There are certain unwritten rules in motorsports that have existed since two guys in horseless carriages decided to have a go to see which one was faster. Prior to a race, for example, you’ll do whatever it takes to help your competitors, including the loaning of tools, parts, donuts and coffee. During a race, you don’t pass until you see the green flag wave, and you never pass under a yellow flag. While you should always do what you can to save your race car, rule number one is that you never stack a borrowed race car.
As Autoblog explains, this video was captured during practice for an Ariel Atom spec race at Virginia International Raceway’s North Course. We’d be the first to tell you that VIR is a challenging track to learn, made more difficult by traction-robbing elevation changes. The good news is that there’s plenty of run-off area, meaning that mistakes generally aren’t as costly as they’d be at a track like Road Atlanta.
We say generally, since there’s an exception to every rule. We can’t say for sure what happened to the driver in this video, but it appears as if he lost traction when the car unweighted after cresting a hill. His steering wheel was going in the proper direction, but the front tires failed to get that particular memo. Judging from the skid marks in the corner, more than one driver made this same mistake.
Though it looks like the driver had plenty of time to collect the car, racing tires don’t offer up much grip on grass, and race cars are mysteriously drawn to concrete barriers. We’re not sure how much damage the Atom sustained, but the driver walked away unhurt, except for his pride. On the other hand. since it was his brother’s car, holiday gatherings will likely be a bit awkward for the next few years.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
