Glad you're still around. Forever ago my family had a cobra, was built from parts of 3 other cars that had all killed their owners. These things are no joke.

i need to know what broke to initiate this horrible crash. I have mad respect for you taking your cobra out there and running the shit out of it!

Congrats on surviving this and thank you for sharing. Two things come to mind; #1, impressive camera mounts #2, with a couple retraining cables you could utilize the trunk lid in much the same way NASCAR has the anti lift-off flaps that keep the vehicle from going airborne when traveling backwards at a high rate of speed. Again, glad you're OK As far as the car, its a race car, it lived and ended its life as many do.

Looks like that driver's side hoop did its job!

Thank God you’re ok, I’m so sorry this happened but thank you for sharing this. Helped me with finding the proper line through turn 4 🙏🏽 I hope you recovered well and are back doing what you love! God bless!

When track days become this competitive, it's time to go racing for real, with roll cages, HANS devices, arm restraints, and fire suppression. The only difference between this miracle and horrible tragedy is luck.

Bloody frightening mate, I used to build Cobra's had a lot to do with them in the late 80s , had a crash in 98 caught up in the marbles on a corner hit a retaining wall shattered the front cowling into pieces all over the place luckily the engine started the radiator had sprung a leak I drove it back to the pits. Heard of a bloke who went through a fence got garrotted, fence wire came up and over windscreen cut his head off. There's been more people killed in Cobra's than any other make of car ever produced, a wheel barrow with a v8, the back wants to pass the front. Just how good were those race drivers back in Shelby's days, RIP Ken Miles. Got that bloody Porsche felt like I was in the drivers seat for a second. Great video very glad driver survived. Note : to the rest of you would be's, if you're not a skilled race car driver don't do it stop the ego stuff you'll live longer.

Great racing. So glad you survived. I got run off the road once at about 80 mph, did a lot of skidding and spinning, and not once did I feel like my Cobra was going to flip. It really stayed upright. A strong chain link fence stopped my Cobra when it snagged on the rollbar(car was going backwards), saving me from a probable head injury. The fence surrounded a drainage ditch that was about 15-20 feet deep! Sorry about the lose of your Cobra....

Wow! I cant believe how lucky you are! What an incredible crash and thanks so much for sharing the video. As a fellow cobra owner and sometime track day driver, that's very sobering. I'll definitely be checking things over very well next time I go out!

Glad you're okay. I must ask... What kind of camera mount do you use?

First and foremost, I am glad to see that you walked away unscathed. I have seen many crashes with Cobra replica's, most of them seem to be Superformance cars. They have the best fit and finish of any replica manufacturer I have ever seen, but their handling is like that of a school bus. I won't give my name, but I have been under many of them, and have set a couple up for the track. The company is very good about addressing weak places when they are pointed out, so kudos for that. One car that I worked on had a true 427 side oiler in it, and no front anti sway bar, but a huge one in the rear. Who does that, I have never seen such an ill handling car in my life. So I outfitted the car with a front anti sway bar, then went about reducing the size of the rear, and it performed a lot better. I also lowered the rear and raised the front each by 3/8 inch, and that balanced it better. I have an Everett Morrison, running a C4 Corvette suspension, so I have no problem keeping pace with the newer cars, like the C6 or C7 with the Z51 package, and Vipers, but not the last ACR they made, that car actually makes downforce, which is something my car does not do. For the most part I think that the Superformance is a pretty safe car, a friend spun on the street and clipped a tree at about 80 mph, and only received a collapsed lung. I would like to compete, but I do not know what class I would need to enter. I did meet a guy at the Detroit Autorama some years back, and he raced his, but I don't know what hoops he had to jump through, to have his car accepted in to the antique class that he claimed he was in. Sorry, I didn't spell check or proof read. Now I am ready to hear everyone who owns a Superformance, call me a jackass, and this and that, even though I didn't really knock the car, just the handling. I can make it handle much better than they do when they are first delivered to you, but I don't want to open myself up to any liability, so I will keep the F/R weight bias, and the front and rear wheel alignments to myself.

I have a backdraft roadster and every time I think about gassing it this exact scenario plays in my head.. I imagine flipping and getting my head chopped off lol Glad to see you came out alive brother!

Pete, Glad you were OK. I was there that day. When I you 10 minutes after that crash sitting in a chair in the garage, you looked really shaken, but I was surprised you were in that good shape. Your video really shows the reason for arm restraints in open top cars. I even use arm restraints if I am in a car without window nets. Its a lesson for all of us to take the time to: Install hood pins, front and rear. buckel unsed harnesses, remove everything from the car that is not attached.

Did you find out what exactly broke in the front suspension or steering on the Cobra?

#1 and most important glad you are alive and I hope you are safe. Couldn’t keep watching after the crash. #2 and also important, sad to see that beautiful car go.

Glad you're okay. I'm surprised that they let you on the track with your harness improperly mounted. I work in the off road spectrum of racing and that would NEVER pass tech inspection. Hope you get it going again....and mount the harness correctly!

Great to see that you're okay. So sorry about that gorgeous car. I hope you've gotten, or will get another to enjoy.

Wow, glad you are okay, and nice job on the video. Did you ever figure out exactly what piece failed, a tie rod perhaps?

I watched the video all the way through once, broke my heart but I'm glad you okay, I watched up untill the 6 minute mark about 20 times. What a machine !

Right before the car spins I see a steering correction to the left but absolutely no change in car's trajectory. Was the brakes on and wheels locked at that time or the steering was lost ?

Crash @ 6:18

Lucky to still have your right arm too! Could have been an extremely painful accident. Did you ever find out what caused the steering loss?

Every time I see this I have to comment. You are one lucky man to walk away from this accident. I hope I never have the same experience with my Cobra clone while I'm racing. I've road raced it a couple of times and have had some minor spin outs, but NOTHING compared to what you went through. I drag race mine, and have had a couple of people wreck on the track - always at top speed near the end of the race. It's scary, and there's really nothing I can do about it except try to stay clear of the debris and fluids. So far I've been lucky. Thank God you're OK.

Murphy was your co-pilot but you came out ok, glad you're alright ;}

Aw man, thats the one car that you dont wanna crash :(....thank god your ok brother.

thank GOD, you are safe !!! A french fan...

Only liked because you put it out there. Heart breaking stuff to a car Lover. As a Cobra lover of that caliber i'm devestated for you. :(

wow that was intense. I hope to see that you were ok even after the shock wore off. I have had a crash or 2 myself. And it is unreal how adrenaline can power your mind and body to get up or out depending if its a bike or car and you walk away as soon as you come to a stop. Then only a few steps later you find out when the rush goes away you have some bad damage. So first and foremost I hope you are still ok and havent thrown in the towel so to speak. God speed to you and you road racing.

Glad that you are OK. No scratches on the helmet. Why is there no explanation of the cause to date? What Kit Was it?

did you have a sore neck after that?

Breaks my heart to see a beaut Cobra banged up! I built one of these here in South Africa and drove it daily 1992 -2002 with a Windsor 302 motor. Not so powerful but still great fun and sometimes a handful! Sorry I sold it though. Glad you survived all that.

Every drivers nightmare...a suspension or steering part failure at speed. Glad you survived it! Really scary incident...

At 140 MPH the Cobra with the aerodynamics of a brick and the up lift, the car weights 16 lbs. At VIR I was drafting a 996 Porche , popped out from behind him the car just turned sideways. The old saying is" The cobras going to bite its just where and when."

So sorry about your accident. At around 6:19, when you counter-steered a little, it looked like you also hit the brakes (watch the right knee). That would have brought the rear end around to your left side. Do you remember doing this? Good luck in your future driving. (from an old race driving instructor).

That cobra was putting the hurt on some flashy cars out there. Nice driving glad to see you were ok.

A. Friend of mine died in a similar kit car in NC a few years back. He bragged about having the single roll bar added and putting seat belts in it. I am glad you came out of that with your life. Good luck with your next car!

I know this car, but not the owner. It was a my brother BMW shop in Gardena. It's a Backdraft Cobra with BMW e36 suspension. Scary crash, glad he is ok.

What an epic drive, been round there in my cobra 3 times a scary track indeed, nice to watch it done in stile ! Respect

Cars can be replaced. Glad you walked away. Very surprised track didn’t require arm restraints

Sorry about your crash grateful to God you are alive

Most of that will polish out......... Glad to see you walked away, sounds glourious and looks like you were having fun before the crash.

So thankful to see that you walked away from this. I will be going to big willow for my second time tomorrow and this video is a good reminder that even the best drivers can experience mechanical failure. Best of luck to you!

Wow man, saw this posted on Talk Cobra. Glad you are ok! The rest can be rebuilt.

You have better luck than me my friend for two reasons. 1.You owned a badass track car. 2. You survived crashing it.

The big block 427 Cobra is probably one of the single most dangerous cars to drive. I remember reading a book about Cobras and famous Cobra driver Ken Miles was perhaps the best of all Cobra drivers. He had developed a most unique driving technique. When the tail started losing traction in a corner (i.e., oversteer) and the normal response would be to take your foot off the accelerator, Miles would instead slam his foot on the accelerator, and the car would simply realign itself bringing the rear end back in line. Very few drivers could drive the Cobras to 9/10 of their capabilities. Miles could and always did.

Glad you survived! This is scary to watch. I've worried about the strength of roll hoops but this video seems like proof they do offer protection with 3 points - they didn't collapse or bend much. From materials science, fibreglass is stronger than the same weight of steel. Imagine what this would have looked like in a steel body. Your chassis was pretty strong. I'm watching to make my own journey safer - so thanks for sharing this vital footage. Can't have been easy to go through. But this video helps others including me. I'm adding ABS to my Cobra, because I've seen too many lock wheels. I want to change my chassis to the XCS 427 with patented constant camber and anti roll suspension. Double roll hoops. Probably going to upgrade the doors too. Thank God you're OK. That harness and helmet sure did their jobs that day. Tysm 🙏💪💛

WOW.... I agree.. THANK GOD you came out of that in one piece... Really sorry about the car, man. That was a SWEET looking Cobra

Sorry dude, glad you're okay. Was it driver / mechanic error or was it a component failure?

Glad you are okay sir!

just glad you're alive. scary shit

My condolences to your Cobra. What exactly broke that caused the crash?

I had an E36 and the rear driver side suspension (bushings) gave out as I was making a turn and totalled the whole passenger side but at least I came out with only a few bruises and scratches. Glad to see you came out ok!!!

Cars can be replaced, that was a spectacular rummage sale! Now, WTF broke? Did your left rear tire blow? Nice to know the roll bars work in the Cobras.

Holy $h!t that was so much more violent than I was expecting! Glad you're ok!

I was there racing when it happened and yes pete extremely lucky to be alive. Klaus

Nasty stuff......still gotta love the cobra. Glad you walked away

Did you determine the cause? Very curious

So did you find out what went wrong? Wheel loose? Flat tire? Aero?

At approximately 5:52 was the single piece of debris glancing angularly front to back noticeable to you? It's apparent inertia makes it seem more than cardboard or paper.

Wish the camera was pointed forward

WOW, being alive is one thing, but keeping the arm?! like winning the lottery twice

Did you ever figure out what happen?

I have driven two sports cars 130 mph or more on the Interstate when there was zero traffic. One was a Porsche 911S racing a Hemi Barracuda (smeared him with ease) and the other was a 1966 Jaguar Series 1 XKE that was much quicker than my Porsche 911. Got stopped both times, tickets both times and paid for my crime both times. But those experiences qualify me to say that this was a good driver, far advanced from the average bear. His handling of traffic was responsible, he was patient and he knew how to nail it to catch up when the coast was clear. I found his run thrilling and entertaining. The crash did not appear to be his fault at all, appeared to be a structural failure of some kind. That is a problem weekend racers have; no pit crew to check their car from stem to stern for preventative maintenance. Some of the components in these cars are not race car quality. Shock absorber ends, ball joints, etc may not be up to the loads imposed by these cars. I want to buy a Superformance Cobra before I die but even back in 1964 I suspected the AC Shelby Cobras likely were loose snakes on the tracks. They sit too high in the rear, are too light in the rear and lack the suspension compared to the two cars I was driving. If I buy a Cobra I will not often drive it over 80mph, especially since I am now in my mid 60s!

LOVE the Seat Belt attachment theme here...who let this thing on the track???

im surprised they let you out without arm restraints of some sort

Hi Guy, A m a z i n g that you lived to tell. Was the car a glass fibre one or was the shell a proper aluminum body >? . Thx. for answering. Be good Regards Jon

dude, is that your St. Christopher medal flying around in the early frames of the accident?

HOLY SHIT...You are sooooo lucky...Glad you made it to play another day...

Damn good driving dude! Glad you didn't get seriously hurt or killed. Scary stuff.

Was that a Superformance MKIII chassie or some other brand? Seemed like maybe ball joint gave out, looked to dip to the left a bit?

AC Cobra, the widow maker....my dream car, but this is why I would never track it..i don't have the balls. Even with modern technology on this car, there is just that element of craziness that is a blessing and a curse. Thank god everything came out alright for you. Out of curiosity, who made this one?

If it left a gouge in the track, did a wheel come off, did a spindle fail?

Glad your OK, sorry for your loss

Snake bite! There a handful at the best of times . Was it a backdraft cobra?

Glad you are ok,

Hey, boy I enjoyed the ride, I`m just glad that it was your cobra instead of mine...

What ever company built that kit is great!!..Thing kept you alive~!

Looked like your seat belt was loose as you are flying around a bit. Lucky your arms didn't get torn off. What broke?

sorry you lost your beautiful car. glad you survived. i have a cobra roadster myself and push it kinda hard on a straight line on occasion but i can tell it's not really meant for road racing.

Any time something doesn’t feel quite right is the time that you slow down take it to the pits and check over it thoroughly 🤘🏼🚘🤘🏼

God, I'm glad you survived.....

My first impression was “why is he wearing a firesuit at a DE?” My second was “ Oh that’s why. This is a fire breathing monster and he likes to go really fast.” My third was “I don’t like how that shoulder harness is attached to the roll hoop with the much thinner metal bar one bit”. My fourth was “Fortunately, it was strong enough”.

Wow. Glad you are alive and well. Surprised. Not much protection

Glad to see you survived relatively unscathed. Proper safety gear makes a difference, but at a certain point you just have to take a step back and realize the adrenaline we are all hooked on has a dark side. Do you have any intentions of having another track day car or are you retiring from it?

God blessed you again with an extended life and I say again God bless you for that I'm so sorry for your losing your car that was a great example of what an AC Cobra should be, but I'm much more thankful for your well being. God bless you man.

Any clue as to what caused this?

I think it takes a helluva lot of stones to post this the way you did. Most of us would be licking our wounds. Good for you.

Which brand is that replica? factory five?

At a buck thirty, you'd better be praying if the steering goes out! You did the right thing.

dude are you alright!!! jesus that was crazy !!!!

Well, knowing a crash was coming, I looked hard at the driver only roll bar and thought, man, shouldn't that be an inch or two higher? But, I guess it did fine. Wow, what a place for that, going into turn 9. Yeesh. Glad you did ok. Bummer about the car. Funny, your frame was tweaking before you rolled. I noticed the trunk pop, presumably from twisting forces, before you rolled.

left rear suspension/ corner failure, LR squats and pushes car to the right. when there is a failure on the front end, the car will be pulled to the side of the failure.

Glad you were okay.

What make of replica was it?

Glad you are ok.

Believe it or not the frame & suspension geometry of most the high dollar replicas are better engineered . ride quality & handling greatly improved from the originals but don't garner anywhere near selling prices of original Cobras ..that was an IRS rear ? it appeared as if something let go in the rearend ?

Is it missing or is that the camera?

With all of the comments below on what parts might have failed, racing vs house parts, what type of suspension... I have to ask the most pertinent equipment question of all... What high quality brand of underwear were you running that day, because I didn't see the brown stain on the back of your nomex suit at ALL...

Dam dude your lucky that was unreal.. thankfully you are ok

tis video shut have lot more views , due to great editing job , just because of the great loss of this great sport car and also the moracle of u sufering only minors scraps and brushes, thumbs up