Every time you drive over the blind crest at Road Atlanta’s Turn 11, you can be sure the racetrack is going to be exactly where it was the last time you went through there. What is not guaranteed is whether the track will be free of fluids, debris and car parts.

Sandro Espinosa had a run on Jim Pantas in the Corvette out of Turn 10b, but by the time he spotted a loose wheel over the blind rise, he had nowhere to go to avoid it. The data shows maximum braking, but there was no missing it, and up and over he went, popping the car out of gear and over-revving the engine. Despite the impact, he was able to drop down into Turn 12 and take the checkers. His car seemed to track straight after the incident, but the impact broke all the engine mounts and brackets, transmission mounts, cross members, all radiator supports, plus the radiator, passenger floor board and front bumper.

Damage from striking the debris included all the engine mounts and brackets, transmission mounts, cross members, all radiator supports, plus the radiator, passenger floor board and front bumper.
Image courtesy of Sandro Espinosa

3 COMMENTS

  1. For something like that there should have been at a minimum a waving yellow or yellow/debris flag combination or even a full course yellow. Unbelievable not even so much as a debris flag. Flag marshals were asleep on the job.
    That’s a $$$$$ mistake to the driver.

  2. There is a yellow flag flying, you just can’t see it very well in the position he is in coming over the hill (not sure why the flag stand isn’t just before the bridge or under it instead of after it). I went back and looked at it frame-by-frame, you can barely see it waving over the top of the Vette.

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