Things go wrong at the race track no matter what class you race, and the faster you go the quicker they happen. Classes like Pro Mod have exciting action when things go right, but when they don’t, the outcome can be catastrophic. The Australian version of Pro Mod, known as Top Doorslammer, has cars that can reach deep into the five-second zone. Top Doorslammer pilot Jeff Wilson has been in that exciting six-second zone, had a horrific crash, and made a comeback that nearly ended in disaster.
Last year Wilson went for a wild ride that ended badly when his Corvette hit the wall with such force he was knocked out cold. Wilson was lucky the safety gear did its job and he walked away with just a few bruises and a very sore wallet.
Some people would have thrown in the towel and looked for a new hobby, but Wilson got right back up on his horse in 2015. Repairs were made to his Top Doorslammer and a fresh coat of white paint was added and his Corvette was ready to make some noise. According to reports, Wilson had finally been able to get the bugs worked out of his car, or so he thought.
During a recent shakedown pass at the Sydney Dragway, Wilson went for another wild ride. Right after the tree drops and Wilson lets go of the transbrake the car begins to charge down the track it makes a move to the right. Wilson lifts quickly and tries to gather the car in as it makes a beeline for the wall. After going up on two wheels, grazing the wall, and sending track staff running his car only suffers a flesh wound that could have been much worse.
Check out this video from Fast Performance Videos and this stunning series of photos from Dragnews Australia that shows just how close Wilson came to total calamity again.