(We know…you were expecting wall to wall Bonneville coverage today. Since the event has been cancelled, we’re going to highlight stuff that could be raced at Bonneville or stuff that involves water. These hovercrafts would rule on the current state of the salt!)
Ladies and gentleman you are witnessing history on BangShift right now. We have never, in over 8,000 blog items and five years on this site used the words, “Awesome, Racing, and France” in the same sentence and/or title. It may never actually happen again. If you are French, savor this moment. Outside of this milestone, there’s the video that we’re featuring here. Who knew that there was hovercraft racing at all? We certainly didn’t and after watching a few minutes of it, we want a piece of the action. These guys go at breakneck speed around a course comprised of lakes, dirt, grass, mud, and other terrain. The hovercrafts appear to be powered by three cylinder, two stroke engines like would be found on snowmobiles. Those engines are typically gutsy little bastards, so these definitely have some suds.
Shortly after the start of the video you’ll see an amazing close call and a psuedo pile-up where no one actually crashes and everyone is able to continue racing. The best part of the scrum is that pieces and parts break off and then get blown into Belgium somewhere when they fall into the prop wash from the hovercrafts. It looks like the prop guard comes off of one. That prop guard the about the only thing that keeps the other hovercraft pilots from from getting their French faces chopped off when they rear end someone else. Zut Alors! (Translation to American: Oh Rats!)
Call us names if you want, but this looks fun as all get out. France or not. Why isn’t there American hovercraft racing and if there is, why the hell didn’t we know about it?!
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE THE COOLEST THING THAT HAS COME FROM FRANCE SINCE THE BIKINI!
French and fun??? They haven’t had fun in France since before the Maginot Line.
YES!! HOVERCRAFTS!!!! I’m IN!