---
title: "Watch This Touring Car Flip 7 Times After Sliding Off Track"
description: "Driver Jason Fichter somehow walked away from this massive crash."
date: "2017-04-30"
modified: "2017-04-30"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/9806/watch-this-touring-car-flip-7-times-after-sliding-off-track"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Crash"
  - "Honda Accord"
  - "Pirelli World Challenge"
  - "Race"
  - "touring cars"
  - "Virginia"
---

# Watch This Touring Car Flip 7 Times After Sliding Off Track

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/04/crash.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Seeing open-wheel racers [pile up like stock cars](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/9799/huge-wreck-takes-out-five-cars-at-indycar-phoenix-grand-prix>) 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](<https://world-challenge.com/race/2017-04-28-vira/>) 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*](<https://sportscar365.com/features/videos/video-fichters-massive-accident-in-tc-race/>), he was still taken to nearby Danville Medical Center as a precaution. It's unclear what caused the accident.

https://youtube.com/embed/9omChXjwQCQ

He's [reportedly "feeling okay"](<https://twitter.com/WCRacing/status/858375538364362759>) 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.

https://twitter.com/_/status/858482703649386496

The race restarted with [about 10 minutes left,](<https://twitter.com/WCRacing/status/858376337773473792>) 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.](<https://world-challenge.com/latest/series-news/holton-fights-off-sickness-scores-new-audi-rs3-first-tc-win/>)

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)