Dawn Mazi-Hovsepian caught this horrifying video last weekend at the 2013 Rock and Race event held at Ohio’s historic Dragway 42 race track. The event featured all kinds of different stuff like Tim Arfons’ turbine slingshot and the cars you’ll see in this video, the so-called “outlaw” gassers. Having seen these machines compete at the 2013 Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, we can tell you that they have some serious suds, run heads up to the eighth mile, and put on a thrilling show for the fans. Unfortunately for racer Gordon Crowe in his Biggie Rat 1933 Willys, the ride went from one that was on the edge to one that turned horribly violent. Dawn reported in the caption for this video that Crowe was awake and talking when removed from the car and taken to a local hospital for observation. Erring on the side of caution in these matters is always the best for all parties involved.
As you’ll see, Crowe’s car makes a move to the center line nearing the eighth-mile traps and as he corrects the movement, the car’s short wheelbase and tricky nature causes it to violently cross the lane to the right. When this begins, Crowe does the exact right thing and gets the parachute out in hopes of straightening the car. He actually manages to keep it from hitting the wall before the Willys once again heads to the left, this time digging into the pavement then going into a series of rolls that leave little more than a bare chassis with an engine in it and the shattered remains of a 1933 Willys body lying atop it all. This is about as bad a crash as you’ll see one of these cars have, so we’re glad that it was well constructed and the protective cage kept Crowe intact and alive.
The lesson here? Never, ever skimp on a chassis. In this case, it saved Gordon Crowe’s life.
Press play below to see Dawn Mazi-Hovsepian’s video of this wild crash
(Click here to visit Dawn’s YouTube channel and see all of here amazing videos…she really does rule)
yup, that doesn’t seem to be your typical Gasser slapped together with whatever was available and cheap at the time back in the day, looked like a serious modern tube chassis under there… actually, as bad as it looks (rollovers are never good for the human body), other than the fiberglass body being ripped from its mounts and a couple of wheels snapped off, the chassis looks like it held up quite well… looks quite repairable. As far as the driver, i hope he isn’t too banged up, according to some of the comments on the video, he had already recovered from another painful crash, and he ended up with some more broken bones in this one but was getting patched back together again… Hope he has a quick recovery and can get back in the seat again
……..and that was with a trap speed of 111 mph….imagine if it had been a 1/4 mile track!!
I was not impressed by the first track person to get to the scene, he sure took his time, acted rather lackadaisical about the whole thing….. hope the driver is ok.
Thanks for the kind comments, I tried my best but…………. The chassis was almost unmarked but they used the jaws of life to get me out and cut the top off. Which I am fine with. I built the entire car myself at home in the garage, the week before we ran 5.17 @ 137 mph at Norwalk. I tried to calm the car down for 42 didn’t calm it down enough. GUY’S the best money I spent was on a HANS type devise, with out a doubt it SAVED MY LIFE. Not sure of my future in racing, just glad I have one. Gordon
Gordon, I saw the car at Norwalk and it was a beauty. I was sick when I heard that you had crashed but very happy to hear that you would be ok. You sure do know how to build a strong car. I must agree with you about the HANS device, I wear one and I wish more of my fellow racers would. Good luck with your healing process and stay strong.