For such tiny cars, the Aussie Racing Cars series sure manages to have some absolutely massive crashes. The cars, which are tubeframe miniature versions of the big Virgin Supercars (formerly V8 Supercars), are powered by motorcycle engines and can absolutely rip. There’s not much difference between ARC and the Legends cars we’re used to seeing stateside and in the United Kingdom, which means that the short wheelbase can make them a handful and, when things go wrong, they can go very wrong very quickly.
ARC driver Brendan Pingel found that out the hard way at the series’ most recent round at Queensland Raceway. While trying to avoid an incident to the inside of a corner, Pingel swung wide but was unfortunately collected in by one of the cars in the incident. The hit to his right-rear in the middle sent him careening sideways, his tires dug in and Pingel was in for a wild, wild ride after that, coming to a stop rightside-up after six barrel rolls, several of which were completely airborne.
Not only was Pingel mercifully unhurt in the big crash, his team incredibly managed to reassemble his bright-yellow car and put it back in the next day’s race, albeit with some dents left in it and with a generous dose of yellow racer’s tape applied. In that final race of the weekend, Pingel dragged his slightly wounded car up to 9th place in the 38-car field. That’s no small feat, but Pingel is the defending Aussie Racing Cars champion and knows a thing or two about how to drive the little beasts from Down Under.
Watch Pingle’s crash below and hear him talk about it mostly unfazed in the bottom video at the start of the next day’s race broadcast.
