--- title: "A Lot of Bad Decisions Led to This Stripped Tesla Model S Crash" description: "The owner of a modified Tesla Model S Plaid took his car to the track and his brakes failed, almost killing him." date: "2022-06-26" modified: "2022-06-26" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-lot-of-bad-decisions-led-to-this-stripped-tesla-model-s-crash" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Electric Vehicles" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Tesla News" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "luxury" - "model s" - "sedan" - "Tesla" --- # A Lot of Bad Decisions Led to This Stripped Tesla Model S Crash ![]() It was only a few days ago when we talked about the importance of [safety gear on track](). Almost immediately after that, the owner of a heavily modified [Tesla Model S Plaid ]()almost died on track because wasn't he wearing a helmet or using any safety gear of any kind. Chet, from the *Chillin' with Chet* YouTube channel, owned a Tesla Model S Plaid that he modified for track use. He gutted most of the interior, save for the passenger seat, and even removed the rear hatch, all in the name of saving weight. It's the same Tesla that he decided to drive underwater, to see if an electric car could do such a thing, which damaged the car's electric drive units. However, after replacing those units and continuing to track the car, he noticed that its brakes just couldn't keep up, something many owners and journalists have noticed about the stock Model S Plaid. So he decided to upgrade the front calipers, rotors, and pads with new ones from Unplugged Performance. The upgraded brakes should have worked far better than the car's stock brakes, thanks to much bigger calipers, carbon ceramic rotors, and track compound pads. However, he didn't upgrade the rear brakes, instead he just replaced them with new stock parts, and seemingly didn't upgrade the brake fluid. He bled the fluid when doing the brake job but didn't say anything about upgrading the fluid. When you're driving a 1,000 horsepower, nearly 5,000-pound car on track regularly, you should probably use racing brake fluid. ![]() **Chillin' with Chet** After only a few minutes on track with his newly upgraded brakes, those very same brakes went soft on him while charging hard into a corner, sending him into the tire barrier. Before his brakes failed in the corner, Chet said he was doing 170 mph. At the end of the video, Chet said he's going to explain what happened in a video to come but there's a good chance the stock brake fluid is the culprit. Thankfully, Chet survived the crash but not before sustaining some pretty painful injuries: five broken ribs, a fractured knee, and a torn ACL. Considering the circumstances, those injuries could have been much worse. As much as I don't want to kick someone while they're down, it must be said that he would have been in far better shape had he used some actual safety equipment. If you're going to strip a 1,000-pound car out specifically for track-duty, put in a cage and some racing seats with proper harnesses. Also, wear a damn helmet. He's lucky he's alive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp3LdgmZpD0 ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()