It can be easy to forget that racing is a life or death sport. When you stop to take it all in, it makes total sense that hurtling your way around a course in a steel chariot might potentially lead to your death. In the moment, it's so darn fun that you just sort of look past the danger.
It's O.K. to have fun racing. It's more than O.K., it's highly encouraged. But it's only O.K. to look past the immediate danger if you've invested in the proper safety gear, because things can, and usually will, go wrong.
DJ Fitzpatrick was driving his Mach V Motorsports 2001 BMW M3 in the qualifying session for the NASA Midatlantic's Hyperfest Event, when his rear trailing arm broke, resulting in his car taking a tumble through the air.
The next part of this story could have easily ended tragically, but Fitzpatrick invested in the proper safety equipment and was able to walk away from the crash.
His car, however, was not so lucky. Fitzpatrick set up a GoFundMe page to help get back on the track and restore his safety equipment.
Lend a hand to a responsible racer for doing the right thing and investing in his safety. Hopefully, Fitzpatrick will be back on the track shortly.
Related: Sometimes you can do everything right and still end up in the wall