Despite the fact that we always seem to concentrate on Trans Am racing from the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was great racing for many years past that era. This video, shot at Leguna Seca in 1982 shows some of that racing, along with a massive and horrifying crash, the driver Bill Maier luckily walks away from.
While the cars are not as iconic as the ones we normally lust over from Trans Ams glory days, the Vettes, Camaros, Porsches, and Mustangs, look damned cool and sound equally as good while thundering by the position where this person was filming. Things go crazy around 30 seconds in when the pack rounds the corner and heads down the straight. Unfortunately for Maier, he was on the outside of a Porsche that absolutely closed the door on him, sending the Mustang into an embankment and then into low Earth orbit! This is a nasty wreck and it is great that he walked away.
A couple of side notes. The baritone voice’d announcer you can hear clearly during the clean up time, once the safety car is out is Bruce Flanders. Flanders is a legendary voice in SoCal and has announced with all of the greats at tons and tons of different events. He was also a host on a monster truck tape we wore out as kids. He has an awesome voice and we imitated him, and him booming tones endlessly! Also pay close attention to the truck that the safety crew arrives in. It is a vintage Dodge Sweptline pickup. Do want!
Press play and watch Bill Maier and his team have a really bad day in ’82 at Laguna Seca!
