When we proclaim that Speedvideo gets right up close and personal with the racing action, we aren’t kidding. But in this case, it was perhaps a little too close.

At this weekend’s second annual Wooostock, presented by Keith Berry and Travis Harvey and Lance Stanford of Carolina N/T series at the famed Darlington Dragway in South Carolina, small-tire, no-time runner Charles Potter took an intense ride in his Fox body Mustang that not only damaged his pride and joy, but sent one of our cameras to a tragic and sudden death.

Photo courtesy Chris Simmons Photography

Potter, making a hit at the track on Friday evening, launched with the wheels high in the air — the car climbed up on its bumper and, it’s right rear wheel briefly reconnecting with the pavement before the left, abruptly turned the car onto its side. Fortunately for Potter, the car didn’t have the momentum to turn on its roof, instead momentarily sliding on its driver’s side flank before turning back onto all fours as if nothing had happened at all. While on its side, the parachute reached out over the guardrail and collected the two static Speedvideo cameras that display the starting line and scoreboard angles, sending one sailing through the air to its death and knocking the other gracefully to the ground.

The whole scenario certainly could have been worse, but it provided one heck of a highlight reel moment. The camera served with honor and dignity and will be remembered. The quarter panel of Potters’ Mustang, although wounded in battle, will live to serve another day.