Many people, a part of which are car aficionados, are not aware of the fact that our beloved contraptions can sometimes be much stronger weapons than firearms. And we're not just talking about the kinetic energy of a 4,000 lb object traveling at, say, 100 mph.
For instance, the transmission that sits right next to your feet (especially with longitudinally-mounted engines) can easily turn into Russian roulette hardware when talking about heavily modded racecars such as the Chevrolet in the video below.
Unfortunately, this Chevy's driver recently discovered the kind of destructive power a gearbox failure can have. The man was putting his monster turbo Chevrolet through its paces at the Showtime drag strip in Florida when disaster struck.
The footage allows us to see the racecar hitting the rev limit right after taking off. The prolonged red line moment caused a transmission malfunction, with the gearbox exploding. Once the torque converter was blown to pieces, fuel and transmission fluid caught fire, with the flames not only engulfing the car but being strong enough almost to hurt a photographer sitting behind the concrete wall at the side of the track.
According to the uploader of the YouTube video, "the driver was extremely lucky to only sustain injuries to his foot." We have to mention the driver was wearing full fireproof clothing. The safety crew at the track deserves a round of applause for the instant response.
During the explosion, you can see shrapnel flying all over the track, while the final part of the clip shows the massive holes left in the floor and door.
Redditor MrAwwesome, who brought this story to our attention, explains the car had been fitted with the wrong bellhousing. And while such issues can occur, this sad episode only comes to show how important protection is.
NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Tracks require a tranny blanket when cars are quick enough to pull 10.99 runs, while SFI-approved (the SFI non-profit safety organization) bellhousings are required once the 9.99s level is reached.
Unfortunately, some drivers don't take such rules seriously. Here's to hoping this serves as a lesson to them.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News