This Brutal British Car Jumping Competition Sends Hatchbacks to Car Heaven
Cars rarely survive, and it’s rough on the spine, but it sure is a jolly good time.
When talking about jumping cars, high-speed desert racing or Hollywood stunts are probably the first things that come to mind. However, there's an altogether more humble example in the form of the Angmering Car Jumping Spectacular. This year's competition took place on Monday, April 18, as covered by Reuters.
The event hails from Angmering Raceway, a small circuit in West Sussex, England. It's a venue that primarily runs "banger racing" events, where competitors race cheap old beater cars in a variety of events that often involve heavy body contact.
The Car Jumping Spectacular typically runs on a bank holiday each year, and sees competitors flooring the throttle on their way up a ramp to launch their vehicles into the air. Several wrecked car bodies are placed after the ramp to provide something approximating a soft landing. The most daring participants regularly overshoot the intended landing zone, however, with rollovers not unheard of.
Most cars taking part are small hatchbacks and other commuter cars. These vehicles aren't designed to handle jumps, to say the least, and the hard landing alone is typically enough to do major damage. The fact that most of the vehicles land nose-first only increases the carnage. Airbags are disabled so as to avoid injuring the drivers, who wear race suits and helmets for protection.
In most cases, the radiator and cooling system ends up punctured and the cars don't live to make a second run. Every so often though, a vehicle clears the junk cars and lands on the grass, as captured by YouTube channel ZH media. If the vehicle can drive away from the impact, a second pass is always on the cards. Some drivers even choose to tow a caravan up the jump, adding to what is already a fantastic and ridiculous spectacle.
Competitors are ranked on the height and distance of their jump, and the reception they receive from the crowd. The winner of the 2022 event was one Kevin Lording who shared his advice with NowThis, Lording explained that commitment is key to coming out on top. "Just floor it! Don't bottle it, just floor it," Lording said.
Obviously, jumping a car does come with some risks; those with a fear of back injuries need not apply. However, for daredevils looking to fly, just for a moment, it's hard to go past the thrills of the Angerming Car Jumping Spectactular.
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