Anyone watching formula off-road hill climbs is really hoping for a wreck. And anyone driving formula off-road is prepared for one.
But it’s safe to safe nobody, driver and spectator alike, was prepared for the spectacular and frightening tumble a driver took at a recent event.
Gravity took over and sent this Madram 11 plummeting to the ground from near the top of the hill, shattering the drive axle and sending a tire skyward on impact.
Women can be heard screaming after the crash, and they continue screaming even as emergency crews rush the rig, clearly prepared for the worst.
The crash was so insane that it had to be replayed in slow-motion. And anyway, that’s what formula offroad fans pay to see. But it’s a safe bet nobody wants to see horrible injuries or death.
For this reason it’s a testament to the safety technology in the rigs that the driver was able to climb out and walk away. The sheer kinetic energy released – enough to break the rig apart – traveled around the roll cage and managed to preserve the driver.
That’s a good day, when the driver walks off. Still, and none of us can hear this enough: Do not try this at home.
It costs lot of money to be safe in a massive formula off-road crash.
