This is one of those videos that you see one and think, “Man, that guy is super lucky to have lived through that wreck!” Then you watch it a second time and your jaw clenches with rage and you think, “That stupid idiot spectator in the apex of that turn caused this guy to wreck and nearly kill himself.” Seriously, that’ll happen to you because it happened to me and three guys I sent this video to when I first saw it. The driver is piloting a tiny Porsche 914 and is carrying some heavy duty speed into a sweeping right hand corner shortly after the start of his run up the mountain. As he enters the corner and sets his line, he sees an idiot spectator positioned about a foot off of the apron of the asphalt. The guy is literally right at the apex of the corner. The driver appears to see this guy, correct, lift and then the car starts to swap ends on him. He corrects and the car ends up face first into a 20 ton boulder in an instant. A crowd of people gather around, all shouting different stuff and a moment later we see the driver, completely pissed off, emerge from the car.
This is no little weakling of a guy either. When you see the size of him, you’ll wonder how in the heck he even managed to wedge himself into the car in the first place! The driver kicks the side of the car, paces around, lays his head on the wing, and uses some body language that lets the assembled crowd know not to approach him under any circumstances. I am reasonably certain anyone who got in arm’s reach would have been swallowing their own teeth. I’m surprised that he didn’t try to find the kid in the blue shirt and wring his neck.
Am I out of line on this one or did the kid’s position so close to the course cause the driver to do something that resulted in him wrecking his car and nearly being killed. Pay close attention to the car, or what’s left of it. This driver is super, super fortunate that he was able to climb out. If he had hit another spot of that rock it would have been curtains. for sure.
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE A STUNNING CRASH THAT WE THINK WAS CAUSED BY AN IDIOT SPECTATOR –
He might have been in trouble even if that guy wasn’t there. Looks like he was going to drop a tire off the asphalt.
did he lift?
Was not the spectator there was plenty of clearance — the driver probably didn’t even notice that guy. Driver was trying to keep his tires on the pavement — considering the drop from pavement to grass that was the right idea. Unfortunately the driver lifted and that was a mistake in that rear-engined Porsche — the resultant oversteer caught him by surprise. He needed a little more practice at speed.
You have to love how many armchair experts there are in the crowd that gather around, yet no put down their damn camera phone to help. Sad really.
It looks to me he changed his approach right at the same place the person was filming. Weather it was the spectators fault or he misjudged the corner you can’t know unless you ask him, but he doesn’t seem angry at the crowd, but disappointed in the car. Group B rally was put to rest mainly due to stupid spectators, hope pikes peak doesn’t end up the same way.
As long as there are spectators allowed that close to the raceway, you will always have them to blame!
That’s quite a drop-off where the guy with the camera is. He’s a good three feet behind the painted line. If the Porsche driver had not lifted, he was heading for the drop-off, camera guy or no camera guy. That would have caused serious damage as well.
With what we can see, it’s hard to tell. He seemed to be in trouble regardless, in my opinion. In any case, you wouldn’t catch me standing there.
Spectator didn’t matter, driver lost it on his own.
That said, what the hell is with all the idiot spectators right next to the track? I though Pikes access had gotten harder over the years? And where is the safety crew?
And stay off the damn track you friggin lemmings!
If you watch the video of the record setting Peugeot there are alot of crazy people way too close to the course. The organizers want this race to end, the only reason to allow people where they do, stupid!!!!! HOPE NO ONE DIES
Having corner worked a few road races,he was on the way to drop the right front(whole side?) off the inside of the turn. The only thing he did was not hit the guy then crash,the crash was coming either way.
Of course, the 914, or 916, not sure which this one is, is not a rear engine car, it’s a mid engine car. A damned fine one at that. I don’t think it’s the camera man’s fault, at all. The guy was haulin’ the mail, he did lift, and he probably should have stayed in it. But its racing. That day…it wasn’t his day.
What about who ever was in that red folding chair right next to the wreck? The dude must have needed new pants after that.
Having been a professional cameraman for 18 years, shooting US Pro-Rally, WRC (during and after the Group B days) Desert racing AND PPHC, the guy on the apex had little to do with the accident, as much as the driver did. The apex is really the best shot, so unless he was standing IN the road, he posed no threat to anyone. The worse place was where the car actually crashed…..
Play in stop action you see someone in the road in area of crash
i was there. im the kid in the grey and black snapback with a gopro in my hands. that was a wild day!