Earlier today, we gave a short recap of the Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series season opener at Road Atlanta with a couple of highlights.
Unfortunately, the race's first few hours were peppered with lowlights. Cue the film:
With the sun still low and bright in the sky, the #8 Hong Norrth Mazda MX-3 collided with the #220 Domestic Violence Mazda RX-7 just after Turn 1. The RX-7 spun mid-corner, leaving the MX-3 pilot to choose to dodge left or right. He chose left initially, but the RX-7's momentum closed that door, leaving the Hong Norrth Trons Am to dart right instead. He didn't quite make it and the MX-3 looks a bit crooked now. Both cars' days ended then, just five laps into the race.
Just two hours later, the #168 Domino/TLMUSA.com BMW E36 found itself in a nasty wreck on the straight between Turns 5 and 6. As the driver passed the #118 Ponticrap Pontiac Fiero, he quickly ran out of room to the track's left side and ended up on the grass. He re-entered the track and found himself going sideways, then hit by the Fiero with both cars into the concrete wall hard. The crash ended the Domino car's day and left the driver with a mild concussion. The Fiero was fixed enough to return to the track to finish 45th.
Finally, Hong Norrth's second car, the #39 Mazda MX-3 snagged a tire wall at the entrance to the Esses when he ran out of room while trying to make a pass. The impact mangled the front-right suspension, but the team repaired the car and sent it back to the track, where it fought back to finish 19th.
What's that Mazda slogan again? Something like "More Mazdas are wrecked on racetracks every week than any other car brand" ?
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