Watch This Touring Car Flip 7 Times After Sliding Off Track
Driver Jason Fichter somehow walked away from this massive crash.
Seeing open-wheel racers pile up like stock cars at last night's IndyCar race in Phoenix was pretty surprising, but the title of most shocking crash of the weekend surely goes to this nasty one-car wreck during the first Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car race at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday. Shea Racing team driver Jason Fichter lost control of his No. 7 Honda Accord coming off the back straight and caught an edge as he slid into the grass, sending the car flipping violently through the air and landing with sickening force. How he managed to walk away from the wreckage is beyond us.
This weekend was the season-opener for the PWC Touring Car class championship, where more than 30 cars crowded the full-length, 3.27-mile track at VIR. According to a press release by PWC, Jason Fichter was coming into turn 13 on lap 14 during the round 1 race when the wreck occurred. Video of the crash shows the Accord flying off the curve and flipping no less than seven times by our count, coming to rest wheels-down with parts scattered all over the grass.
Fichter was able to get out of the car unassisted, though according to Sportscar365, he was still taken to nearby Danville Medical Center as a precaution. It's unclear what caused the accident.
He's reportedly "feeling okay" and appears to have escaped any major injuries. Another positive note: The extended video shows teammate Shea Holbrook abandoning her position to drive over and check on Fichter in the immediate aftermath in a heartwarming display of sportsmanship. It's also hard not to marvel at how well the car's structure held up considering the intensity of the wreck.
The race restarted with about 10 minutes left, and by that time the 90-degree temperatures had taken a toll on both the cars and their drivers. Winner Paul Holton reportedly "became sick" in his Audi RS 3 LMS Club Sport halfway through and had to skip the winner's circle celebration in favor of a trip to the medical tent to be treated for heat exhaustion.
