By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

This much is true: putting a rival in the fence is a time-honored tradition in stock-car racing, and a recognized if not officially sanctioned way of doing business on the track. Still, when veteran Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards sent newcomer Brad Keselowski hurtling airborne into the wall at nearly 200 mph yesterday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, I kind of had to wonder if things had gotten out of hand. Sure, NASCAR’s been encouraging drivers to show their passions and race hard, in its effort to counteract the tedium of today’s sanitized, sponsor-dominated version of the sport that has become so far removed from stock-car racing’s hellraising roots. But some things don’t change: when you tell a bunch of rowdy NASCAR drivers that it’s time to take the gloves off, the outcome is going to be pretty predictable: beatin’ and brawlin’. See the wreck and read more below the jump!

Continue reading "NASCAR Carnage: Time To Put The Gloves Back On?" »

By Michael Berenis

Tampa Sports Car Examiner

While trying to take an exit ramp too quickly, the modified Honda CRX lost control and slammed into the rails of an overpass. Why did this happen? Read more about the wreck at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

OK, it’s not like it takes very long for things to go sideways during a drag race, but Steve Gasparrelli’s accident at the Auto Club finals must have set some kind of record. He barely got past the Christmas tree before his funny car jackknifed and nailed the opposite wall! And while there are plenty of repeats and a few different angles in this clip, I’d really love to see a sideways shot from his competitor’s pit, because it looks like you couldn’t get a credit card between his machine and the hind quarters of the other car. Luckily, everyone was OK.

By Michael Berenis

Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Last week a Polizia Lamborghini Gallardo smashed into the rear end of a mini van. There is no video of it actually happening, but thanks to YouReporter.it we get to see a slide show of the leftovers. Read more about this accident at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

The quality of this video kind of  sucks, toward the end, some dude driving a Ferrari California in Sofia, Bulgari screws up and slams into a bulldozer. Oops.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

When I saw this story on reddit, the headline was: “We’ve secretly replaced this couple’s alarm clock with a Chevy Malibu. Let’s see if they notice the difference.” Now, I thought that was hilarious, but I stopped snickering when I saw the image below. Looking at how the car is perched on the bed, it’s tough to see how Kristin Palmer and Trent Wood escaped with only “minor scrapes and burns” after a drunk plowed into their bedroom. Of course, when I saw this quote, I totally started laughing again: “Initially, Woods struggled to comprehend what had happened to him after being abruptly torn from his slumber.” I mean, duh. Most people would be a tad confused if they went to sleep and then woke up with a car parked on top of them. It’d be a lot stranger if he’d initially struggled to determine whether the control arm bushings needed to be replaced. For the whole story and more pics, head over to CNN.

By Fireball Tim

Movie Car Design Master

Bummer…

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

Last night, I was watching NBC when Brian Williams reported on the controversy over this new anti-texting while driving spot from the UK. It’s not even showing on the tube in the States, but people here are watching it online, and that was apparently enough to warrant a mention on the most-watched nightly news in the country. Now, this spot is graphic and upsetting for sure, but you know what else is graphic and upsetting? Kids getting killed because they’re glued to their cell phones when they should be looking at the road. And the idea that Americans would be offended by graphic violence in the name of safety, when folks are regularly shown getting murdered and autopsied for entertainment—see NCIS, Law and Order, CSI—is utterly ridiculous. Personally, I think we should have spots like this here, even though the cynic in me says we’re so immune to brutal violence they wouldn’t do any good.  What do you think?

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

And sometimes, the drift gets you. Vaungh Gittin Jr. took a pretty hard lick during qualifying for the Formula D round in Vegas, but fortunately, he walked away. Obviously, his Falken Mustang didn’t fare as well, but something tells me it will be perfectly fine by the time the team has to hit the circuit in Seattle.

By John Coyle

Deputy Editor

So I know the ‘Ring is a tough circuit, and that rain makes everything more tricky, but you’d think even a terrible driver would be able to get through the first turn without a wreck. While the video is anti-climactic, there are some good shots of the toll station before you get onto the track. Hopefully, I’ll get to pass through myself one of these days…