Keeping a high-horsepower car with a supercharger under control isn’t for the faint of heart, and when that combination is mixed with a short wheelbase chassis things can get crazy in a hurry. Mike Wilson found out firsthand what happens when you lose the handle on a car with oodles of horsepower and little in the way of wheelbase during the Wild Bunch Wars at Masterton Motorplex in New Zealand.
The Wild Bunch is a group of racers that are a throwback to the days of when outlaw doorslammer racing was first taking off and the cars were truly a handful to drive. Fans of the Wild Bunch are always guaranteed a good show and the racers proudly maintain the tradition of wild doorslammer racing.
In this footage from Pete’s Videos, we see Ryan Sheldon in his Plymouth Fury grabbing a lane against Wilson in his Mercury Capri during eliminations of the Wild Bunch Wars event. As soon as Sheldon drops the hammer, his Plymouth starts dancing around trying to go every direction but straight, forcing him to lift. In the other lane, things aren’t going much better for Wilson as the Capri is starting to wiggle its tail all over the track.
Seeing an opportunity to take the win, Wilson continues to try and drive his Capri as he works the throttle and steering wheel, but things take a turn for the worst in an instant. As Wilson is sawing on the wheel the car makes a big move to the left and invades Sheldon’s lane — as Wilson tried to save the car it snapped back and barrel-rolled twice. During the rollover, the throttle linkage was damaged, causing it to hang open and sending Wilson on a terrifying ride down the track.
After making contact with the wall Wilson got the engine shut off, but due to the damage done to the front suspension, the Capri did smack the wall one final time. Thankfully, Wilson wasn’t seriously injured and he noted on Facebook the Capri is repairable and will make a return to the track eventually.