Video: When Traction Control Goes Wrong

Drag racing is a risky endeavor regardless of how experienced you are with the sport; it proves that no one can control mechanical, electrical, or the variety of other unknowns in the in world. Ridelust featured a write-up of what happens when traction control turns evil on a C6 Z06. According to Ridelust, the owner/driver is an experienced racer with numerous mid-ten-second passes under his belt. The trouble begins shortly after the start of the burnout; obviously the car is not slicked down, but normally when an experienced racer hits the burnout box there is more than a quick spin of the tires.

After the car appears to give the driver some trouble with the initial burnout, he elects to do a small hit outside of the box, conceivably to clear the debris from his tires. During this little spin the car begins to really smoke the tires and the rearend of the car begins to pitch to the side and the driver attempts to compensate for it. Suddenly the car snaps the other direction and launches straight into the guardrail near the starting line and narrowly misses taking out an ATV as well. Ridelust stated that the driver claimed that the clutch was slipping and the traction control was acting erratically during that pass. Perhaps the traction control was somehow overridden during the burnout process or perhaps there were electrical gremlins at work? Either way it looks like the driver is fine and the Z06 will be as good as new following a trip to the body shop, a new clutch and some investigation into the traction control issue (either by a trained technician or an exorcist).

About the author

Lauren Camille

Lauren is a graduate of California State University Fullerton, and has experience working for several enthusiast publications. She enjoys drag racing, classic Fords, and vintage Lincolns. She currently races a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, and has a soft spot for 1960’s Lincolns. Currently, her collection includes: ’04 Cobra Convertible, ’65 Mustang Fastback, ’04 F350 6.0 diesel, ’96 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a ’87 Jeep Wrangler. She provides insightful content as a freelance writer for Power Automedia.
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