This weekend at the Mid-Ohio Grand Am race, driver Joey Hand was bumped off the asphalt and onto the grass. His car hit a newly (and foolishly) installed raised access road and was launched into the air. It nose-dived into the grass and flipped eight times, coming apart in the process. Hand was able to crawl out of the wreck on his own and suffered no serious injuries.

Wreck

Hand has been in wrecks before and probably will be again. He plans to continue racing and was back at the track the next day. Some may say he’s a tad insane for his willingness to risk life and limb again, but today Joey Hand is feeling especially alive; more so than many of us have ever felt. It’s that feeling of living on the edge, I think, which drives people to risk everything for the sport they love.

This wreck also shows how a well-built car and proper safety gear can mean the difference between survival and certain death. It’s a pity so many folks refuse to learn that lesson.

Here’s the full video of the crash.