Long-time readers of BangShift and Drag Week fans will know this Pontiac GTO. It belongs to Doug Garrison, and a couple of days ago it broke an axle while at Cecil County Dragway in Maryland, sending the GTO into a collision course with the right-side wall. According to Doug, once the axle let go there wasn’t anything he could do except ride it out. We are able to report that Garrison is fine and that he is planning on rebuilding the GTO, but he wants to convey a message: check your car out, and do it often! Not saying that it would have been proof-positive, but there might have been something he could have found in a pre-race check that would have saved him from meeting the barrier like this. A few minutes to make sure that everything is in top-tier shape could keep you from paying dividends later on the track. We are always sick to see this happen to a racer, especially one we know, but we are glad to know that it was a situation where not only did he walk away, but the car drove away.
shit – that sucks the big one her sure –
Really hated to see this. This is one badass hotrod. I know a wreck like this or even a blown engine can just rip your heart out after all the work and cash that went into it. It can make you throw in the towel and find another hobby, hope that doesn’t happen here.
Thankfully Doug was able to walk away. I’ve never met him but years of online interaction leads me to believe he is a good guy. Sadly he has had a terrible run of automotive luck….
Where is the no like!!!!
Hurts to see that. Such a sweet car!
A pre race check normally doesn’t include non-destructive testing the axles. Maybe you could see if the are barber poles, but pulling axles before each race? No thanks. Tough break. Cool car.
cringe!!! that was hard to watch, what a gorgeous car, but luckily it wasn’t too bad, nothing some good old fashioned sheet metal work can’t repair.. Without reading your explanation of what happened, it was pretty obvious what happened in the video, you can see just as he shifted into 3rd the left rear wheel laying down rubber with too much traction and the right rear just rolling along for the ride. Glad he kept it off the other wall at least! Yeah, I’m planning to go to a stick myself, so I started upgrading my car from the back forward, upgrading my rear with a stronger through-bolt center, a full steel spool and 40-spline axles, cause a stick is just brutal on your drivetrain… they say that it’ll break things you’d never think would break.