Auto Industry News: Terrifying Drag Wreck Meets New Laws

Terrifying Drag Wreck

And this, kids, is why you always wear your seat belt. We start off this week’s auto industry news with a dragster running his black 1955 Chevy, losing control, and ultimately rolling. Four times to be exact. At one point in the video, you can see his feet crash through the windshield…

You can hear gasps among the crowd who surely believe they’ve witnessed a tragedy. But then miraculously, the driver steps from his vehicle unscathed, albeit woozily, though his car is beyond repair. As medical personnel rush toward the scene, the dazed man looks around as if to say well that was nuts. Drive on, sir. But for the love of Zeus, put on your seat belt, bro.

Porsche Smokes ‘Ring Record

Don’t unbuckle yet. And don’t you dare blink, because you might miss the Porsche 911 GT2 RS if you do. Last week, at Nürburgring the 911 GT2 RS posted the fastest lap in course history. The crew running this mad machine hoped to post a time near 7 minutes. So, obviously they were confident. That’s good. Goals are important.

But let’s be honest, results are all that matter. It was a title that briefly belonged to the Nissan GT-R – keyword briefly. But Porsche was dedicated to stealing it back, seeing as Nürburgring is essentially its home track. To do so, they would have to fend off the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, which posted a respectable 6:51.02. The 911 GT2 RS got the last laugh when it posted a time of 6:47.3 and included video footage for good measure. Better yet, the 911 GT2 RS is not only the fastest Nürburgring time, it’s also street legal. That’s German engineering for you.

Auto Industry News: Cali Law

Enjoy your loud and powerful engines while you can, west coast, brethren. Auto industry news reports that California announced it’s aiming to implement state legislation banning internal combustion vehicles.

There appears to be no specific timetable for the move, but many think it will be sooner rather than later. The Trump administration’s EPA is certainly not the ideal overseer for such a law either. But California has not been bashful in stating that they will bypass federal legislation if they have to. When it comes to eco-conscious issues, the Golden State always appears to be at the forefront of change. And this would be the first US regulation of its kind in climate change prevention. Similar bans exist in parts of the United Kingdom, France, and China. But can an economy as massive as California’s readjust to such a drastic change? Only time will tell.

Saudi Arabia Lifts Ban On Women

Possibly the biggest tid-bit in this week’s auto industry news, Saudi Arabia announced the end of its longstanding ban on female driving. Fawziah al-Bakr is Saudi university professor who participated in the kingdom’s first protest against the ban in 1990. “We have been waiting for a very long time,” she told the New York Times. She will not have to wait much longer, as the change is set to officially take place in June 2018. Being that the ban stood for so long in conjunction with the cultural ideal of female “guardianship,” pushback was expected. However, the new law has been well received and is expected to boost the economy, helping to mobilize a female work force.

Around the Circuit

Continued dominance was the theme of the NHRA Midwest Nationals this past weekend. Robert Hight (Funny Car), Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all maintained their no. 1 qualifying spots Saturday.

Max Verstappen captured the victory at Formula One’s Malaysian Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton claimed second and Daniel Ricciardo finished third. Sebastian Vettel’s fourth place finish came as a disappoint due to his ongoing neck-and-neck battle with Hamilton for Formula One’s top spot. There was also a scar moment when Romain Grosjean struck a loosened drain cover and crashed into the wall during practice (Video Below). The Japanese Grand Prix is Sunday.

The Round of Twelve has been set for NASCAR. Kyle Larson captured the victory at Dover Sunday, keeping himself near Kyle Busch and Treux Jr in the standings. Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Kasey Kahne were all eliminated from the field. The remaining twelve drivers will push toward the championship again Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Until next week’s auto industry news, stay in the fast lane but buckle up!

Leave a Reply