Rallying is hard. Driving flat out on unpredictable road surfaces with people, other cars, and buildings as occasional obstacles is hectic, and even with a co-driver giving you directions as you progress through a hot stage, mistakes can be made, and often with far more dire consequences than racing a closed circuit or hillclimb. Things and cars can get wrecked in a hurry. Cars can break, causing a cascade of wreckage. The old rallyists motto of “Go fast, don’t hit shit” doesn’t always pan out.
Today, thanks to the RacingFail! channel on YouTube, I learned that, at least in the case of the WRC, each rally carries an insurance policy against damaged property along the stage route. When a car hits some permanent structure, the organizers call upon that policy to pay for the damages. That insurance policy covers only third-party damage, and is not required to pay for damage to the cars caused by the crash.
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If you’ve got a spare 9 minutes on your Sunday afternoon, click the play button and watch a few occasionally chuckle-worthy rally mishaps.
Hat Tip: Stef Schrader
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