Holy mother…I’ve done demolition derby before, and anybody else who has can willfully attest that “gentle” isn’t in the program by a wide margin. But if you haven’t seen the footage that Lohnes put up of banger racing from Europe, you need to see it. There is a difference between two Crown Vics hitting each other nicely versus a four-Volvo orgy of epic proportions and the amount of vehicle deformation allowed is unbelievable. So long as the driver is in one whole piece and is conscious enough to give the thumbs-up (or maybe the flying V to whoever hit them last) the show will go on, until there really isn’t anything identifiable left on the track.
In the UK, the “big white van” is the workhorse of the land. Ford Transits, Ivecos, Fiats, Mercedes and the like (along with the random US-sourced recreational vehicle, it appears) all have a final date with destiny at the Arlington Raceway. You thought crunching little Euro econoboxes with a 1960s Cadillac was something to behold? Just wait until you see how shuttle vans, recreational vehicles and cargo haulers fare against one another from what has to be the safest point of the track for the viewers: inches from the action!
Somewhere on You Tube is the funniest video ever of RV racing from the Top Gear crew
Oh wait, here it is;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohkAxbeMxVo
Search YouTube for “banger racing with caravans” total mayhem hitched in the rear….
Check out double decker banger racing, totally mad !
It doesn’t appear to be a race if the objective is to hit any stationary vehicle at full speed .