Perhaps nowhere in motorsport can you go from hero to zero faster than in rally racing. With such lofty consequences no wonder rally drivers are looked upon as gods of car control with nerves of steel. One sight miscalculation can turn a pristine race car into scrap heap fodder.

Watching train wrecks is an American pastime. For car geeks seeing cars with the potential to be valiant fail in the most dramatic ways possible is must-see TV.

The footage shows all levels of driver skill and a wide variety of cars from, amateur types or possibly even weekend warriors to prepared racers suffering the effects of physics, poor judgement, and plain and simple stupidity … and in some cases combinations of all three. We are always surprised how some seriously damaged cars, some that have even flipped on their lid, are righted, push started, and continue on their way. Some sprint away and are still competitive, other are looking to escape the scene of the crime and pull over on their own terms.

Whether it is the driver’s fault or a mechanical failure within the car, we are thankful that most all the competitors were not severely injured. The high drama of these wrecks should serve as a wake up call to fans of rally racing who often crowd the course mere feet away from the speeding cars. Anything can happen on these tight courses so always pay attention to the track. Enjoy the ride … and the wreck.