Terrifying video shows what happens if a drag racer’s parachutes fail
Pro driver Mike Bowman slammed into the safety net after his parachutes failed to deploy at 255mph
A pro drag racer is thanking his lucky stars for the presence of a safety net, after the parachutes on his car failed to deploy after a 255mph run.
Mike Bowman, a driver in the Pro Mod series, was racing at Gateway Motorsports Park in Illinois when the terrifying incident happened. Caught on camera, it shows the aftermath of the American’s race – during which he hit a top speed of 255mph and covered a quarter of a mile in just 5.89 seconds.
Though drag racers have traditional brakes, the bulk of their stopping power comes from parachutes at the rear. When the 47-year-old’s parachutes failed to deploy, he hit the brakes – but the tiny discs were ineffective at stopping from such a high speed and can be seen glowing orange with the heat of their effort.
All that Bowman could do was keep the car straight and aim for the sand pit and safety netting at the end of the track – placed there to catch cars in such events.
The event commentators narrated the incident as it happened, saying: “You can see the parachutes tangling behind the race car, and here’s where his problems begin in earnest. You can see him centring the car up, trying to hit the centre of the sand trap, working the brakes.”
Bowman’s car was caught by the net and forced up on its end, but luckily neither he nor anybody else was injured.
