---
title: "Vintage Race Car Flips Mark Webber-Style in Massive Road America Crash"
description: "It's reminiscent of the nasty Mercedes-Benz CLR crash at Le Mans in 1999."
date: "2020-07-25"
modified: "2020-07-26"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/35099/vintage-race-car-flips-mark-webber-style-in-massive-road-america-crash"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
---

# Vintage Race Car Flips Mark Webber-Style in Massive Road America Crash

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/07/road-america-crash.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

American racing driver Jim Pace is lucky to walk away with nothing more than a bad taste in his mouth, after going for a wild ride at the wheel of his vintage race car during this weekend's WeatherTech International Challenge at [Road America](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/21366/rolls-royce-wraith-rediscovers-road-america-on-its-68th-anniversary>) in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Per a report by [*Classic Cars Journal*](<https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/07/25/terrible-shadow-crash-at-road-america/>), Pace was behind the wheel of his 1974 Can-Am Shadow DN4 vintage racer during a qualifying session that featured a variety of other similar-era race cars, including some from Formula 1 and Formula 5000, when the open-wheel racer took to the skies along the famously-long main straight of the circuit.

***Update/Correction: 7/26/20 4:30 p.m. ET:** We've learned that driver Jim Pace is okay and did not suffer any injuries as a result of his crash. Also, we've been informed that the Can-Am race car Pace was driving was not his own, he was simply the driver of the vehicle for that particular event.*

*"Thank you all for the concern," Pace said via email. "A wild ride along the front straightaway at one of my favorite racetracks. A bit of air got under the nose and lifted, then blew over backward sliding down the straight. The rescue crew was there immediately and I exited on my own. Sorry, this nice car was damaged with me as the driver."*

https://youtube.com/embed/9t-iPMsHXyM

Pace was reportedly traveling at 180 miles per hour while closely following a similar DN4 car driven by Craig Bennett, when the front end of his car lifted and shot straight up like a plane during take-off, only to flip backward once and land on its roof. A video later uploaded to [YouTube](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t-iPMsHXyM&feature=emb_title>) shows how everything unfolded from a nearby bridge along the main straight. A different video uploaded to [Twitter](<https://twitter.com/Dazincanada/status/1287165667561615366>) shows a different angle, this one starting on the final corner as the cars travel uphill to the start-finish line.

It's unclear what the exact cause of the crash is, but it looks to be a textbook case of air getting underneath the car and simply lifting the entire thing up due to the high speeds. Also, I believe the 180-mph claim to be somewhat exaggerated, as even a modern-day [IndyCar](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21695/indycar-at-road-america-schmidt-petersons-all-star-drivers-talk-synergy>) doesn't reach that speed until further down the straight. I believe the correct figure is somewhere between 110 and 140 mph. It's also unclear how many laps the Pace had driven up until that point, and whether the close following distance to the car in front had something to do with it.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1287165667561615366

Lastly, judging by both videos, Pace went airborne at the crest of the hill that initiates the run down to the first corner, which probably had something to do with air getting underneath the car.

This type of wreck isn't uncommon in motor racing, with the most popular and spectacular example happening at the [1999 24 Hours of Le Mans](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kvDkNXLrn4>), when not-yet Formula 1 race Mark Webber went airborne and did several flips in a Mercedes-Benz CLR before crashing into some trees.

Pace's official condition is unknown, but the original report and various posts on social media claim he walked away uninjured and was present to aid with the recovery of the destroyed race car.

*Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)