized for the mess after the fact but in the heat of the moment this kid through a serious tantrum that could have left someone or multiple people really banged up.
Maybe someone has a seat open in a stock car for him to hop into. On second thought that seems like a horrible idea.
Click here see the full story on Dan Ticktum and his racing ban in England
Ticktum in a tantrum?
Sounds like a track from some obscure prog-rock band – wouldn’t it have been better just to park a bulldozer across the track at the end of the straight?
Should be banned forever. Short track idiots as well. Learn this behavior from great role models like Matt Kenseth
I’m going to guess this is likely a case of rich parents/affluent upbringing resulting in the child having an inability to distinguish right from wrong, therefore it’s not really his fault. So then either his mommy needs to take him to hide in Mexico or such as is done in this country, or his daddy needs to pay into somebody important’s “favorite charity” and at-least get the ban reduced if junior behaves for a period. Bingo, option two? It would be my opinion that his fellow racers need to step up and demand the full term on grounds of it being common f-ing sense.
“through a serious tantrum”…?
Thanks for the Bowman Gray reference! I live in the hometown of the oldest NASCAR track in the country. I”m not a big round-round fan but I go there a couple of times a year to watch 20 650hp cars careen around a high school sized track/football field. It is truly incredible!
Silverstone is a few minutes drive from my house. Hadn’t heard about this before but I would kick his ass off the track and put him back in a Little Tykes Cosy Coupe until he is mature enough to race properly.